LOCATION IRONA NYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, active, frigid Lithic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Irona fine sandy loam on a 4 percent slope in a pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap-- 0 to 5 inches, dark brown (10YR 3/3) fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and very fine roots; 5 percent rock fragments; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick).
Bw-- 5 to 13 inches, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) fine sandy loam; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; very friable; common fine and very fine roots; few very fine tubular and many fine vesicular pores; 10 percent rock fragments; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick).
2C-- 13 to 18 inches, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; weak medium and thick platy structure; friable (40 percent firm lenses); few fine roots; few very fine tubular and many fine vesicular pores; 10 percent rock fragments; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick).
2R-- 18 inches, light gray (10YR 7/2) unweathered, massive sandstone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Clinton County, New York; in the town of Altona, about 1.2 mile west of Woods Falls Road, and about 1500 feet north of Irona Road; USGS Altona NY topographic quadrangle; Latitudes 44 degrees, 54 minutes, 18 seconds N. and Longitude 73 degrees, 40 minutes, 32 seconds W. NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum and depth to bedrock ranges from 10 to 20 inches. Rock fragments mainly sandstone, range from 2 to 25 percent by volume in the surface layer and from 5 to 35 percent in the subsoil and substratum. Unless limed, reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid throughout.
The Ap horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3, and chroma of 2 or 3.
Undisturbed A horizons have value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 through 3. Texture is fine sandy loam or loam in the fine earth fraction. Structure is weak or moderate granular. Consistence is very friable or friable.
The Bw horizons have hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 3 through 6. Texture is mainly fine sandy loam or loam, and less commonly sandy loam in the fine earth fraction. Structure is weak or moderate subangular blocky. Consistence is friable or very friable.
The BC horizon, if present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is loam, fine sandy loam or sandy loam in the fine earth fraction. Structure is weak subangular blocky or platy. Consistence is friable or firm.
The C or 2C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 3 through 6. Texture is sandy loam or fine sandy loam in the fine earth fraction. Pockets of loamy sand or loamy fine sand are also within the range. Structure is weak or moderate platy or it is massive. Consistence is friable or firm.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Barto, Hawksnest, Insula, Irona, Westminster, and Woodstock series in the same family. The Barto soils are dominated by rock fragments of granite and typically have redder hue in the subsoil. Hawksnest soils are in a higher effective precipitation area and have a higher moisture content in the subsoil during the growing season. Hawksnest soils are also typically more acid throughout. Insula soils have rock fragments dominated by granite and typically have more rock fragments in the subsoil. Westminster soils have rock fragments that are primarily schist, gneiss, or granite, and also are in a higher rainfall area. Woodstock soils contain rock fragments that are mainly schist and gneiss.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Irona soils are nearly level to strongly sloping soils on till uplands. They are typically on bedrock-controlled ridges, benches and convex hillsides. Slope ranges from 0 to 15 percent with small linear moderately steep to very steep areas. The till material is derived from sandstone and some granite. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 32 to 36 inches, mean annual air temperature ranges from 41 to 45 degrees F, and mean frost-free season ranges from 90 to 140 days. Elevation ranges from 200 to 1800 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chazy, Colosse, Conic, Peasleeville, Schroon, Sunapee, and Topknot soils. The Topknot soils are the somewhat poorly drained component in the drainage sequence. The well drained Conic and somewhat poorly drained Chazy soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock. The Peasleeville soils occur in nearby very deep, smooth, broad till plains. Schroon and Sunapee soils occur on adjacent very deep till landscapes where slopes are more convex or undulating. Colosse soils are more cobbly and gravelly forming linear water-worked ridges.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to medium. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in woodland, pasture, or reverting to brush. Some areas cleared of stones and boulders are used for hay or silage corn. Wooded areas contain sugar maple, northern red oak, balsam fir, paper birch and eastern white pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Champlain and St. Lawrence Valley of Northern New York. MLRA 142. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clinton County, New York 1995.
REMARKS: This represents a partial update of the series to Established. Not all items were reviewed at this time.
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in the typical pedon are:
1) Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 5 inches (Ap horizon).
2) Cambic horizon - from 5 to 13 inches (Bw horizon).
3) Lithic subgroup - bedrock contact at 18 inch depth.