LOCATION ELNORA NY+OH PA
Established Series
Rev. MGC-LWK-RAR
01/2017
ELNORA SERIES
The Elnora series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils formed in sandy glacial lake, eolian, and deltaic sediments. They are primarily on beach ridges and relict longshore bars on lake plains. Permeability is rapid. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual temperature is 49 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is 37 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Aquic Udipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Elnora loamy fine sand in an idle area on a 3 percent slope. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap -- 0 to 10 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy fine sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick.)
Bw1 -- 10 to 21 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) loamy fine sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine roots; common fine pores; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bw2 -- 21 to 32 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sand; weak thick platy structure; very friable; few fine roots; few fine pores; few fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4 and 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 0 to 42 inches.)
C1 -- 32 to 40 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand; single grain; loose; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
C2 -- 40 to 72 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) fine sand; single grain; loose; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; few fine faint brown (7.5YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Wayne County, New York; Town of Butler, 100 yards east of Limekiln Road, 100 feet north of Salter-Colvin Road. USGS Wolcott, NY topographic quadrangle; latitude 43 degrees, 11 minutes, 33 seconds N. and longitude 76 degrees, 49 minutes, 36 seconds W. NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 6 to 52 inches. Rock fragments are typically absent, but up to 3 percent may be present.
The Ap or A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5 (6 or more dry), and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is loamy fine sand or fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to slightly acid.
The Bw horizon has hue of 5YR through 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8. Some pedons have chroma of 2 in the lower part. Texture is loamy fine sand or fine sand. Structure is weak granular, subangular blocky, or platy, and consistence is very friable or friable. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to slightly acid. A few thin lamellae are present in some pedons. Some pedons do not have a B horizon.
Some pedons have a BC horizon. It has properties similar to the Bw and C horizons.
The C horizon has hue of 5YR through 5Y, or is neutral, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 0 to 6. Texture is loamy fine sand or fine sand. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutral. The material is massive or single grain, or structure is weak platy. Consistence is loose to friable. Some pedons have subhorizons up to 12 inches thick that contain up to 15 percent rock fragments.
COMPETING SERIES: The
Algansee,
Altmar,
Birchwood,
Brems,
Brockatonorton,
Deerfield,
Fortress,
Livonia,
Meckling,
Morocco,
Ottokee,
Partridge,
Tedrow, and
Zaborosky series are members of the same family. Algansee soils have an irregular decrease of organic matter in the series control section. Altmar soils average more than 10 percent rock fragments in the series particle size control section. Birchwood soils have densic contact within 38 inches. Brems soils typically have a thicker solum and are strongly acid in the lower part of the series control section. Brockatonorton soils have a buried organic horizon within the series control section. Deerfield soils contain more medium and coarse sand in the lower part of the control section. Fortress are less acidic in the B horizon. Meckling soils are slightly or moderately alkaline in the series control section. Livonia soils have redox depletions with chroma of 2 or less within a depth of 60 cm. Morocco soils have redoximorphic features of 2 or less in the upper 15 inches of the series control section. Ottokee soils have lamellae in the lower part of the series control section. Partridge soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Tedrow soils have redoximorphic features of 2 or less in the upper 20 inches of the series control section. Zaborosky soils have a buried surface within the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Elnora soils are on beach ridges and relict longshore bars on glacial lake plains and associated deltas of Wisconsin age. They formed in water sorted or windblown deposits dominated by fine sand with a significant amount of very fine sand. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual temperature ranges from 46 to 52 degrees F, mean annual precipitation from 28 to 45 inches, and mean growing season from 120 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Agawan,
Amboy,
Arkport,
Collamer,
Colonie,
Deerfield,
Dunkirk,
Junius,
Merrimac,
Niagara,
Ninigret,
Oakville,
Plainfield,
Stafford,
Wallington, and
Williamson soils.
Agawam, Colonie, Merrimac, Oakville and Plainfield soils are better drained. Amboy, Arkport, Collamer, Dunkirk, Niagara, Williamson, and Wallington soils are on nearby landscapes and formed in finer textured deposits. Junius and Stafford soils are more poorly drained. Ninigret soils have a cambic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to low. Permeability is moderately rapid in the surface layer and rapid in the subsoil and substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for growing small grains, corn, hay, tree fruits, small fruits and vegetables. Native vegetation is sugar maple, northern red oak, white ash, black cherry, beech, hemlock, and white pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Erie plain of New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania and the Ontario plains and Mohawk and Hudson Valleys of New York. MLRA's 101, 139, 140, and 144A. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Niagara County, New York, 1968.
REMARKS: A bedrock substratum phase is recognized. It will need to be evaluated during MLRA update activities. Soils previously classified as Deerfield soils which are dominated by fine sand are within the range of Elnora soils.
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in the typical pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 10 inches (Ap horizon).
b. Aquic conditions - as evidenced by low chroma matrix with redoximorphic features in the zone from 32 to 72 inches (Cg1 and Cg2 horizons).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.