LOCATION PUSHAW ME
Established Series
AAK/REE
06/2013
PUSHAW SERIES
The Pushaw series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in glaciolacustrine or glaciomarine deposits on lake plains and marine terraces. Estimated saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in the surface and moderately high to moderately low in the underlying material. Permeability is moderate in the surface and moderately slow or slow in underlying material. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1120 mm. Mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, semiactive, nonacid, frigid Aeric Epiaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Pushaw silt loam, on a 3 percent east facing slope under grasses at the edge of a cornfield at an elevation of 61 meters. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. When described on September 14, 2004, the soil was moist throughout.)
Ap--0 to 18 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam; pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate medium granular structure; very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots throughout; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear wavy boundary (15 to 20 cm thick).
Bw1--18 to 25 cm; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) silt loam; moderate fine and medium granular structure; very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots throughout; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary.
Bw2--25 to 38 cm; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) silt loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; common fine and very fine roots throughout; common fine and medium, faint olive gray (5Y 5/2) iron depletions throughout; common fine, faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of iron-manganese throughout; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 15 to 41 cm.)
BCg--38 to 46 cm; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silty clay loam; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; common fine and very fine roots throughout; few fine prominent dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) manganese coatings on faces of peds; common fine and medium faint grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions throughout; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron throughout; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear smooth boundary (8 to 20 cm thick).
BC--46 to 66 cm; olive (5Y 4/3) silty clay loam; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, very plastic; few fine and very fine roots between peds; common fine distinct brown (10YR 4/3) masses of iron-manganese in matrix; common fine distinct gray (2.5Y 5/1) iron depletions on faces of peds; few fine prominent dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) manganese coatings on faces of peds; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick).
C--66 to 165 cm; olive (5Y 4/3) silty clay loam; massive; firm, slightly sticky, very plastic; few fine and very fine roots throughout; common fine faint olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) masses of iron-manganese with diffuse boundaries surrounding iron depletions with clear boundaries; common fine distinct gray (2.5Y 5/1) iron depletions in matrix; neutral (pH 6.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Penobscot County, Maine, Township of Corinth. From the intersection of Maine Rt. 11/43 and Notch Road, site is 4800 feet southeast along Notch Road and 1000 feet northeast from road in a grassed area at the edge of a cornfield. USGS West Corinth topographic quadrangle; lat. 44 degrees 59 minutes 17 seconds N. and long. 69 degrees 2 minutes 8 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 46 to 91 cm. Depth to bedrock is more than 150 cm. Rock fragment content throughout the soil is less than 5 percent by volume. Stones cover from 0 to 0.1 percent of the surface in most areas but may range up to 3 percent. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid in the solum and strongly acid to neutral in the substratum.
The Ap, or A horizon where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5 and chroma of 3 or 4. It is typically silt loam but is very fine sandy loam in some areas. It has weak or moderate fine or medium granular structure. Moist consistence is very friable or friable. It is slightly sticky and slightly plastic.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6 and chroma of 3 to 6. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. It has weak or moderate fine or medium subangular blocky, or fine or moderate medium granular structure. Moist consistence is very friable or friable. It is slightly sticky and slightly or moderately plastic.
The BCg horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 2 to 5 and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. It has weak or moderate medium to very coarse prismatic, or moderate or strong fine or medium subangular blocky structure. Moist consistence is friable or firm. It is slightly or moderately sticky and slightly to very plastic.
The BC horizon, where present, has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 2 to 5 and chroma of 3 to 6. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. It has weak or moderate medium to very coarse prismatic, or moderate or strong fine or medium subangular blocky structure. Moist consistence is friable or firm. It is slightly or moderately sticky and slightly to very plastic.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 3 or 4. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. Typically the C horizon is massive but some pedons exhibit weak to strong, fine to coarse subangular or angular blocks, thick or very thick plates, or moderate or strong coarse or very coarse prisms, all of which are considered inherited from the parent material. Moist consistence is friable or firm. It is slightly or moderately sticky and slightly to very plastic.
