LOCATION MELVIN KY+AR MD MO OH PA TN VA WVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, nonacid, mesic Fluvaquentic Endoaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Melvin silt loam--cultivated. (Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses as iron accumulations; common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bg1--9 to 20 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine and and medium roots; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses as iron accumulations; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bg2--20 to 30 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine and medium roots; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and common medium faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) masses as iron accumulations; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Bg is 10 to 30 inches thick)
Cg--30 to 62 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam; massive; firm; few irregularly shaped black (10YR 2/1) manganese and iron concretions; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses as iron accumulations; moderately acid. (10 to 45 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Livingston County, Kentucky; 1.42 miles southwest of Iuka; 1.13 miles southwest of the intersection of KY Highway 93 and Jake Dukes Road, 2,185 feet south of intersection of Corinth Church Road and Jake Dukes Road; 300 feet east of Corinth Church Road in field. USGS Quad: Grand Rivers; Latitude: (37 degrees, 4 minutes, 6 seconds N); Longitude: (88 degrees, 14 minutes, 47 seconds W).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock is 60 or more inches.. Coarse fragments, mostly rounded pebbles, ranges from 0 to 5 percent to a depth of 30 inches and below this depth individual subhorizons can range from 0 to 20 percent by volume. Content of iron and manganese concretions ranges from 0 to 2 percent throughout. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to mildly alkaline throughout the profile. A few flakes of mica are in some pedons.
The Ap and A horizon have hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 3 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 4. Texture is a silt loam, loam, fine sandy loam, or silty clay loam.
The Bg horizon has hue of 10YRto 5Y or is neutral, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 2 or less. Redoximorphic features in shades of brown, black, and red range from none to common. Texture is silt loam or silty clay loam.
The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, or is neutral, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 2 or less. Redoximorphic features in shades of brown, black, and red, range from none to many. Some pedons are an evenly mottled pattern in shades of gray, brown, and red. Texture is silt loam, silty clay loam or loam. Below a depth of 40 inches, some pedons have stratified layers with variable textures.
COMPETING SERIES: The Wayland series is the only other member of the family. Wayland soils formed in alluvium from areas of Wisconsin glaciation.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Melvin soils are on nearly level to depressed parts of flood plains and in upland depressions. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in silty alluvium derived from soils formed from limestone, shale, siltstone, sandstone, and loess. Near the type location the mean annual temperature ranges from 53 to 59.4 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 53.9 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dunning, Huntington, Lindside, Newark, and Nolin series. Dunning and Huntington soils have a mollic epipedon. In addition, the Huntington soils are well drained. The Dunning soils have fine texture. Lindside, Newark, and Nolin soils are the better drained members in a drainage catena with Melvin.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Runoff is negligible. Permeability is moderate. Most areas are subject to flooding or ponding.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in pasture and woodland. These soils, where previously drained, are used for corn, sorghum, soybeans, and hay. Many areas are used for wetland wildlife habitat. Native vegetation consists of water-tolerant hardwoods, chiefly water oak, pin oak, and swamp white oak, American sycamore, black willow, alder, sweet and blackgums, red maple, box elder, and cottonwood. Some areas were in canebrakes.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and possibly Arkansas and Missouri. The series is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lauderdale County, Alabama; 1931.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 9 inches (Ap).
Cambic horizon - 9 to 30 inches (Bg)
Aquic conditions - 0 to 62 inches. (Ap, Bg, Cg1, Cg2).
ADDITIONAL DATA: S82KY-055-007.