LOCATION COLVARD NC+GA VAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, nonacid, mesic Typic Udifluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Colvard fine sandy loam--cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; common fine roots; few fine flakes of mica; medium acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
C1--10 to 26 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; few fine roots; common fine flakes of mica; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
C2--26 to 42 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) fine sandy loam; massive; very friable; few fine roots; common fine flakes of mica; few fine lenses of dark gray sand; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
C3--42 to 47 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy sand; massive; very friable; common fine flakes of mica; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
C4--47 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) cobbly sand, single grained; loose; few fine flakes of mica; 15 percent by volume rounded cobbles of quartz; few thin strata of sandy loam; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Ashe County, North Carolina; 9 miles east of Jefferson on NC 221, 2 miles west of Scottsville on NC 221, 450 yards south of NC 221, 100 yards east of New River.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The loamy sediments range from 40 to 60 inches or more in thickness over deposits of stratified sandy, loamy, gravelly, or cobbly sediments. Rock fragments range from 0 to 15 percent to a depth of 40 inches, and from 0 to 80 percent below 40 inches. Flakes of mica range from few to common throughout the control section. The soil ranges from strongly acid to mildly alkaline.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 to 6. Where the value is 3 and the chroma is 2 or 3, the horizon is less than 7 inches thick. The A horizon is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam. Some pedons have an Ab horizon that has the same texture and color range as the A horizon.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. Some pedons have redoximorphic features of iron depletions and masses of accumulation in shades of yellow, brown, or gray below 40 inches. Within a depth of 40 inches, the C horizon is dominantly sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam. Some pedons have thin strata (less than 5 inches thick) of loamy sand or sand. Below 40 inches, the C horizon may consist of stratified sandy or loamy sediments that range from 0 to 80 percent by volume rock fragments. The rock fragments are mainly gravel and cobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Kickapoo and Wirt series in the same family and the Arkaqua, Biltmore, Codorus, Comus, Congaree, French, Rosman, Suches, Toccoa, and Transylvania series in closely related families. Arkaqua, Codorus, Congaree, French, Suches, and Transylvania series have more than 18 percent clay in the control section. In addition, French soils have contrasting textures within one meter. Biltmore soils are sandy. Comus soils have a cambic horizon. Kickapoo soils have buried A horizons at 20 to 40 inches. Rosman soils have an umbric epipedon. Toccoa soils have mean annual temperatures of more than 59 degrees F. Wirt soils formed in alluvium from glacial till.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Colvard soils are on flood plains of mountain valleys in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Slopes range from 0 to 4 percent. The soils formed in loamy and sandy sediments. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 46 to 57 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 38 to 65 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Biltmore, Iotla, Ostin, Tate, Toxaway, and Tusquitee series. Biltmore and Ostin soils are sandy and are generally adjacent to streams. Iotla soils have mottles of 2 or lower chroma within 20 inches of the surface and are in slightly lower positions. Tate soils have an argillic horizon and Tusquitee soils have a cambic horizon. These soils are on fans, foot slopes, and benches adjacent to the flood plain. Toxaway soils have a dominant matrix color of chroma 2 or less. These soils occupy the lower parts of the flood plain.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow surface runoff; moderately rapid permeability; flooding is occasional.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the acreage of this soil is cleared and used for pasture and crops. Important crops grown are corn for grain and silage, small grains, truck crops, burley tobacco, and pasture. Common forest species include yellow-poplar, northern red oak, black oak, white oak, eastern white pine, American sycamore, river birch, white ash, black locust, basswood, and blackgum. Rhododendron, red maple, and blueberry are common understory plants.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Flood plains of the southern Appalachian Mountains of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ashe County, North Carolina, 1981.
REMARKS: The Colvard series confines similar soils of the Comus series to regions other than MLRA 130. Soils previously correlated as Comus within MLRA 130 are covered by this series. The 2/99 revision updates classification to 8th Edition of Keys to Soil Taxonomy. This soil is placed in the active CEC activity family based on comparison with other soils.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 10 inches below the surface (Ap horizon)
Nonacid feature - pH of 5.5 or more in the 10 to 40 inch control section
MLRA: 130 SIR: NC0105