LOCATION ATKINS WV+ IN KY MD NY PA TN VAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, acid, mesic Fluvaquentic Endoaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Atkins loam, wooded. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Oi--0 to 1 inches; slightly decomposed loose hardwood leaf litter.
Oe--1 to 1.5 inches; Moderately decomposed organic matter.
A--1.5 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam with few fine strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron stains along root channels and lining pores; weak fine and medium granular structure; very friable; many very fine to coarse roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (1 to 8 inches thick).
AB--5 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam with few fine strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron stains along root channels and lining pores; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine to coarse roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick).
Bg1--8 to 14 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam with few fine and medium strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) iron stains in the matrix and on ped faces; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine and medium roots; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bg2--14 to 26 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) loam with common fine and medium strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) iron stains in the matrix and on ped faces; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bg horizons is 12 to 34 inches).
BCg--26 to 38 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay loam with common fine and medium strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) iron stains in the matrix and on ped faces, and common fine black (7.5YR 2.5/1) soft iron-manganese masses in the matrix; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick).
Cg1--38 to 47 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam with many fine and medium strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) iron stains in the matrix; massive; friable; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Cg2--47 to 66 inches; gray (2.5Y 5/1) clay loam with many fine and medium strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) iron stains in the matrix; massive; friable; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Raleigh County, West Virginia; about 0.3 miles southeast of County Route 15/3 along County Route 28. USGS Eccles topographic quadrangle; Latitude 37 degrees 45 minutes 28.9 seconds N. and Longitude 81 degrees 21 minutes and 49.0 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 25 to 50 inches. The depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Unless limed, this soil is strongly acid or very strongly acid and ranges to moderately acid below a depth of 40 inches. Rock fragments are commonly absent, but may range from 0 to 20 percent by volume in the solum and from 0 to 60 percent by volume in the C horizon.
The A, Ap, and AB horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 4. Redoximorphic features have hue of 5Y to 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 8. Texture is loam or silt loam, and less commonly fine sandy loam or silty clay loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The B horizon (here intended to include BA and BC horizons, where present) is neutral or has hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 0 to 2. Redoximorphic features have hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 8. Soft manganese and iron masses occur in some pedons and have hue 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 2 to 3, and chroma of 0 to 2. The B horizon is loam, silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam, and less commonly sandy loam or fine sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The C horizon is neutral or has hue of 7.5YR to 5PB, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 0 to 8. The C horizon may be stratified; it is loam, clay loam, silt loam, silty clay loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam in the fine-earth fraction. Some pedons have a 2C horizon of sand and gravel below 3 feet.
COMPETING SERIES: The only other soil in the same family is (T) Widewater. Widewater soils developed in loamy sediments of the coastal plain.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Atkins soils are on nearly level soils of flood plains. Slopes are concave or linear and range from 0 to 3 percent. Atkins soils formed in alluvium washed mainly from upland soils derived from interbedded acid sandstones and shales. Average annual precipitation ranges from 30 to 55 inches and average annual temperature ranges from 45 to 57 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Elkins, Monongahela, Philo, Pope and Tygart soils. Elkins soils are very poorly drained and have a thick black or very dark gray A horizon. The Monongahela and Tygart soils are on terraces and have argillic horizons. Philo soils are moderately well drained soils on flood plains. Pope soils are well drained soils on flood plains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: This soil is poorly drained. The water table is a foot or less below the soil surface for appreciable periods. Internal drainage is very slow. Permeability is slow to moderate in the subsoil and ranges to moderately rapid in the substratum. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to low. Occasional flooding is typical on the Atkins landform. The mechanism of flooding usually involves shallow standing or slowly moving water on the soil surface.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are wooded or pastured. Vegetation is mixed hardwood forest of water tolerant oaks, red maples, black gum, sweet gum, willow, elm, ash, and alder; with aquatic grasses and sedges in places. Many areas originally mapped as Atkins have been filled in, and in subsequent decades developed for urban uses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Major Land Resource Areas (MLRA's) include: 120, 124, 125, 126, 127, 130, 140, and 147. The extent is large.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pope County, Arkansas, 1913.
REMARKS: Samples from the control section in most cases have indicated a clay activity class of active.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 8 inches.
2. Cambic horizon: The zone from 8 to 38 inches.
3. Aquic moisture regime: endosaturation periodically in the epipedon and below.
Reference samples (S00WV605001, S00WV605002) were taken and analyses are pending to assess clay activity class for the series.