LOCATION SWAINTON NJ+MDEstablished Series
Changes have been made to the Landscape/Landform, Parent Material, and Range in characteristics, and formational concepts.
MLRA(S): 149A, 153C, 153D
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
Depth Class: Very deep
Drainage Class: (Agricultural) Well drained
Internal Free Water Occurrence: Very deep and absent
Flooding Frequency and Duration: None
Ponding Frequency and Duration: None
Index Surface Runoff: Negligible to very low
Permeability: Moderately rapid
Shrink-Swell Potential: Low
Landscape: Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Landform: Broad interfluve, hill, and ridge
Geomorphic Component: Interfluve, side slope, and base slope
Hillslope Profile Position: Summit, shoulder, backslope
Parent Material: Loamy fluviomarine deposits over gravelly fluviomarine deposits
Slope: 0 to 5 percent
Elevation (type location): 25 feet
Frost Free Period (type location): 195 days
Mean Annual Air Temperature (type location): 56 degrees F.
Mean Annual Precipitation (type location): 45 inches
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, mesic Typic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Swainton sandy loam (in an area of Swainton sandy loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes), in woodland. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Oe--0 to 1 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2), dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) dry; moderately decomposed plant materials; many very fine roots, many fine roots, and few medium roots; extremely acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
A--1 to 2 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sandy loam; moderate fine granular structure; friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine roots, many fine roots, and few medium roots; many fine vesicular pores; 5 percent rounded quartzite gravel; extremely acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)
E--2 to 3 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; friable; nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots and few medium roots; many fine vesicular pores; 5 percent rounded quartzite gravel; extremely acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick, 0 to 6 inches if not part of the micro-podzol)
Bh--3 to 4 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy loam; massive; friable; nonsticky, nonplastic, extremely weakly cemented in places; common fine roots and few medium roots; common fine vesicular pores; 5 percent rounded quartzite gravel; extremely acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 1 inch thick)
Bt1--4 to 12 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots and common medium roots; common clay bridging between sand grains; common fine vesicular pores; 5 percent rounded quartzite gravel; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--12 to 23 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy loam; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots and common medium roots; common fine vesicular pores; common clay bridging between sand grains; 15 percent rounded quartzite gravel; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 15 to 30 inches.)
C1--23 to 35 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) gravelly loamy sand; single grain; loose; nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine and medium roots; 20 percent rounded quartzite gravel; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
C2--35 to 47 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) very gravelly sand; single grain; loose; nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots and few medium roots; 40 percent, by volume rounded quartzite gravel; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the C horizon is 0 to greater than 65 inches thick)
2C1--47 to 58 inches; yellow (10YR 7/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) stratified loamy sand to sand; sand part is single grain; loose; nonsticky, nonplastic; loamy sand part is massive; very friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
2C2--58 to 80 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/4) fine sand; single grain; loose; nonsticky, nonplastic; very strongly acid. (Combined thickness of the 2C horizon is 0 to greater than 65 inches thick.)
TYPE LOCATION: Cape May County, New Jersey; about 0.3 mile northwest of Petersburg (intersection of State Route 50 and County Road 585) 1,000 feet southwest of State Route 50, in a wooded area; USGS Marmora, NJ topographic quadrangle; lat. 39 degrees 15 minutes 16 seconds N. and long. 74 degrees 43 minutes 29 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to top of Argillic Horizon: 4 to 19 inches
Depth to bottom of Argillic Horizon: 15 to 45 inches
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 72 inches
Depth to Lithologic Discontinuity (if it occurs): 20 to 80 inches
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: Greater than 72 inches
Rock Fragments: 5 to 30 percent, by volume in the A, E, and B horizons, 25 to 50 percent in the C horizon, and 0 to 5 percent in the 2C horizon; mostly quartzite or chert gravel
Other Features: Undisturbed pedons typically have a microsequence of an A, E, and Bh horizon (micro-podzol). Total thickness of the A, E, and Bh horizons is less than 6 inches and individual horizons are less than 2 inches thick.
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
O horizon:
Color--hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 to 4, chroma of 1 to 3
Texture--highly decomposed or moderately decomposed plant material
A horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 to 4, chroma of 2 or 3
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--loamy sand or sandy loam
Ap horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5, chroma of 2 to 4
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--loamy sand or sandy loam
E horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7, chroma of 1 or 2
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--loamy sand or sandy loam
Bh horizon:
Color--hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 4 to 6
Texture--loamy sand or sandy loam
Bt horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 4 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy loam or sandy clay loam
BC horizon: (if it occurs)
Color--hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 4 to 6
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--loamy sand or sandy loam
C horizon:
Color--hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 8, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--fine sand or sand, commonly stratified with thin layers of sandy loam or loamy sand
2C horizon:
Color--hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 8, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture--fine sand or sand, commonly stratified with thin layers of sandy loam or loamy sand
COMPETING SERIES:
Dennisville soils--have a seasonal high water at a depth of 42 to 72 inches (well drained); on slightly lower-lying landforms
Downer soils--have horizons with less than 25 percent, by volume fragments; on similar landforms
Ingleside soils--have gravelly layers at a depth below 40 inches; on similar landforms
Massanutten soils-are moderately deep to lithic contact and formed in residuum weathered from sandstone
Phalanx soils--have a seasonal high water table below 72 inches (well drained) and are moderately deep to petroferric contact; on slightly higher landforms
Woodmansie soils--have a 6 inch thick or more albic horizon, on slightly higher landforms
Zepp soils--formed in colluvium weathered from sandstone, siltstone, and shale
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Landform: Broad interfluve, hill, and ridge
Geomorphic Component: Interfluve, side slope, and base slope
Hillslope Profile Position: Summit, shoulder, backslope
Parent Material: Loamy fluviomarine deposits over gravelly fluviomarine deposits
Slope: 0 to 5 percent
Elevation: 15 to 170 feet
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 50 to 58 degrees F.
