Pa'auilo Final Enviromental Assessment

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PA`AUILO LANDS FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT northeast at an average rate of approximately 11 percent. The lands contain no known drainage improvements. Potential Impacts and Mitigation Measures The sale of the Pa`auilo Lands is not anticipated to affect drainage within the site. Potential purchasers will be subject to the existing grubbing and grading ordinances through which the impacts of their specific uses will have to be addressed and mitigated. 3.4 SOILS Three soil suitability studies have been prepared for lands in Hawaii. These are the U.S. Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service Soil Survey (USDA 1972), the University of Hawaii Land Study Bureau Detailed Land Classification (Baker 1965), and the State of Hawai`i Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of Hawai`i (ALISH) (State of Hawaii 1977). The principal focus of these studies has been to describe the physical attributes of Hawai`i's lands and the relative productivity of different land types for agricultural production purposes. 3.4.1 Soil Conservation Service Soil Survey The Soil Survey of the Island of Hawaii, State of Hawaii (USDA 1972)identifies the following six soil types at the Pa`auilo Lands (Figure 9). • Honokaa Silty Clay Loam, HTD (10-20% slopes) Honokaa Silty Clay Loam,Low Elevation, HsC (0-10% slopes) • Honokaa Silty Clay Loam,Low Elevation, HsD (10-20% slopes) Honokaa Silty Clay Loam,Low Elevation,HsE(20-35% slopes) Maile Silt Loam,MLD (6-20% slopes) Rough Broken Land, RB Honokaa Silty Clay Loam, 10-20% slopes (HTD) constitutes approximately 17 percent of the Pa`auilo Lands. This soil is low on the windward side of Mauna Kea. In a representative profile, the surface layer is dark brown silty clay loam, approximately 6 inches thick. The subsoil is also silty clay loam. It is dark brown, very dark brown, and very dark grayish brown and is approximately 59 inches thick. This soil is medium acid to slightly acid throughout the profile. It dehydrates irreversibly into fine gravel-size aggregates. Permeability is rapid, runoff is slow, and the erosion hazard is slight. Roots can penetrate to a depth of 5 feet or more. This soil is used mostly for pasture and woodland. At the time of the survey, a small acreage at the lowest elevation was used for sugarcane. These soils are in capability Class IV. Honokaa Silty Clay Loam, Low Elevation, 0-10% slopes (HsC) constitutes approximately 2 percent of the Pa`auilo Lands. This soil is similar to Honokaa silty clay loam 10 to 20 percent slopes, except that it is gently sloping and occurs at a lower elevation where the soil temperature is warmer. This soil is used mostly for sugarcane. Small areas are used for pasture and macadamia nuts. These soils are in Capability Class ITI. 16