LOCATION HAGERSTOWN MD+IN KY PA TN VA WVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Hagerstown silt loam, on a 4 percent northwest slope in a small grain field. (Colors are for moist soil unless noted otherwise)
Ap1--0 to 7 inches; dark brown or brown (7.5YR 4/4) silt loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine and common medium roots; many fine and common medium tubular pores; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.
Ap2--7 to 10 inches; dark brown or brown (7.5YR 4/4) silt loam; weak coarse platy structure; firm; many fine and few medium roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; 1 percent limestone channers; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (combined thickness of Ap horizons 6 to 12 inches)
BE--10 to 17 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) silt loam; common medium distinct dark brown or brown (7.5YR 4/2) organic stains in pores; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and few medium roots; many fine and medium tubular and vesicular pores; few distinct clay films in pores; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--17 to 26 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) silty clay loam; common medium distinct very dark gray (5YR 3/1) iron manganese stains on faces and interiors of peds; common fine distinct very dark gray (5YR 3/1) iron manganese concretions; many medium dark brown or brown (7.5YR 4/3) organic stains in pores; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; many fine and medium vesicular and tubular pores; many distinct clay films on ped faces and in pores; 2 percent limestone channers; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--26 to 45 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) silty clay; many fine and medium distinct very dark gray (5YR 3/1) iron manganese stains; common fine distinct very dark gray (5YR 3/1) iron manganese concretions; common medium distinct dark brown or brown (7.5YR 4/3) organic stains in pores; strong fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; many fine and medium vesicular and tubular pores; many prominent clay films on ped faces and in pores; 3 percent limestone channers; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt3--45 to 63 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) clay; common medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) lithochromic mottles; many medium distinct very dark gray (5YR 3/1) iron manganese stains; strong fine platy structure; friable; common fine and few medium roots; many fine and medium vesicular and tubular pores; common prominent clay films on ped faces and in pores; 5 percent limestone channers; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of Bt horizons 20 to 50 inches)
BCt--63 to 71 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6), dark brown or brown (7.5YR 4/3) variegated silty clay loam; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) lithochromic mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; common fine and few medium vesicular and tubular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces; 10 percent limestone channers; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Washington County, Maryland; north 2,300 feet of the intersection of Wheeler Road and Maryland Route 34, east 1,200 feet, Keedysville area. Funkstown USGS topographic quadrangle Lat. 39 degrees 30 minutes 03 seconds North and Long. 77 degrees 41 minutes 13 seconds West. NAD 83
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 40 to 72 inches, however, clay content decreases by more than 20 percent if deeper than 60 inches. Depth to hard limestone ranges from 40 to 84 inches or more. In limed soils, the upper part of the solum ranges from slightly acid through slightly alkaline and the lower part of the solum and substratum ranges from moderately acid through neutral. Hagerstown soils are low in rock fragments with less than 15 percent by volume. The weighted average clay content of the textural control section is between 35 and 60 percent.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, 7.5YR, or 5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is silt loam, loam, clay loam, and silty clay loam.
The BE horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 8. Texture is loam or silt loam.
The Bt horizon has hue of 5YR or 2.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 8. Subhorizons of some pedons are 7.5YR. Texture is silty clay, clay, or silty clay loam.
The BC or BCt horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 8; it ranges from being uniform in color to moderately variegated. Texture is silty clay, clay, clay loam, or silty clay loam.
The C horizon if present has hue of 10YR to 2.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8; it ranges from being uniform in color to moderately or highly variegated. Texture ranges from silt loam, loam, clay loam, silty clay loam to clay. In many pedons the C horizon is absent or is a very thin transition horizon between solum and bedrock.
COMPETING SERIES: In the same family is the Bland series. The Bland soils have sola less than 40 inches thick and are less than 40 inches to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hagerstown soils occupy valley floors and the adjacent hills. In some areas rock outcrops are common surface features. Most slopes are less than 15 percent but range up to 45 percent. The soils developed in materials weathered from hard gray limestone of rather high purity. The climate is temperate and moderately humid, with a mean annual temperature of 45 to 58 degrees F. and mean annual precipitation of 30 to 45 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Athol, Baltimore, Benevola, Clarksburg, Duffield, Dunmore, Edom, Elliber, Elk, Frankstown, Frederick, Conestoga, Murrill, and Opequon soils. Athol, Baltimore, Conestoga, Duffield, Elk, Frankstown, Murrill and Wiltshire soils have less than 35 percent clay in the textural control section. Baltimore and Benevola soils have an Ap horizon with a value of less than 3.5. Clarksburg, Dunmore and Frederick soils have a Bt horizon 50 to 75 inches thick that is dominantly kaolinitic in mineralogy. Edom soils have sola less than 40 inches thick. Opequon soils are less than 20 inches to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. The potential for surface runoff is moderate to high. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: General crops, pastures, orchards, and truck crops. Large areas are in non-farm uses. Native vegetation is mixed hardwoods, including black walnut.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee; possibly Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri. The series is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
REMARKS: Previously revised by EDM-BLM-JEW in 10/98. New type location processed in 12/2003. (Decision to do this was made in 1997 ago.
Sample reference number S92MD043-013