LOCATION HALIFAX VA+NC
Established Series
DHE-HLG-JCN/Rev. JAK-DTA/DTA
07/2026
HALIFAX SERIES
MLRA(s): 136 (mesic part)
Soil Survey Regional Office (SSRO) Responsible: Southeast
Depth Class: Very deep
Agricultural Drainage Class: Moderately well drained
Index Surface Runoff: Medium to high
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Class: Moderately low
Shrink-Swell Potential: High
Landscape: Piedmont uplands
Landform: Interstream divides, ridges, and side slopes
Parent Material: Residuum weathered from felsic igneous and metamorphic rocks
Slope: 2 to 15 percent
Elevation (type location): 142 meters (465 feet)
Frost Free Period: 190 days
Mean Annual Air Temperature (type location): 14 degrees C (57 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation (type location): 1067 millimeters (42 inches)
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, semiactive, mesic Aquic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Halifax sandy loam (in an area of Halifax sandy loam, 2 to 8 percent slopes), in a hayfield. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise indicated.)
Ap--0 to 33 centimeters (0 to 13 inches), light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; nonsticky; nonplastic; common fine roots; 2 percent quartz gravel; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 38 centimeters (6 to 15 inches) thick)
Bt1--33 to 63 centimeters (13 to 25 inches), brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; common fine prominent red (2.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron; 2 percent quartz gravel; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--63 to 99 centimeters (25 to 39 inches), brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very firm, sticky, plastic; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; many medium prominent light gray (2.5Y 7/2) iron depletions; common fine prominent red (2.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron; 2 percent quartz gravel; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 38 to 127 centimeters (15 to 50 inches.)
Btg--99 to 147 centimeters (39 to 58 inches), gray (10YR 6/1) clay; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very firm, very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent olive yellow (2.5Y 6/8) masses of oxidized iron and few fine prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of oxidized iron; few very fine and fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
C--147 to 165 centimeters (58 to 65 inches), 60 percent pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4), 20 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and 20 percent white (2.5Y 8/1) clay loam; massive; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Halifax County, Virginia; about 2,400 feet southeast of the junction of State Routes 716 and 854; 900 feet east of State Route 854 in a hayfield; USGS South Boston, Virginia topographic quadrangle.
Latitude--36.7228
Longitude-- -78.8794
Datum--WGS84
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to top of Argillic horizon: 15 to 46 centimeters (6 to 18 inches)
Depth to base of Argillic horizon: Greater than 76 centimeters (30 inches)
Thickness of clayey part of Argillic horizon: 51 centimeters (20 inches) or more
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 152 centimeters (60 inches)
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: 46 to 76 centimeters (18 to 30 inches), November to May
Rock Fragment Content: 0 to 35 percent, by volume throughout the soil profile
Mica Content: Few to common flakes of mica in the B and C horizons
Soil Reaction: Extremely acid to strongly acid throughout the profile, unless limed
Other features: Linear extensibility percentage (LEP) of the heaviest textured subsurface horizon is 6 to 9 (high shrink-swell potential)
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
A or Ap horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, chroma of 1 to 4
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--coarse sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam
E horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 8, chroma of 2 to 6
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--coarse sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam
BE or BA horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 8, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy loam, sandy clay loam or loam
Bt horizons:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 8, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy clay, clay, clay loam, or sandy clay loam
Redoximorphic features-masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray occur within 61 centimeters (24 inches) of the upper boundary of the Bt horizon
Btg horizons:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, chroma of 1 or 2, or is neutral with value of 4 to 7
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy clay, clay, or clay loam
Redoximorphic features--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray
BC horizon or BCt horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 8, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray
BCg horizon or BCtg horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, chroma of 1 or 2, or is neutral with value of 4 to 7
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam
Redoximorphic features--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray
C horizon:
Color--hue of 5YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 8, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, fine sandy loam, loamy sand, or loam saprolite
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray
Cg horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2 5Y, value of 4 to 7, chroma of 1 or 2, or is neutral with value of 4 to 7
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, fine sandy loam, loamy sand, or loam saprolite
Redoximorphic features--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray
COMPETING SERIES:
Banister soils--occur on stream and river terrace landscapes
Lackstown soils--formed in residuum from Triassic aged materials
Latham soils--are moderately deep and formed in shale residuum
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Piedmont uplands
Landform: Interstream divides, ridges, and side slopes
Parent Material: Residuum weathered from felsic igneous and metamorphic rocks
Slope: 2 to 15 percent
Elevation: 107 meters to 366 meters (350 to 1,200 feet)
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 11 to 14 degrees C (52 to 57 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation: 1016 to 1270 millimeters (40 to 50 inches)
Frost Free Period: 165 to 200 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Bentley soils--have a capping formed from old alluvium/colluvium and are moderately well drained
Nathalie soils--have kaolinitic mineralogy and are well drained
Clifford soils--have kaolinitic mineralogy, a red subsoil, and are well drained
Fairview soils--have kaolinitic mineralogy, have a thinner red subsoil, and are well drained
Minnieville soils--have kaolinitic mineralogy without a kandic horizon, red subsoil, and are well drained
Toast soils--have kaolinitic mineralogy and are well drained
Rhodhiss soils--have a fine-loamy subsoil and are well drained
Jackland soils--have smectitic mineralogy, greater base saturation, and are moderately well drained or somewhat poorly drained
Montalto soils--have greater base saturation, a red subsoil, and are well drained
Orange soils--have smectitic mineralogy, greater base saturation, an abrupt texture change, and are moderately well drained or somewhat poorly drained
Rasalo soils--have greater base saturation and are well drained
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Agricultural Drainage Class: Moderately well drained
Index Surface Runoff: Medium to high
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Class: Moderately low
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Idle land and pasture
Dominant Vegetation: Where wooded, willow oak, white oak, yellow-poplar, sweetgum and loblolly pine
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Virginia and North Carolina
Extent: Moderate
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Halifax County, Virginia, 2004.
REMARKS: Halifax soils were previously mapped as Helena soils. The creation of a mesic region within MLRA 136 necessitated a new series be established as a counterpart to the Helena series (thermic). The July, 2026 revision updated the format. No data was changed.
Diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from 0 to 33 centimeters (0 to 13 inches) (Ap horizon)
Aquic conditions--periodic saturation and reduction in a zone from 63 to 152 centimeters (25 to 60 inches) at some time during the year.
Argillic horizon--the zone from 33 to 147 centimeters (13 to 58 inches) (Bt and Btg horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Laboratory Data: None available at this time.
Database Information: Typical Pedon Data mapunit ID--103314
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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.