LOCATION MADAWASKA ME+NH VT

Established Series
Rev. KJL-PAH-WDH
02/2017

MADAWASKA SERIES

The Madawaska series consists of very deep, moderately well drained and somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in glaciofluvial deposits on outwash plains and stream terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 15 percent but is dominantly between 0 and 8 percent. Saturated hydraulic conductivity ranges from moderately high and high to very high in the solum and substratum. Mean annual temperature is about 3 degrees C (43 degrees F) and mean annual precipitation is about 1118 mm (44 in) at the type location.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Aquic Haplorthods

TYPICAL PEDON: Madawaska fine sandy loam, in a wooded area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 in); dark brown (10YR 3/3) fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.(13 to 25 cm [5 to 10 in] thick.)

Bs1--20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in); brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; moderate fine granular structure; friable; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.

Bs2--30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 in); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; weak fine granular; friable; few very fine, fine and medium roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bs3--40 to 61 cm (16 to 24 in); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) fine sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; friable; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation and common medium prominent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bs horizon is 18 to 51 cm [7 to 20 in].)

2C--61 to 155 cm (24 to 65 in); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sand; single grain; loose; common fine distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Franklin County, Maine; Town of Farmington; 0.5 mile west of North Chesterville village on Maine Route 156, 500 feet north of road. USGS Farmington Falls topographic quadrangle; lat. 44 degrees 35 minutes 40 seconds N. and long. 70 degrees 07 minutes 22 seconds W., NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 46 to 81 cm (18 to 32 in). Depth to bedrock is more than 60 inches. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 10 percent by volume throughout the soil. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid in all horizons.

The Ap horizon, or A horizon where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam. It has weak or moderate, very fine to medium granular structure. Consistence is very friable or friable.

The E horizon, where present, is neutral or has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 0 to 2. It is up to 10 cm ( 4 in) thick. Texture is fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam. It has weak thin platy or weak very fine or fine granular structure. Consistence is very friable or friable.

The Bs horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 8. Some pedons have a Bh horizon with hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, with value and chroma of 2 to 4, or a Bhs horizon with chroma and value of 3 or less. The Bh and/or Bhs is up to 10 inches thick. The B horizons are fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam. They have weak or moderate, very fine to medium granular structure. Consistence is very friable or friable.

The BC horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8. It is up to 30 cm (12 in) thick. Texture is fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam but may contain thin layers of sandy loam. It has weak granular or play structure. Consistence is very friable or friable.

The 2C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 4. Texture is loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sand or sand, but in some pedons thin bands of coarse sand less than 5 inches thick are present.

COMPETING SERIES: Machias is currently the only other series in this family. Machias soils have more than 10 percent gravel in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Madawaska soils are on outwash plains and stream terraces. Slope is dominantly 0 to 8 percent, but ranges up to 15 percent near the contact zone with upland till ridges. The soils formed in materials derived mainly from slate, schist, gneiss, phyllite, granite, and quartzite. The climate is humid and cool temperate. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 864 to to 1219 mm (34 to 48 in), and mean annual temperature ranges from about 3 to 7 degrees C (38 to 46 degrees F). The frost-free season ranges from 80 to 160 days. Elevation ranges from about 6 to 610 m (20 to 2000 ft) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Adams, Allagash, Croghan and Naumburg series on nearby landscapes. The well drained Allagash soils and the somewhat excessively drained and excessively drained Adams soils are in higher positions on the landscape. The coarser textured Croghan soils are in similar positions on the landscape. The somewhat poorly drained and poorly drained Naumburg soils are in lower positions on the landscape.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Commonly moderately well drained but the range includes somewhat poorly drained. Saturated hydraulic conductivity ranges from moderately high and high to very high in the solum and substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: Many areas are used for hay, pasture, and cultivated crops. Common crops are silage corn, potatoes, and small fruits. Remaining areas are wooded. Common tree species are eastern white pine, white spruce, sugar maple, balsam fir, paper birch, and red spruce.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 143 and 146 in Maine and New Hampshire. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Aroostook County, Maine, 1942.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
1. Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 in). (Ap horizon).
2. Spodic horizon - the zone from 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in) (Bs1 horizon).
3. Aquic subgroup - the zone from 40 to 75 cm (16 to 30 in) has redoximorphic features (Bs3 and 2C horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: The Soil Interpretation Record Number for the Madawaska series is: ME0018.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.