LOCATION ASHLAR VA+GA NC
Established Series
Rev. DTA
10/2021
ASHLAR SERIES
MLRA(s): 136
Soil Survey Regional Office (SSRO) Responsible: Raleigh, North Carolina
Depth Class: Moderately deep
Agricultural Drainage Class: Excessively drained
Permeability: Moderately rapid
Surface Runoff: Slow to rapid
Parent Material: Residuum weathered from felsic igneous or high-grade metamorphic rocks
Shrink-Swell Potential: Low
Slope: 0 to 70 percent
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, semiactive, thermic Typic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Ashlar sandy loam - woodland (Colors are for moist soils.)
Oi--0 to 2 inches; partially decomposed organic material.
A--2 to 5 inches; very dark grayish brown (l0YR3/2) sandy loam; weak very fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; few fine flakes of mica; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
E--5 to 11 inches; grayish brown (l0YR5/2) sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; common fine and medium pores; 2 percent angular quartz gravel; few fine flakes of mica; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bw--11 to 20 inches; yellowish brown (l0YR5/4) sandy loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; very friable; many fine and medium roots; few fine and medium pores; few fine flakes of mica; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 23 inches thick)
C--20 to 28 inches; brown (l0YR5/3) sandy loam; common medium distinct light brown (7.5YR6/4) mottles; massive; firm in place, very friable when dug out; few hard fragments of rock; few fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Cr--28 to 36 inches; multicolored in shades of brown, yellow, white and black strongly weathered granite easily crushed to gravelly sandy loam; firm in place; few fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; diffuse wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches)
R--36 inches; hard granitic gneiss.
TYPE LOCATION: Louisa County, Virginia; 300 yards east of Highway 651 near Ellis Mill Bridge. On the North Anna River.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to bedrock: 20 to 40 inches
Solum thickness: 10 to 38 inches
Rock fragment content: 0 to 35 percent, by volume, mostly quartz, granite, and gneiss
Mica content: Few to common throughout
Soil reaction: Very strongly acid to moderately acid throughout, except where limed
Range of Individual Horizons:
A or Ap horizon:
Color--hue of l0YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4
Texture--(fine-earth fraction) loamy coarse sand, coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam
E horizon, where present:
Color--hue of l0YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4
Texture--(fine-earth fraction) loamy coarse sand, coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam
Bw horizon:
Color--hue of 5YR through l0YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8
Texture--(fine-earth fraction) sandy loam, fine sandy loam or coarse sandy loam. A few sand grains are coated and weakly bridged with clay in some pedons.
C horizon, where present:
Color--highly variable, commonly with hue of 5YR through 2.5Y, value of 3 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 8
Texture--(fine-earth fraction) fine sandy loam, sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, or loamy coarse sand
Cr horizon, where present:
Color--variable
Texture--highly fractured to moderately fractured weathered bedrock.
R horizon:
Color--variable
Texture--slightly to moderately fractured unweathered bedrock.
COMPETING SERIES:
Wateree soils-have a depth to soft bedrock of 20 to 40 inches and a depth to hard bedrock of 40 to more than 60 inches
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Piedmont Plateau of the thermic Southern Piedmont
Landform: Interstream divides, ridges, and side slopes
Parent Material: Residuum weathered from granites and gneiss
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 57 to 62 degrees F
Mean Annual Precipitation: 38 to 48 inches
Frost Free Period: 180 to 260 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Appling soils--are clayey, very deep, and intermingled on slightly higher landscape positions
Bethlehem soils--are clayey, have soft bedrock at a depth of 20 to 40 inches, and formed in residuum from rocks such as schist
Buckhead soils--are fine-loamy, have greater than 15% rock fragments, very deep, and intermingled on slightly higher landscape positions
Cecil soils--are clayey, very deep, and intermingled on slightly higher landscape positions
Louisburg soils-are coarse-loamy, very deep, and intermingled in some areas
Pacolet soils-are clayey, very deep, and intermingled in some areas
Rawlings soils--are fine-loamy, have a depth to hard bedrock of 20 to 40 inches, and intermingled in some areas
Rion soils--are fine-loamy, very deep, and intermingled in some areas
Rolesville soils--have a depth to hard bedrock of 20 to 40 inches
Saw soils--are clayey, have a depth to hard bedrock of 20 to 40 inches, and intermingled in some areas
Wake soils--are sandy, have hard bedrock at a depth of less than 20 inches, and are intermingled in some areas
Wateree soils--are coarse-loamy, have a depth to soft bedrock of 20 to 40 inches, and are intermingled in some areas
Wedowee soils-are very deep, clayey, and intermingled in some areas
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Agricultural Drainage Class: Well drained to excessively drained
Surface Runoff: Slow to very rapid
Permeability: Moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major uses: Mixed hardwood forest of oaks; hickory; dogwood, and Virginia, shortleaf, and loblolly pines. Small areas are used for corn, mixed hay, tobacco, small grain, and pasture.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Piedmont of Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, and possibly South Carolina
Extent: Moderate
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Stafford County, Virginia, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 11 inches (Ap and E horizons).
b. Cambic horizon - the zone from 11 to 20 inches (Bw horizon).
Soil horizon depths were modified on 10/2021 to ensure the description began at the soil surface.
ADDITIONAL DATA:
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation
VA0008 ASHLAR 0-70 57-62 185-210 38-48 300-1200
VA0123 ASHLAR 0-45 57-62 180-210 38-48 250- 900
VA0230 ASHLAR 0-70 57-62 185-210 38-48 300-1200
VA0237 ASHLAR 0-45 57-62 185-210 38-48 300-1200
SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness
VA0008 NONE >6.0 - 20-40 HARD
VA0123 NONE >6.0 - 22-40 HARD
VA0230 NONE >6.0 - 20-40 HARD
VA0237 NONE >6.0 - 20-40 HARD
SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC-
VA0008 0-20 SL FSL 0- 2 75-100 5-15 -
VA0008 20-36 SL FSL GR-SL 0- 8 50-100 5-15 -
VA0008 36-40 UWB - - - -
VA0123 0-20 ST-SL ST-FSL 0- 5 65- 95 5-15 -
VA0123 20-36 SL FSL GR-SL 0-10 50- 90 5-15 -
VA0123 36-46 UWB - - - -
VA0230 0-20 GR-SL GR-FSL 0- 2 50- 75 5-15 -
VA0230 0-20 GR-COS GR-LCOS 0- 2 50- 75 2-10 -
VA0230 20-36 SL FSL GR-SL 0- 8 50-100 5-15 -
VA0230 36-46 UWB - - - -
VA0237 0-20 LCOS COS 0- 2 75- 95 5-15 -
VA0237 20-36 SL FSL GR-SL 2- 8 50- 90 5-15 -
VA0237 36-46 UWB - - - -
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll
VA0008 0-20 4.5-6.0 .5-1. 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
VA0008 20-36 4.5-5.5 0.-.5 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
VA0008 36-40 - - - -
VA0123 0-20 4.5-6.0 .5-1. 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
VA0123 20-36 4.5-5.5 0.-.5 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
VA0123 36-46 - - - 0.00-0.01
VA0230 0-20 4.5-6.0 .5-1. 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
VA0230 0-20 4.5-6.0 .5-1. 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
VA0230 20-36 4.5-5.5 0.-.5 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
VA0230 36-46 - - - -
VA0237 0-20 4.5-6.0 .5-1. 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
VA0237 20-36 4.5-5.5 0.-.5 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
VA0237 36-46 - - - 0.0-0.01
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.