LOCATION FEATHERSTONE            VA

Established Series
Rev. JHE-DDR
10/2021

FEATHERSTONE SERIES

Soils of the Featherstone series are very deep and very poorly drained. They formed in Coastal Plain sediments at elevations of less than 2 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 40 inches, and mean annual temperature is about 59 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, acid, mesic Typic Hydraquents

TYPICAL PEDON: Featherstone silt loam on 0 to 1 percent slopes in a marshy wooded area.

Oi--0 to 2 inches; mosses and partially decomposed organic matter.

A--2 to 16 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) mucky silt loam; structureless; very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine medium and coarse roots; many decomposing roots and organic debris; 15 percent organic carbon; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary (3 to 16 inches thick).

Cg--16 to 40 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; many medium and coarse prominent very dark gray (10YR 3/1) mottles; structureless; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; 1 percent fine quartz gravel; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.

C--40 to 74 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loam; many medium and fine distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) mottles; structureless; friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; 1 percent; fine quartz gravel; strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Type Location: Prince William County, Virginia; 1/2 mile south of Va. Route 636 and 300 yards east of R.F.& P. Railroad, near Farm Creek.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Rock fragments of quartz gravel range from 0 to 5 percent in the A horizon and 1 to 10 percent in the C horizon. Depth to bedrock is more than 5 feet. Reaction is strongly acid or very strongly acid.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 0 through 3. Organic matter content ranges from 10 to 30 percent. Texture is mucky loam or mucky silt loam with more than 8 percent clay and N value of more than 0.7.

The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 1 through 4. It is loam or silt loam.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family. Closely related series are Bibb, Bohicket and Levy soils. Bibb soils are coarse-loamy. Bohicket soils are sulfaquents and Levy soils have temperature less than 59 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Featherstone soils are on level to nearly level floodplains in the Coastal Plain. They do not flood daily but are subject to high seasonal tides and storm tides. The water table is commonly at the surface and most areas are subject to ponding. These soils are commonly at sea level or up to two feet above sea level. Mean annual precipitation ranges from about 38 to 44 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from about 57 to 60 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: In addition to the competing series, the Rappahannock soils are associated soils. The Rappahannock soils are Terric Sulfihemists.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; very slow to ponded runoff; moderate permeability. The water table is near the surface to ponded from 6 to 8 months each year.

USE AND VEGETATION: Dominantly woody species with few larger trees of red maple and sweetgum. Cattails, skunk cabbage and reeds make up much of the vegetation. Many areas are partially covered with debris. Distribution and Extent: Along the streams flowing into the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland and Virginia. The series is of small extent.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal plain of Virginia. The soils are of small extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Prince William County, Virginia, 1985.

REMARKS: This soil was previously mapped marsh. It is classified on the basis of lab data from Va. Tech. The soil horizon depths were revised on 10/2021 to ensure the description began at the soil surface.

TABULAR SERIES DATA:

SOI-5  Soil Name   Slope  Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip  Elevation
VA0229 FEATHERSTO  0-  1   59- 65  200-240  40- 50     0-   2 

SOI-5  FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind   Months  Bedrock Hardness
VA0229 FREQ             -     APPARENT    -     60-60        

SOI-5  Depth  Texture                3-Inch  No-10  Clay%   -CEC-
VA0229  0-16  MK-L MK-SIL             0-  1  90-100 10-27    -   
VA0229 16-74  L SIL                   0-  1  85- 98 10-27    -   

SOI-5  Depth    -pH-     O.M.  Salin  Permeab   Shnk-Swll
VA0229  0-16  4.5- 5.5  10-30  2- 8   0.6- 2.0  LOW      
VA0229 16-74  4.5- 5.5  2.-5.  2- 8   0.6- 2.0  LOW       

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.