LOCATION HALSEY NJ+ CT MA NY PAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, active, nonacid, mesic Typic Humaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Halsey silt loam in woodland at an elevation of about 425 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi-- 0 to 1 inches; black (10YR 2/1) slightly decomposed woody plant material.
A1-- 1 to 5 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and few medium roots; common fine prominent brown(7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation with clear boundaries in the matrix and common medium distinct gray (10YR 6/1) areas of iron depletion with clear boundaries in the matrix; strongly acid (pH=5.2); abrupt wavy boundary.
A2-- 5 to 11 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate fine granular and weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and coarse roots; many fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation with clear boundaries in the matrix and many fine distinct gray (10YR 6/1) areas of iron depletion with clear boundaries in the matrix; strongly acid (pH=5.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 7 to 11 inches.)
Bg-- 11 to 20 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) silt loam; moderate fine and weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine and coarse roots; many coarse prominent strong yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and common medium prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation with clear boundaries in the matrix; strongly acid (pH=5.4); clear wavy boundary. (9 to 28 inches thick)
2Cg1-- 20 to 25 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy sand; massive; very friable; many coarse faint brown (10YR 4/3) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; 5 percent rounded red and gray sandstone and gray conglomerate fine gravel; moderately acid (pH=5.6), clear wavy boundary.
2Cg2-- 25 to 35 inches; grayish brown(10YR 5/2) very gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; 25 percent rounded red and gray sandstone and gray conglomerate fine gravel, 15 percent rounded red and gray sandstone and gray conglomerate medium gravel; moderately acid (pH=5.8); clear wavy boundary.
2Cg3-- 35 to 49 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; 30 percent rounded red and gray sandstone and gray conglomerate fine gravel, 10 percent rounded red and gray sandstone and gray conglomerate medium gravel, 15 percent rounded red and gray sandstone and gray conglomerate coarse gravel; moderately acid (pH=5.8); clear wavy boundary.
2Cg4-- 49 to 56 inches; brown(7.5YR 5/2) extremely gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; 30 percent rounded red and gray sandstone and gray conglomerate fine gravel, 20 percent rounded red and gray sandstone and gray conglomerate medium gravel, 15 percent rounded red and gray sandstone and gray conglomerate coarse gravel; moderately acid (pH=5.8); clear wavy boundary.
2Cg5-- 56 to 60 inches; dark gray(10YR 4/1) extremely gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; 25 percent rounded red and gray sandstone and gray conglomerate coarse gravel, 20 percent rounded red and gray sandstone and gray conglomerate medium gravel,15 percent rounded red and gray sandstone and gray conglomerate fine gravel; moderately acid (pH=5.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Sussex County, New Jersey; Wallpack Township, Flatbrook-Roy Wildlife Management Area, 700 feet W of Brook Road at a point 1450 feet SW of the intersection of Fish & Game Road and Brook Road, in the drainageway of a forested wetland area; USGS Culvers Gap, NJ topographic quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees 10 minutes 21 seconds N and long. 74 degrees 51 minutes 45 seconds W., NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum and depth to sand and gravel ranges from 20 to 39 inches and varies widely within short horizontal distances. Depth to bedrock is greater than 6 feet. The particle size control section averages 7 to 18 percent clay. Content of coarse fragments ranges from 0 to 35 percent in the solum and 0 to 65 percent in the C horizon. Reaction is strongly acid to neutral in the solum and moderately acid to moderately alkaline in the C horizon. Depth to carbonates ranges from 30 to 60 inches or more.
O horizons are commonly slightly or moderately decomposed plant material with hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 or 2.
A and Ap horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 0 to 2. Texture is fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam and their mucky analogues. Structure is weak or moderate, fine or medium granular or very weak fine to coarse subangular blocky, and consistence is very friable or friable when moist.
E horizons, when present, are 0 to 10 inches thick and have hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 0 or 1. Structure is platy, prismatic, or subangular blocky and consistence is friable or firm when moist and hard when dry.
The B horizons have hue of 7.5YR to 5Y and 5BG, or are neutral, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 0 to 8. Matrix colors have chroma of 2 or less due to iron depletion. Masses of iron accumulation, with chroma of 4 or more, are distinct or prominent, medium or coarse, and range from few to many. Texture is fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam. Structure is subangular blocky, or platy, and consistence is friable or firm when moist, and hard when dry. It is granular and very friable in some places.
The 2Cg or 2C layers have hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 0 to 2. Chroma of 0 to 4 is allowed below a 30 inch depth. Texture is coarse sand to loamy fine sand above 40 inches and their gravelly or very gravelly analogues and coarse sand to fine sandy loam below 40 inches and their gravelly, very gravelly, or extremely gravelly analogues. The layer is commonly structureless and consistence ranges from loose to firm.
COMPETING SERIES: Currently there are no other series in the same family.
The Chance, Fredon, Homer, Leicester, Raypol, Red Hook, and Walpole series are similar soils in related families.
Chance soils are from outside of LRR R and S and have coarser textures and rock fragments dominated by granite and basalt gravel. Fredon, Raypol, Red Hook, and Walpole soils have a subhorizon within a depth of 30 inches in which dominant chroma is more than 2. Leicester soils have a pH of less than 5.5 (in H2O, 1:1) throughout the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Halsey soils are in shallow depressions on level to nearly level terraces and flood plain steps and occasionally in seepage areas of steeper sloping terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. The soils formed in outwash derived mainly from quartz, slate, shale, and sandstone with minor amounts of limestone, granite, gneiss, and schist. The climate is temperate and humid. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 45 to 50 degrees F. Precipitation ranges from 40 to 48 inches and is well distributed throughout the year. Frost-free days range from 130 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bath, Conotton, Fredon, Hazen, Palmyra, Phelps, Red Hook, and Wassaic soils on nearby landscapes. Conotton, Fredon, Hazen, Phelps, Palmyra, and Red Hook soils occupy better drained positions on glaciofluvial terraces. Bath soils formed in till and have a fragipan. Wassaic soils formed in till and are moderately deep to limestone.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Halsey soils are very poorly drained and have a seasonal high water table near the surface throughout the year, unless drained. The soil is ponded to a depth of 0.5 feet above the surface on level areas and in depressions and is wet from the surface to 0.5 feet below the surface on areas that are nearly level to gently sloping. Surface drainage is slow because of inadequate outlets. Halsey soils on low terraces are subject to occasional or frequent flooding in some places. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high or high in the solum and high or very high in the substratum. Runoff is negligible to low.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly wooded. Natural vegetation consists of red maple, elm, ash, willow, sedges, and rushes. Small areas have been cleared and drained, and are used as pastureland or for growing vegetables or hay.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Glaciofluvial landforms in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania (MLRAs 101, 139, 140, 142, and 144A). The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Warren County, New Jersey, 1951.
REMARKS: This revision reflects a new type location in Sussex County.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Umbric epipedon - from 1 to 11 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
2. Cambic horizon - from 11 to 20 inches (Bg horizon).
3. Aquic conditions - endosaturation as indicated by a matrix chroma of 2 or less in all subhorizons and the presence of redoximorphic features (masses of iron accumulation).
4. Contrasting particle size class - from 10 to 40 inches (Bg and 2C horizons).
5. Lithologic discontinuity - abrupt textural contact at 20 inches (2C horizon).
Archived Soil Interpretation Record: NJ0039