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KAPULENA AGRICULTURAL PARK
<br />FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
<br />sugarcane. Small acreages are used for pasture and truck crops. (Capability subclass IVe,
<br />irrigated, and IVe, nonirrigated; sugarcane group 1; pasture group 7; woodland group 5)
<br />Paauhau Silty Clay Loam, PaE (20-35% slopes) also constitutes approximately less than one
<br />percent of the Kapulena Lands, occupying approximately 10 acres at the site's lowest elevations.
<br />This soil is similar to Paauhau silty clay loam, 12 to 20 percent slopes, except that it is steeper.
<br />Runoff is rapid, and the erosion hazard is severe. Historically, this soil was used for sugarcane.
<br />Small acreages are used for pasture. (Capability subclass VIe, irrigated, and VIe, nonirrigated;
<br />sugarcane group 1; pasture group 7; woodland group 5)
<br />Rough broken land, (RB) constitutes approximately 248 acres, or roughly 14 percent of the
<br />Kapulena Lands and is found along most of the site's gulches. Rough broken land is a
<br />miscellaneous land type that consists of very steep, precipitous land broken by many intermittent
<br />drainage channels. It occurs primarily in gulches, and the slope is dominantly 35 to 70 percent.
<br />The soil material ranges from very shallow to deep. Stones and rock outcrops are common in
<br />some areas. Elevation ranges from near sea level to 3,000 feet, and the annual rainfall ranges
<br />from 50 inches to more than 150 inches. Vegetation varies with rainfall. Kukui trees are common
<br />in the gulches. There are a few, scattered waterfalls. Rough broken land is used for pasture,
<br />woodland, wildlife habitat, and recreation areas. Adapted pasture plants and yields are similar to
<br />those for soils associated with this land type. These soils are in Capability Class VII.
<br />Soil capability grouping shows, in a general way, the suitability of soils for most kinds of field
<br />crops. Soils are classed from I to VIII, with Capability Class I being the best suited for
<br />agriculture and Class VIII being the least suited. As described above the Kapulena site is
<br />comprised of soils in Classes IV, VI, and VII.
<br />• Class IV soils have very severe limitations that reduce the choice of plants, require very
<br />careful management, or both.
<br />• Class VI soils have severe limitations that make them generally unsuited to cultivation
<br />and limit their use largely to pasture or range, woodland, or wildlife.
<br />• Class VII soils have very severe limitations that make them generally unsuited to
<br />cultivation and restrict their use largely to pasture or range, woodland, or wildlife.
<br />Capability subclasses, which are designated by adding a letter after the roman numeral, indicate
<br />the main limitation risk. For example, Paauhau Silty Clay Loam and Kukaiau Silty Clay Loam
<br />are classed as IVe, VIe, indicating that the main limitation risk is from erosion, unless close
<br />growing vegetative cover is maintained.
<br />3.4.2 Land Study Bureau Soil Rating
<br />The Detailed Land Classification, Island of Hawai `i (Baker et al. 1965) classifies non -urban
<br />areas based on a five -class rating system for agricultural productivity using the letters A, B, C, D,
<br />and E. Under this system, A represents the highest class of productivity and E the lowest. The
<br />Pa`auilo Lands comprise lands rated B, C, D and E (Figure 9, Detailed Land Classification).
<br />The site contains lands rated C, D and E. "C" or "fair" lands are associated with the lower
<br />elevation portions of the site which are primarily comprised of Kukaiau Silty Clay Loam, 12-
<br />20% slopes. "D" or poor lands roughly correspond with areas of Honokaa Silty Clay Loam 20-
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