The Cg horizon, where present, has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. Typically the Cg horizon is massive but some pedons exhibit weak to strong, fine to coarse subangular or angular blocks, thick or very thick plates, or moderate or strong coarse or very coarse prisms, all of which are considered inherited from the parent material. Moist consistence is friable or firm. It is slightly or moderately sticky and slightly to very plastic.
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no series in the same family. Soil series in related families include
Boothbay,
Lamoine,
Pemi,
Roundabout,
Scantic,
Swanton,
Swanville and
Whately. Boothbay soils lack a gleyed horizon within 50 cm of the mineral soil surface. Lamoine soils have more than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Pemi soils lack a horizon with a moist value and chroma of 3 or more between the mineral surface horizon and a depth of 75 cm and have less than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Roundabout soils have less than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Scantic soils have more than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section and lack a horizon with a moist value and chroma of 3 or more between the mineral surface horizon and a depth of 75 cm. Swanton soils have less than 18 percent clay in the upper part of the particle size control section and 35 percent or more clay in the lower part. Swanville soils have a gleyed horizon, the upper boundary of which is immediately underlying the mineral surface horizon or within 25 cm of the mineral surface. Whately soils have less than 18 percent clay in the upper part of the particle size control section and 35 percent or more clay in the lower part and lack a horizon with a moist value and chroma of 3 or more between the mineral surface horizon and a depth of 75 cm.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Pushaw soils are on lake plains and marine terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. The soils formed in glaciomarine and glaciolacustrine sediments of Wisconsin age. The climate is humid and cool temperate. The mean annual precipitation is 1010 to 1270 mm. The mean annual air temperature is 4 to 8 degrees C. The frost-free period is 110 to 160 days. Elevations typically range from 1.5 to 91 meters above sea level, but may range to as high as 366 meters in river valleys of north central Maine.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the related moderately well drained
Boothbay soils on slightly higher elevations, somewhat poorly drained
Lamoine soils on similar landscape positions, and poorly drained
Scantic and
Swanville soils on slightly lower elevations. The very poorly drained
Biddeford soils are on lower elevations and depressions. Pushaw soils are in a drainage sequence with Boothbay and Swanville soils. The somewhat poorly drained
Colonel and the moderately well drained
Dixfield soils formed in dense glacial till and are in nearby higher, slightly convex positions on the landscape. The very poorly drained
Wonsqueak soils are in depressions and formed in organic material.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Surface runoff is medium to high. The estimated saturated hydraulic conductivity class is moderately high in the surface and moderately high to moderately low in the substratum. Permeability is moderately rapid in the surface and moderately rapid to moderately slow in the substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cleared areas are used mainly for hay production and pasture with limited row-crop production. Some areas are in urban land or are used for wildlife habitat. Native woodland vegetation is balsam fir, eastern white pine, northern white cedar, red spruce, white spruce and white birch.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Marine terraces and lake plains in Maine; MLRAs 143 and 144B. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Northern Hancock and Western Washington County Area Maine, 2007.
REMARKS: The series recognizes somewhat poorly drained Aeric Epiaquepts formed in fine-silty glaciolacustrine or glaciomarine deposits. These soils were formerly mapped as Boothbay, which had a dual drainage class of moderately well and somewhat poorly drained. The series is named for Pushaw Lake, a large lake in south-central Penobscot County, Maine.
Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
1. Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 0 to 18 cm (Ap horizon).
2. Cambic horizon the zone from 18 to 66 cm (Bw, BC and BCg horizons).
3. Aeric feature matrix color chroma of 3 at 18 to 38 cm (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons).
4. Aquic feature redox depletions with a chroma of 2 or less at 25 cm below the soil surface, and matrix chroma of 2 due to reduced conditions at 38 to 46 cm (BCg horizon).
5. Episaturation - a perched water table above the C horizon
ADDITIONAL DATA: Primary characterization data from pedon 05NO231, samples
05NO1348-1351 from Penobscot County, Maine, SSL, Lincoln, NE, 12/05.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.