LOCATION PHELPS NY PA
Established Series
Rev. BAH-JWW-MS
03/2011
PHELPS SERIES
The Phelps series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils formed in glacial outwash. They are nearly level and gently sloping soils formed in loamy material overlying calcareous, stratified gravel and sand. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high or high in the mineral solum and high or very high in the sand and gravel. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 48 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation is about 37 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, active, mesic Glossaquic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Phelps gravelly loam - cultivated (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap -- 0 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly loam; moderate medium granular structure; friable; many fine roots; 25 percent rock fragments; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick.)
Bt/E -- 9 to 14 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; pale brown (10YR 6/3) coats of clean sand grains on faces of peds 1 to 2 mm thick that constitutes less than 15 percent of the layer; clay films on surfaces along pores; 25 percent rock fragments; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 9 inches thick.)
Bt -- 14 to 25 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) gravelly clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable and sticky; few fine roots; clay films on surfaces along pores in many medium pores; thick patchy clay films on faces of peds; 30 percent rock fragments; few medium distinct reddish gray (5YR 5/2) areas of iron depletion and prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick.)
BC -- 25 to 34 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) gravelly clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable and sticky; porous with clay film in some pores; 30 percent rock fragments; few medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; neutral; clear irregular boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick.)
2C -- 34 to 60 inches, brown (7.5YR 4/2) stratified gravel and sand; single grain; loose; 40 percent rock fragments; moderately alkaline, slightly effervescent.
TYPE LOCATION: Wayne County, New York; Town of Arcadia, 0.2 mile north of Eckert Road and 0.8 mile west of Tellier Road. USGS Palmyra, NY topographic quadrangle; Latitude 43 degrees, 4 minutes, 18 seconds N. and Longitude 77 degrees, 8 minutes, 11 seconds W. NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 24 to 40 inches corresponding to the depth to the underlying sand and gravel. Depths to carbonates ranges from 18 to 72 inches. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Coarse fragments, dominantly gravel and cobble stones, range from 5 to 35 percent in the solum and 35 to 70 percent in the 2C horizon and includes 0 to 15 percent cobblestones in the solum and 0 to 20 percent in the 2C horizon. Some subhorizons of the 2C horizon may contain as few as 5 percent rock fragments. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline in the Ap and argillic horizons, slightly acid to slightly alkaline in the BC horizon, and slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline in the 2C horizon.
The Ap horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is sandy loam to silt loam in the fine earth fraction. It has moderate, fine or medium granular structure and friable or very friable consistence. Thin remnants of E horizons are in some pedons.
The Bt/E horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 2 or 3 in the E part and hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 3 or 4 in the Bt part and they may have both high and low chroma redoximorphic features. It is loam, silt loam or clay loam in the fine earth fraction. It has weak or moderate, subangular blocky, or granular structure.
The Bt horizon has hue of 5YR through 2.5Y, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It has redoximorphic depletions and concentrations. Depletions occur in the upper 10 inches of the argillic horizon. It is loam, silt loam or clay loam in the fine earth fraction. It has moderate, medium or coarse subangular blocky structure. Consistence is friable or firm.
The BC horizon, when present, has a color range similar to the Bt. Texture is loam, silt loam, clay loam and sandy loam in the fine earth fraction. It has weak or moderate, medium or coarse subangular blocky or platy structure. Consistence is friable or firm.
The 2C horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is sand or loamy sand in the fine earth fraction or is stratified gravel and sand.
COMPETING SERIES: Phelps is the only series in this family.
Fredon,
Howard,
Kars,
Palmyra, and
Wampsville are closely related soils in similar families. Fredon soils lack argillic horizons and have aquic moisture regimes. Howard and Kars soils are loamy-skeletal and lack redoximorphic features in the argillic horizon. Palmyra lacks redoximorphic depletions in the upper part of the argillic horizon. Wampsville soils are fine-loamy and lack redoximorphic features in the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Phelps soils occupy nearly level to gently sloping or slightly depressed parts of glacial outwash terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. The regolith is mainly gravelly glacial outwash, mantled by two or three feet of silty or loamy material in most places. The climate is humid and cool-temperate. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 30 to 45 inches, mean annual air temperature from 45 degrees F, and mean growing season from 130 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The Phelps soils are in a drainage sequence with the well drained
Delaware,
Palmyra,
Howard, and
Wampsville soils, the somewhat poorly drained
Red Hook soils, the somewhat poorly drained or poorly drained
Fredon soils, and the very poorly drained
Halsey soils. Also associated are the
Arkport,
Cazenovia,
Collamer,
Cosad,
Dunkirk,
Honeoye,
Hudson,
Lansing,
Ontario,
Rhinebeck, and
Varysburg soils. Arkport soils formed in deep well drained sandy deltaic deposits. Cazenovia, Honeoye, Lansing and Ontario soils are on nearby upland till plains. Collamer and Dunkirk soils are on silty lacustrine deposits. Cosad soils formed in sandy deltaic deposits that overlie clayey lacustrine deposits. Hudson and Rhinebeck soils formed in clayey lacustrine deposits. Varysburg soils formed in similar outwash materials that overlie clayey lacustrine deposits.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. The potential for surface runoff is low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high or high in the mineral solum and high or very high in the sand and gravel.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the soil has been cleared and is used mainly for growing pasture, hay, small grains and corn. Native vegetation was sugar maple, ash, oak, other hardwoods and some pine and hemlock.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western, central, and eastern New York and western Vermont and northern Pennsylvania. MLRA's 101, 140, 142, and 144A. Phelps soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dutchess County, New York, 1946
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the typical pedon are follows:
1. Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 9 inches (Ap horizon).
2. Argillic horizon - from 9 to 25 inches (Bt/E and Bt horizon).
3. Glossaquic subgroup - interfingering of albic material and chroma 2 depletions in the upper 5 inches of the argillic horizon.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.