LOCATION ATHERTON NY+ME NJ PA

Established Series
Rev. MGC-JWW-SWF
01/2018

ATHERTON SERIES

The Atherton series consists of deep, poorly drained and very poorly drained soils formed in water-sorted materials. They are nearly level soils on outwash plains, terraces and kame-kettle landforms. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high or high in the mineral solum and in the substratum. Slope ranges from 0 through 3 percent. The mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation is about 40 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, nonacid, mesic Aeric Endoaquepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Atherton silt loam - hay. (Colors are for moist soils.)

Ap -- 0 to 9 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam; moderate coarse granular structure; friable; many fine roots; common fine pores; few medium distinct dark red (2.5YR 3/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick.)

Bg -- 9 to 22 inches; gray (5Y 5/1) silt loam; massive; friable; few fine roots in upper 6 inches; few fine pores; many (30 percent) medium distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; 5 percent coarse fragments; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 16 inches thick.)

2Bw -- 22 to 38 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly silt loam; massive; friable; few pores; many (35 percent) medium and coarse distinct gray (5Y 5/1) areas of iron depletion in the matrix; 25 percent coarse fragments; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 25 inches thick.)

2C -- 38 to 60 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam; massive with crude stratification; few pores; common medium distinct gray (5Y 5/1) areas of iron depletion and common coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; 25 percent coarse fragments; slightly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Steuben County, New York, Campbell Township. 1/2 mile north of Highway 333 in depressional area in terrace adjacent to Cohocton River. USGS Campbell, NY topographic quadrangle; Latitude 42 degrees, 14 minutes, 15.83 seconds N. and Longitude 77 degrees, 12 minutes, 18.4 seconds W., NAD 1983.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 20 through 44 inches. Rock fragments range from 0 through 20 percent in horizons in the upper part of the solum including up to 15 percent greater than 3 inches in diameter. The weighted average rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 35 percent in the particle control section, including up to 5 percent greater than 3 inches in diameter. Rock fragments in the substratum ranges to 60 percent. Unless limed, reaction ranges from strongly acid through neutral in the A horizon and from moderately acid through slightly alkaline in the B and C horizons.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 0 through 2. Texture is loam, silt loam or silty clay loam in the fine earth fraction. Some pedons have mucky modifiers.
Structure is weak or moderate granular or fine subangular blocky. Consistence is friable or very friable. In pedons with A horizons thickness can range from 1 through 6 inches.
In uncleared areas A horizons are 4 through 8 inches thick and have color value of 2 or 3 moist and 4 or 5 dry. They may be underlain by E horizons 1 through 6 inches thick that have chroma of 0 or 1.

The Bg horizon has hue of 5YR through 5Y, value of 4 through 6 and chroma of 0 through 2 and has redoximorphic features. Texture is loam, silt loam or silty clay loam in the fine earth fraction. Consistence is friable or firm.

The Bw or 2Bw horizon, which is usually in contrasting materials, has hue of 5YR through 5Y, value of 4 through 6 and chroma of 3 or 4 and it has distinct or prominent redoximorphic features. Texture is loam, silt loam or silty clay loam in the fine earth fraction with thin layers of gravel, sand, or silty clay in some pedons. They are massive or they have moderate prismatic or blocky structure. Consistence is friable or firm.

The C or 2C horizon has hue of 5YR through 5Y, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 1 through 4 and it has distinct or prominent redoximorphic features. Some pedons may have 10Y hue (gleyed) in the C or 2C. They are stratified with texture in the fine earth fraction typically ranging from loam through silty clay loam, but including textures from sand through silty clay.

COMPETING SERIES: The Kendaia series is in the same family. Kendaia soils have carbonates within a depth of 40 inches and lack stratification within 40 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Atherton soils are nearly level soils in depressions in glacial outwash terraces, older stream terraces, and kame-kettle landforms. Slope ranges from 0 through 3 percent. The soil formed in water-sorted material which ranges widely in texture among layers below 20 inches. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 30 through 50 inches, mean annual air temperature from 45 through 52 degrees F. and mean growing season from 120 through 200 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The well drained Chenango, Hoosic and Tunkhannock soils, the moderately well drained Braceville and Castile soils, and the somewhat poorly drained Red Hook soils are on slightly higher positions in drainage sequences with Atherton soils. Tioga and Barbour soils are on nearby first bottoms and Allard and Unadilla soils on silt-mantled terraces. Lordstown, Bath, and related soils are on adjoining uplands.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly to very poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is negligible or very high. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high or high in the mineral solum and in the substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: Where undrained, the soil is in woodlots mostly of elm and soft maple, is idle or is pastured. Drained areas are used for growing corn, small grains, hay and pasture.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern and eastern New York, northwestern New Jersey, and northern Pennsylvania. MLRA 101, 140, 144A, and 146. The series is moderately extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Licking County, Ohio, 1930.

REMARKS: This series has been used in Maine (MLRA 146). All soils in this area are now frigid. It will be removed when this area is updated.

The Atherton series typical pedon needs to be updated in the field.

Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in the typical pedon:
(1) Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 9 inches (Ap horizon).
(2) Cambic horizon - the zone from 9 to 38 inches (Bg and 2Bw horizons).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.