LOCATION BROADALBIN NYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Typic Fragiudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Broadalbin fine sandy loam - in hay field on a 5 percent slope (Colors refer to moist broken soil unless otherwise specified.)
Ap-- 0 to 9 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) fine sandy loam; moderate medium granular structure; friable; many very fine, and few fine and medium roots; 1 percent sub-rounded gravel; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 10 inches thick.)
Bw-- 9 to 17 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine and few fine roots; 4 percent sub-rounded gravel and 1 percent sub-rounded cobble; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick.)
E-- 17 to 22 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam; common light brownish gray (10YR6/2) sand grains with continuous coatings: moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine roots; many very fine vesicular pores; 1 percent sub-rounded gravel; slightly acid; abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick.)
2Bx-- 22 to 36 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sandy loam; brown (10YR 5/3) prism face with yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) rind; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; very firm, brittle; common soft black shale fragments; few coarse prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation in matrix at 30 inches deep; 5 percent sub-rounded gneiss gravel, 1 percent sub-rounded shale fragments; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of 2Bx 13 to 27 inches.)
2C-- 36 to 54 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; massive with weak plate-like divisions; friable; 10 percent sub-rounded gneiss gravel, 1 percent shale fragments; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
2Cd-- 54 to 69 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly fine sandy loam; massive with moderate medium plate-like divisions; very firm; brittle; common soft black shale fragments; 15 percent gravel; slightly alkaline; strongly effervescent; clear wavy boundary.
2C'-- 69 to 80 inches, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam; massive; friable; 15 percent sub-rounded gravel; areas of decomposed black shale; slightly alkaline; strongly effervescent.
TYPE LOCATION: Fulton County, New York; Town of Johnstown, 1.8 miles east of junction NY Highways 29 and 30A; 0.3 mile along a farm road which makes an acute angle with Highway 29; 250 feet south of barn; USGS Gloversville, NY topographic quadrangle; Latitude 43 degrees, 01 minutes, 02 seconds N. and Longitude 74 degrees, 20 minutes, 07 seconds W.; NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of solum ranges from 34 to 60 inches. The depth to the fragipan is from 18 to 36 inches. Rock fragments range from 1 to 35 percent by volume in the upper solum, 3 to 35 percent in the lower solum and from 10 to 50 percent in the C horizon. Some pedons have redoximorphic features 23 or more inches below the mineral surface. The soil is strongly acid to slightly acid in the mineral solum and strongly acid to slightly alkaline in the C horizon.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture of the fine-earth fraction ranges from fine sandy loam to silt loam.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR through 2.5Y, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 3 through 6. Texture of the fine-earth fraction ranges from fine sandy loam to silt loam. Structure is weak or moderate granular or subangular blocky structure. Consistence is very friable or friable.
The E or 2E horizon, when present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture of the fine-earth fraction ranges from sandy loam to silt loam. Structure is weak or moderate platy or subangular blocky, or it is massive. Consistence is friable or firm.
The Bx or 2Bx horizon has hues of 10YR or 2.5Y, values of 3 to 5, and chromas of 2 through 4. It ranges from sandy loam to loam in the fine earth fraction. It has weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak or moderate platy or blocky structure. Consistence is firm and very firm.
The C, Cd, or 2C horizon has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 3 through 6, and chroma of 1 through 6. Texture of the fine-earth fraction ranges from sandy loam to loam. In some pedons the material is calcareous. It is massive with or without plate-like divisions. Consistence is friable or very firm.
COMPETING SERIES: The Bath, Braceville, Ira, Lackawanna, Mardin, Rushford, Sodus, Swartswood, Wellsboro and Wurtsboro series are in the same family. Bath soils have rock fragments dominated by siltstone, sandstone, and shale. Braceville soils have stratified materials in the control section. Ira and Sodus soils are dominated by red or gray sandstone with variable components of limestone and shale. Lackawanna and Wellsboro soils have hues of 5YR or redder in the fragipan. Mardin soils have rock fragments dominated by siltstone, sandstone, and shale. Rushford soils are formed in a thin mantle of till underlain with silty lacustrine deposits. Swartswood and Wurtsboro soils are formed in till derived primarily from gray and brown quartzite, conglomerate, and sandstone.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Broadalbin soils are nearly level to hilly soils of till plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 40 percent. The soils formed in 15 to 36 inches of eolian material over till dominantly from granites and gneisses that have been mixed with a small to moderate, but significant component of soft dark shale. Mean annual air temperature ranges from about 46 degrees to 49 degrees F.; mean annual precipitation from 35 to 50 inches; and frost-free period ranges from 135 to 155 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Amenia, Charlton, Massena, Mosherville, Nellis, and Sun soils. Amenia and Nellis soils are on nearby areas underlain by limestone. Charlton soils lack a fragipan. Massena, Mosherville and Sun soils occupy the wetter parts of the drainage sequence.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Broadalbin soils are well and moderately well drained. The potential for surface runoff ranges from very low to high. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of the upper part of the mineral soil is moderately high to high and is moderately low to moderately high in the fragipan and substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas have been cleared and are used for growing hay, corn for silage, oats, and pasture, or are idle. Sugar maple, beech, and yellow birch are important trees in woodlots.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Mohawk Valley of New York. MLRA 101 and 144A. The soil is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Herkimer County, New York, 1969.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in the typical pedon are:
1) Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 9 inches (Ap horizon).
2) Albic - from 17 to 22 inches (E horizon).
3) Fragipan - from 22 to 36 inches (2Bx horizon).
3) Lithology change at 22 inches.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data is available for the typifying pedon - S63 NY 18-1-(1-7).