LOCATION MADISON NC+AL GA SC VA
Established Series
Rev. RAG/JAK/DTA
09/2025
MADISON SERIES
MLRA(s): 136 (thermic part)
Soil Survey Regional Office (SSRO) Responsible: Southeast
Depth Class: Very Deep
Agricultural Drainage Class: Well drained
Index Surface Runoff: Medium
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Class: Moderately high
Shrink-Swell Potential: Low
Landscape: Piedmont uplands
Landform: Interstream divides, ridges, and side slopes
Parent Material: Residuum weathered from felsic or intermediate, high-grade metamorphic or igneous rocks high in content of mica
Slope: 2 to 60 percent
Mean Annual Air Temperature (type location): 15 degrees C (59 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation (type location): 1219 millimeters (48 inches)
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kanhapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Madison gravelly sandy loam, 6 to 10 percent slopes on an 8 percent slope (Colors are for moist soils.)
Ap--0 to 15 centimeters (0 to 6 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly sandy loam; moderate, medium and coarse, granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots; few fine flakes of mica; fragments of quartz and schist about l inch in size, make up about 20 percent of horizon; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 23 centimeters (2 to 9 inches) thick)
BE--15 to 23 centimeters (6 to 9 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; weak, medium, subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine and medium roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; common medium flakes of mica; common fragments of quartz and schist; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 13 centimeters (0 to 5 inches) thick)
Bt--23 to 76 centimeters (9 to 30 inches); red (2.5YR 4/8) clay; moderate, fine subangular blocky structure; friable; sticky; slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; common fine pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; many fine flakes of mica; common fragments of quartz and schist; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (30 to 76 centimeters (12 to 30 inches) thick)
BC--76 to 89 centimeters (30 to 35 inches); yellowish red (5YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; weak, fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; many fine flakes of mica; common fragments of quartz and schist; strongly acid; gradual irregular boundary. (0 to 35 centimeters (0 to 14 inches) thick)
C--89 to 168 centimeters (35 to 66 inches); yellowish red (5YR 5/8) saprolite of mica schist that is sandy loam; common, medium, distinct red (2.5YR 5/8) mottles; massive; friable; many fine flakes of mica; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Catawba County, North Carolina; 5 1/4 miles southeast of Newton on N.C. Highway 16, one-eighth mile south on SR 1810, 2 1/8 miles southeast on SR 1858, 2 miles west on SR 1874 and 500 feet north of road. USGS Newton, North Carolina topographic quadrangle.
Latitude--35.583344
Longitude-- -81.166692
Datum--WGS84
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum thickness: 51 to 127 centimeters (20 to 50 inches)
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 183 centimeters (72 inches)
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: Greater than 183 centimeters (72 inches)
Rock Fragment Content: 0 to 35 percent, by volume, quartz, granite, and schist pararock fragments throughout
Mica Content: 2 to greater than 20 percent, by volume, in the A, E, BE, BA, and Bt horizons and greater than 20 percent in the BC and C horizons
Soil Reaction: Moderately acid to very strongly acid throughout, unless limed
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
Ap or A horizon:
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 10YR , value of 3 to 5, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam. Where eroded, sandy clay loam or clay loam
E horizon, where present:
Color--hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5, chroma of 3 to 6
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--fine sandy loam or sandy loam
BE horizon:
Color--hue of 10R to 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy loam, loam, or sandy clay loam
Bt horizon:
Color--hue of 10R to 5YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--clay, sandy clay, or clay loam
BC horizon, where present:
Color-- hue of 10R to 5YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)-sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam
C horizon:
Color--hue of 10R to 5YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 2 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy loam, clay loam, loam, or sandy clay loam saprolite
COMPETING SERIES:
Appling soils--lack the many flakes of mica and are not as red.
Bethlehem soils--formed from sillimanite schist and phyllite schist, lack the many flakes of mica, and have a depth to soft bedrock of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches).
Cecil soils--lack the many flakes of mica.
Nankin soils--formed in coastal plain sediments, contain ironstone nodules, and lack the many flakes of mica.
Pacolet soils--lack the many flakes of mica.
Saw soils--lack the many flakes of mica and have a depth to hard bedrock of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches).
Tumbleton soils--formed in coastal plain sediments and lack the many flakes of mica.
Wedowee soils--lack the many flakes of mica and are not as red.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Piedmont upland
Landform: Interstream divides, ridges, and side slopes
Parent Material: Residuum weathered from felsic or intermediate, high-grade metamorphic or igneous rocks high in content of mica
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 14 to 18 degrees C (58 to 65 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation: 1016 to 1651 millimeters (40 to 65 inches)
Frost-free period: 190 to 210 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Grover soils--are fine-loamy; on side slopes
Helena soils--are moderately well drained, have mixed mineralogy, and lack the many flakes of mica; on toe slopes, at the heads of drains, and along small drainageways.
Hulett soils--are not as red; on same landscape positions
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Agricultural Drainage Class: Well drained
Index Surface Runoff: Medium
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Class: Moderately high
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Cultivated crops, pasture, and woodland
Dominant Vegetation: Where cultivated--cotton, corn, small grains, soybeans, and hay. Where wooded--loblolly pine, white oak, hickory, and dogwood.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Extent: Extensive
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Madison County, Georgia, 1918
REMARKS:
The June 1988 revision changed the classification to Typic Kanhapludults according to criteria in the Low Activity Clay Amendment to Soil Taxonomy, August 1986.
Previous Revision: 10/2002, JAK
The September 2025 revision reformatted the description to semi-tabular. No data was changed.
Diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 15 centimeters (6 inches). (A horizon)
Kandic horizon: the zone from 23 to 89 centimeters (9 to 35 inches: it meets the low activity clay requirement for Kandic in more than 50 percent of the horizon. (Bt and BC horizons)
Argillic horizon: the zone from 23 to 89 centimeters (9 to 35 inches). (Bt and BC horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Typical Data Map Unit:
Typical User Pedon ID: 1969NC035708
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation
NC0071 MADISON 2-60 58-62 190-210 40-65 700-1200
NC0231 MADISON 2-60 58-62 190-210 40-65 700-1200
SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness
NC0071 NONE >6.0 - >60
NC0231 NONE >6.0 - >60
SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC-
NC0071 0-6 L FSL SL 0-3 80-100 5-20 1-4
NC0071 0-6 GR-FSL GR-SL 3-10 60-85 5-15 1-4
NC0071 0-6 CL SCL 0-3 85-100 25-35 3-6
NC0071 6-30 C CL SC 0-3 85-100 30-50 3-6
NC0071 30-35 L SCL CL 0-3 85-100 25-35 2-4
NC0071 35-66 FSL SL L 0-5 80-100 5-20 1-3
NC0231 0-6 GR-SCL GR-CL 3-10 55-75 20-35 3-6
NC0231 6-30 C CL SC 0-3 85-100 30-60 4-8
NC0231 30-35 L SCL CL 0-3 85-100 15-35 2-5
NC0231 35-66 FSL SL L 0-3 80-100 8-20 1-3
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll
NC0071 0-6 4.5-6.5 .5-2. 0-0 2.0-6.0 LOW
NC0071 0-6 4.5-6.5 .5-2. 0-0 6.0-20 LOW
NC0071 0-6 4.5-6.5 .5-2. 0-0 0.6-2.0 LOW
NC0071 6-30 4.5-5.5 0.-.5 0-0 0.6-2.0 LOW
NC0071 30-35 4.5-6.0 0.-.5 0-0 0.6-2.0 LOW
NC0071 35-66 4.5-6.0 0.-.5 0-0 0.6-2.0 LOW
_______________________________________
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.