Mean Annual Precipitation: 42 to 48 inches
Frost Free Period: 180 to 220 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Dennisville soils--have a seasonal high water at a depth of 42 to 72 inches (well drained); on slightly lower-lying landforms
Downer soils--have horizons with less than 25 percent, by volume fragments; on similar landforms
Fort Mott soils--have a sandy surface layer more than 20 inches thick, on slightly higher landforms
Galestown soils--have a sandy particle-size control section, on slightly higher landforms
Hammonton soils--have a seasonal high water table at a depth of 18 to 42 inches (moderately well drained), on lower landscape positions
Klej soils--have a sandy particle-size control section and a seasonal high water table at a depth of 10 to 24 inches; on lower landscape positions.
Woodstown soils--have a fine-loamy particle-size control section and have a seasonal high water table at a depth of 18 to 42 inches; on lower landforms
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Depth Class: Very deep
Drainage Class: (Agricultural) Well drained
Internal Free Water Occurrence: Very deep (greater than 60 inches) and absent (not observed)
Flooding Frequency and Duration: None
Ponding Frequency and Duration: None
Index Surface Runoff: Negligible to very low
Permeability: Moderately rapid
Shrink-Swell Potential: Low
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Most areas are used for woodland, small areas have been cleared for cropland.
Dominant Vegetation: Wooded areas have an overstory of white oak, black oak, and pitch pine. Common understory species include sassafras, laurel, dogwood, shrub oak, greenbriar, American holly, and lowbush blueberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Coastal Plain of New Jersey
Extent: Small
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cape May County, New Jersey, 1997
REMARKS: Swainton soils were formerly included in the Sassafras and Downer gravelly series concepts in Cape May County, NJ. In Cape May County, NJ, most areas were mapped as gravelly substratum phases of the Downer series.
02/2002 This revision modifies the range of gravel content to exclude previous Downer soils that contain more than 25 percent rock fragments. In addition, it modifies the gravel content of the individual horizons originally described within the Swainton typical pedon, some textures based on the review of original field notes, and defines the concept of Swainton further to allow for a lithologic discontinuity. Swainton soils formed in gravelly reworked alluvium or gravelly marine-alluvium deposits. Downer soils formed in marine or alluvial sediments, or reworked marine-alluvial sediments but typically containing much less gravel. In Downer soils, the distinction between the reworked materials and the underlying stable marine sediments as nonconforming parent materials is not evident, as it is in Swainton. Swainton soils at higher elevations, can have thick deposits of gravelly reworked material, and the underlying stable marine deposits are below 80 inches. At lower elevations, the gravelly reworked material is thinner, and stable marine sediments low in gravel are within 80 inches.
Diagnostic horizons and other diagnostic soil characteristics recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from the soil surface to 3 inches (Oe, A, and E
horizons)
Albic horizon--the zone from 2 to 3 inches (E horizon)
Argillic horizon--the zone from 4 to 23 inches (Bt horizon)
Other soil features identified with this pedon:
Lithologic Discontinuity-abrupt decrease in rock fragment content starting at 47 inches (2C1 and 2C2 horizons)
Series control section--the zone from 0 to 60 inches
ADDITIONAL DATA: None
Database Information:
OSD Data Mapunit ID: To be developed
Typical Pedon Data Mapunit ID: 103005
OSD User Pedon ID: Swainton-OSD
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Air temp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation NJ0085 SWAINTON 0-5 50-58 180-220 42-48 15-170SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness NJ0085 NONE 6.0-6.0 - >72 --
SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC- NJ0085 0- 4 LS 0- 0 90-100 3- 8 3-6 NJ0085 0- 4 SL 0- 0 90-100 5-10 5-10 NJ0085 4-23 SL GR-SL 0- 0 60-100 10-18 4-8 NJ0085 23-35 GR-LS GRV-LS 0- 0 35- 75 3- 8 2-4 NJ0085 35-74 SR FS GRV-S 0- 0 35- 90 1- 5 1-2
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll NJ0085 0-4 3.6-4.4 .5-2. 0-0 6.0-20 LOW NJ0085 0-4 3.6-4.4 1.-3. 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW NJ0085 4-23 4.5-5.5 0.5-1. 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW NJ0085 23-35 4.5-5.5 0.-.5 0-0 6.0-20 LOW NJ0085 35-74 4.5-5.5 0.-.5 0-0 6.0-20 LOW