LOCATION DOWELLTON TN+AL GA KYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, mixed, semiactive, thermic Vertic Epiaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Dowellton silt loam - cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; few fine and medium dark brown and black concretions; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
E--5 to 12 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam, few medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) mottles;; weak fine granular structure; friable; common fine roots; common fine and medium dark brown and black concretions; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
Btg1--12 to 16 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay, common medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) mottles; moderate medium subangular and angular blocky structure; firm; plastic; few fine roots; few thin clay films on faces of peds; many fine and medium olive brown, yellowish brown, and black concretions; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btg2--16 to 21 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) clay, few fine prominent olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) mottles; weak coarse and medium angular blocky structure; firm, very plastic; many clay films on faces of peds; many fine and medium strong brown, yellowish red, and black concretions; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btg3--21 to 40 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) clay, few fine prominent olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) and yellowish red (5YR 5/6) mottles; weak coarse and medium angular blocky structure; very firm, very plastic; few thin clay films on faces of peds; many medium and coarse dark brown, strong brown, and black concretions; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Btg horizon is 25 to 45 inches)
Cg--40 to 48 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay, few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and yellowish red (5YR 5/6) mottles; massive; very firm, very plastic; many fine to coarse brown and black concretions; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
R--48 inches; limestone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Giles County, Tennessee; 1 mile west of Elkton; 500 yards south of Elkton-Prospect Road.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness and depth to bedrock from 40 to 60 inches. The soil has cracks in most years one or more centimeters wide to a depth of 20 inches. The reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutral in the upper part of the solum and strongly acid to mildly alkaline in the lower part and in the C horizon.
The A horizon and AB horizon, where present, have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 1 to 3 or is neutral. The E horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7 and chroma of 1 or 2 or is neutral. The texture of these horizons is silt loam or silty clay loam.
The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 7 and chroma of 1 or 2 or is neutral. Mottles of higher chroma range from few to many. The texture is clay except the upper few inches is silty clay in some pedons. The BC or Cg horizon has colors and textures like the Btg horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Closely related series in other families are the Ashford, Baldwin, Jackport, Ketona, Mayhew, Sessum and Tensas soils. Ashford soils have a solum greater than 60 inches thick. Baldwin, Mayhew, Sessum and Tensas are in a fine textural class and have montmorillonitic mineralogy. Jackport soils have montmorillonitic mineralogy and are greater than 60 inches to bedrock. Ketona soils are very similar except they are in a fine textural class.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils formed in clayey sediments or stream terraces and uplands. Slopes are dominantly less than 5 percent, but range from 0 to 8 percent. Near the type location mean annual temperature is 60 degrees F and average annual precipitation is about 45 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Capshaw, Colbert, Hamphire, Inman, Talbott and Tupelo series. The moderately well drained Capshaw and somewhat poorly drained Tupelo soils are on stream terraces and uplands in positions similar to Dowellton. Both of these soils are in fine textural families. Capshaw soils have chroma of 4 or higher in the B horizon. Tupelo soils have chroma of 3 or higher in the upper part of the B horizon. Colbert soils are on uplands and have a chroma of 4 or higher in the B horizon. Hampshire, Inman and Talbott soils are on adjacent uplands. They are higher on the landscape and are well drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; slow runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: About two-thirds of the acreage is cleared and used chiefly for pasture. A few areas are used for growing soybeans, sorghum, corn, and hay. Forests are oak, hickory, maple, elm, ash, and hackberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Central Basin of Tennessee, northern Alabama, and Kentucky. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bedford County, Tennessee; 1942.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 12 inches (Ap and E horizons)
Argillic horizon - from 12 to 40 inches (Btg1-Btg3)
Aquic conditions - chroma of 2 or less in all horizons below the Ap and E horizon