LOCATION NOWHERE NC TNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, acid, mesic Typic Humaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Nowhere very cobbly fine sandy loam, on a 12 percent slope in a mountain cove depression, at an elevation of 2000 feet with forest cover. (Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 16 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very cobbly fine sandy loam; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; many fine, medium and very coarse roots; 55 percent metasedimentary rock fragments; common, fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Thickness of the A horizon is 15 to 20 inches)
Bg--16 to 28 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) extremely cobbly fine sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common, medium, distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) organic stains on faces of peds; common, medium, distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) iron accumulations in the matrix; 65 percent metasedimentary rock fragments; common, fine flakes of mica; strongly acid; clear, smooth boundary. (Thickness of the Bg horizon is 12 to 20 inches.)
Cg--28 to 62 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) extremely cobbly fine sandy loam; massive; friable; common, medium, faint gray (7.5YR 5/1) iron depletions in root channels; 75 percent metasedimentary rock fragments; common, fine flakes of mica; strongly acid. (Thickness of the Cg horizon is greater than 36 inches thick.)
TYPE LOCATION: Swain County, North Carolina; 2.5 mile west of Great Smoky Mountain Park entrance on Lakeview Drive; 150 feet north of road. USGS Noland Creek Topographic Quadrangle: latitude 35 degrees 27 minutes, 59.40 seconds N.; longitude 83 degrees 30 minutes 01.40 seconds W., NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 28 to 50 inches and depth to metasedimentary bedrock is greater than 72 inches. Common medium and fine mica flakes throughout. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to very strongly acid. Fragment content is greater than 35 percent throughout. Fragments are metasedimentary gravels to boulders.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 3, and chroma 1 to 2. Texture is loam, fine sandy loam and sandy loam in the fine earth fraction.
The Bg horizon is mottled with hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5 and chroma of 1 to 8.
Texture is loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam in the fine earth fraction.
The Cg horizon is mottled with hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5, and chroma of 1 to 2. Texture is loam, fine sandy loam or sandy loam in the fine earth fraction.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nowhere soils are in depressions in the lower coves in the Southern Blue Ridge (MLRA 130B). Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent. Elevation ranges from 900 to 4600 feet. Nowhere soils form from colluvium weathered from metasedimentary rock such as phyllite, metasandstone, and slate. Mean annual air temperature is 50 degrees F and mean annual precipitation is 70 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Brasstown soils are well drained, fine-loamy, deep to paralithic contact, and are on summits and steep side slopes. Brookshire soils are well drained, fine-loamy, very deep, and are on lower parts of mountain side slopes and in coves. Cataska soils are well drained, loamy-skeletal, shallow to a paralithic contact, and are on summits and side slopes. Cheoah soils are well drained, fine-loamy, deep to a paralithic contact, and are on summits and side slopes. Citico soils are well drained, fine-loamy, deep to a lithic contact, and are on benches and footslopes in mountain coves. Junaluska soils are well drained, fine-loamy, moderately deep to a paralithic contact, and are on summits and side slopes. Maymead soils are well drained, coarse-loamy, deep to very deep to lithic contact, and are on lower parts of mountain side slopes and in coves. Santeetlah soils are well drained, fine-loamy, very deep, and are formed in coves. Soco soils are well drained, coarse-loamy, moderately deep a paralithic contact, and are on summits and side slopes. Spivey soils are well drained, loamy-skeletal, very deep, and are in coves and hollows. Stecoah soils are well drained, coarse-loamy, deep to a paralithic contact, and are on summits and side slopes. Sylco soils are well drained, loamy-skeletal, moderately deep to a lithic contact, and are on summits and side slopes. Tsali soils are well drained, loamy, shallow to a paralithic contact, and are on summits and side slopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly and very poorly drained. Runoff is very low where forest litter has not been disturbed and medium to rapid where little has been removed. Permeability is moderately rapid above the high water table.
USE AND VEGETATION: Areas of this soil are covered in mixed hardwood forest and includes over-story vegetation of yellow poplar, white oak, northern red oak, red maple, buckeye, hemlock, and sweet birch. Understory vegetation includes poison ivy, buffalo nut, cinnamon fern, ironwood, New York fern, Christmas fern, basswood, red maple, Frazer magnolia, and arrowhead.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Blue Ridge (MLRA 130B) of North Carolina and Tennessee. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Great Smoky Mountains National Park,2007.
REMARKS: Nowhere soils are mapped in complex with Spivey and Santeetlah soils. Most areas of Nowhere soils are too small to delineate as a consociation map unit. These areas represent unique habitat for certain aquatic species.
Revisions made 9/07(HCD) adjusted OSD to reflect Lab Data.
Diagnostic horizons:
Umbric Epipedon - 0 to 16 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Cambic Horizon - 16 to 28 inches (Bg horizon)
MLRA = 130