LOCATION WICKHAM NC+AL GA SC VA
Established Series
Rev. AG; DTA
11/2025
WICKHAM SERIES
MLRA(s): 133A,153A,153B, 136 (thermic part)
Soil Survey Regional Office (SSRO) Responsible: Southeast
Depth Class: Very deep
Agricultural Drainage Class: Well drained
Index Surface Runoff: Medium
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Class: Moderately high
Shrink-Swell Potential: Low
Landscape: Piedmont and Coastal Plain stream terraces, and marine terraces in the Lower Coastal Plain
Landform: Ridges, and side slopes
Parent Material: Fluvial and marine sediments
Slope: 0 to 25 percent
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 16 degrees C (61 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation: 1219 millimeters (48 inches)
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, thermic Typic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Wickham sandy loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes - cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 15 centimeters (0 to 6 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 25 centimeters (2 to 10 inches) thick)
Bt1--15 to 28 centimeters (6 to 11 inches); reddish brown (5YR 4/4) sandy clay loam, moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few fine flakes of mica; sand grains coated and bridged with clay; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--28 to 51 centimeters (11 to 20 inches); yellowish red (5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common fine flakes of mica; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; few fine rounded gravels, strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt3--51 to 91 centimeters (20 to 36 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common fine flakes of mica; few faint clay films on faces of peds; few fine rounded gravels; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 56 to 102 centimeters (22 to 40 inches.)
BC--91 to 127 centimeters (36 to 50 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 58 centimeters (0 to 23 inches) thick)
C1--127 to 137 centimeters (50 to 54 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sand; single grained; loose; few fine flakes of mica; few coarse gravels; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
C2--137 to 198 centimeters (54 to 78 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) loamy sand; single grained; loose; few fine flakes of mica; few coarse gravels; common pockets of sandy loam; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Northampton County, North Carolina, from Rich Square, south 1.5 miles on U.S. 258; southeast 1.3 miles on N.C. 308; southwest 2.6 miles on State Road 1106; west 250 feet on farm lane, Southwest 120 feet into cultivated field; USGS Norfleet, North Carolina topographic quadrangle.
Latitude--36.205697
Longitude-- -77.312347
Datum--WGS84
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum thickness: 91 to greater than 152 centimeters (36 to greater than 60 inches)
Depth to bedrock: Greater than 152 centimeters (60 inches)
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: Greater than 152 centimeters (60 inches)
Rock Fragment Content: 0 to 5 percent, by volume, throughout except 0 to 15 in some surface horizons
Mica Content: 0 to 20 percent, by volume, in the A and Bt horizon and 0 to greater than 20 percent in the BC and C horizons
Soil Reaction: Very strongly acid to moderately acid, unless limed
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
A or Ap horizon:
Color--hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 8
Texture--fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, loamy fine sand, or loamy sand. Eroded pedons have an Ap horizon that is sandy clay loam or clay loam.
E horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 6
Texture--fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, loamy fine sand, or loamy sand
BA or BE horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 6 or 8
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam
Bt horizon:
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. At least one subhorizon of the Bt horizon has hue of 5YR or 2.5YR, typically in the upper part of the Bt. In some pedons, the middle and lower Bt horizons contain high chroma mottles.
Texture--sandy clay loam, loam, sandy loam, or clay loam. Some pedons contain thin layers of clay or sandy clay.
BC horizon:
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8. High chroma mottles are present in most pedons.
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam
C horizon:
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8. Some pedons may be mottled with high chroma mottles.
Texture--ranges from sandy clay loam to loamy sand and sand. Few to many gravel or cobbles are present in the lower subsoil and substratum of some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES:
State soils--have a yellow Bt horizon
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Piedmont and Coastal Plain stream terraces and marine terraces in the Lower Coastal Plain
Landform: Ridges and side slopes
Parent Material: Fluvial and marine sediments
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 14 to 20 degrees C (58 to 68 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation: 1016 to 1524 millimeters (40 to 60 inches)
Frost Free Period: 185 to 250 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Altavista soils--are moderately well drained
Augusta soils--are somewhat poorly drained
Cape Fear soils--are very poorly drained and have a clayey subsoil
Chewacla soils--are somewhat poorly drained
Conetoe soils--are arenic
Congaree soils--lack Bt horizons
Masada soils--have a clayey subsoil
Molena soils--are sandy throughout
Riverview soils--are fine-loamy
Roanoke soils--are poorly drained and have a clayey subsoil
Tarboro soils--lack Bt horizons and are sandy throughout
Thomson soils--are coarse-loamy
Wahee soils--are somewhat poorly drained and have a clayey subsoil
Wando soils--lack Bt horizons and are sandy throughout
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Agricultural Drainage Class: Well drained
Index Surface Runoff: Medium
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Moderately high
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Cropland, pasture, and woodland.
Dominant Vegetation: Where cultivated--corn, cotton, tobacco, peanuts, and small grains. Where wooded--loblolly pine, longleaf pine, southern red oak, white oak, hickory, sweetgum, yellow-poplar, red maple, sourwood, elm,
dogwood, and holly.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: North Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Extent: Moderate
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hanover County, Virginia, 1905.
REMARKS:
The November 2025 revision changed the format. No data was changed.
REVISED--7/9/96, MHC; 11/2025, DTA
Diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from 0 to 15 centimeters (0 to 6 inches) (Ap horizon)
Argillic horizon--the zone from 15 to 91 centimeters (6 to 36 inches) (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA:
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation
NC0069 WICKHAM 0-25 58-68 185-250 40-60 15-450
NC0177 WICKHAM 0-6 58-68 185-250 40-60 15-150
SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness
NC0069 NONE RARE >6.0 - >60
NC0177 COMMON >6.0 - >60
SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC-
NC0069 0-6 SL FSL L 0-0 90-100 8-15 2-5
NC0069 0-6 LS LFS 0-0 90-100 4-10 1-3
NC0069 0-6 SCL CL 0-0 90-100 18-35 4-8
NC0069 6-50 SCL CL L 0-0 90-100 18-35 3-8
NC0069 50-78 VAR - - - -
NC0177 0-9 SL FSL L 0-0 90-100 8-15 2-5
NC0177 0-9 LS LFS 0-0 78-100 4-10 1-3
NC0177 9-40 SCL CL L 0-0 90-100 18-35 3-8
NC0177 40-70 VAR - - - -
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll
NC0069 0-6 4.5- 6.0 .5-2. 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
NC0069 0-6 4.5- 6.0 .5-1. 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
NC0069 0-6 4.5- 6.0 .5-1. 0-0 0.6- 2.0 LOW
NC0069 6-50 4.5- 6.0 0.-.5 0-0 0 .6- 2.0 LOW
NC0069 50-78 - - - -
NC0177 0-9 4.5- 6.0 .5-2. 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
NC0177 0-9 4.5- 6.0 .5-1. 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
NC0177 9-40 4.5- 6.0 0.-.5 0-0 0.6- 2.0 LOW
NC0177 40-70 - - - -
________________________________________
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.