LOCATION PICCOWAXEN MDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, semiactive, mesic Aquic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Piccowaxen loam on a 1 percent slope, in a wooded area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise indicated.)
A1--0 to 2.5 cm (0 to 1 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak coarse granular; very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots and many coarse throughout; few fine tubular pores throughout; few very fine distinct dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) masses of iron accumulation on surfaces along root channels and pores; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary.
A2--2.5 to 10 cm (1 to 4 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; moderated medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak coarse granular; very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very coarse roots, common very fine, fine, and medium, and many coarse throughout; few very fine tubular pores throughout; few very fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation on surfaces along root channels and pores; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the A horizon is 2.5 to 25 cm)
E--10 to 23 cm (4 to 9 inches); light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium and very coarse roots throughout; common very fine and fine tubular pores throughout; few medium faint light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) irregular iron depletions throughout; many distinct medium and coarse dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation throughout; few medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation throughout; very few faint light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) clay films on surfaces along pores; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt1--23 to 41 cm (9to 16 inches); 65 percent light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) and 30 percent brown (7.5YR 4/4) silt loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky; friable, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few coarse roots throughout; common very fine, fine, and medium tubular pores throughout; common medium distinct light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) iron depletions throughout; few very fine distinct brown (7.5YR 5/4) masses of iron accumulation throughout; common faint light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) clay films on faces of peds; many faint light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) clay films on surfaces along pores; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary.
Btg1--41 to 51 cm (16 to 20 inches); 60 percent light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) and 25 percent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) silt loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; common fine faint gray (2.5Y 6/1) iron depletions throughout; common medium prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation throughout; common faint light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay films on all faces of peds and on surfaces along root channels; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
B't2--51 to 71 cm (20 to 28 inches); 60 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and 25 percent light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) silt loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common fine and few medium tubular pores throughout; many medium faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation throughout; common distinct gray (2.5Y 6/1) clay films on all faces of peds; many distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay films on all faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
B'tg2--71 to 122 cm (28 to 48 inches); gray (2.5Y 6/1) clay loam; moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; friable, moderately sticky, very plastic; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation throughout; few distinct gray (10YR 5/1) clay films on all faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Btg3--122 to 142 cm (48 to 56 inches); gray (5Y 6/1) clay loam; moderate extremely coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; firm, moderately sticky, very plastic; few very fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation throughout; few distinct gray (10YR 5/1) clay films on all faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 76 to 140 cm )
2BCg1--142 to 155 cm (56 to 61 inches); gray (5Y 6/1) sandy clay loam; massive; friable, moderately sticky, very plastic; few very fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation throughout; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
2BCg2--155 to 183 cm (61 to 72 inches); light gray (5Y 7/1) fine sandy loam; massive; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Charles County, Maryland; about 1.1 miles West of Nanjemoy, MD, on Liverpool Point Road; 2300 feet South on Riverside Road; 3060 feet west into the woods. USGS MD topographic quadrangle, Widewater (NE); 38 degrees 27 minutes 7.6 seconds N latitude; 77 degrees 15 minutes 36.1 seconds W longitude. Datum: NAD83
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the top of the Argillic: 13 to 38 (5 to 15 inches)
Depth to the base of the Argillic: 81 to 152 cm (32 to 60 inches)
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 183 cm (72 inches)
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: 25 to 51 cm (10 to 20 inches), December to April
Depth to a Lithologic Discontinuity: 61 to 152 cm (24 to 60 inches)
Rock Fragment content: 0 to 1 percent, by volume, throughout
Soil Reaction: Strongly acid to extremely acid in the upper solum, unless limed. Slightly to strongly acid below the lithologic discontinuity.
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
A horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 5 and chroma of 2 to 4.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam or silt loam.
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron masses in shades of red, brown, or yellow
E horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2 to 6.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam or silt loam.
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron masses in shades of red, brown, or yellow and iron depletions is shades of brown, yellow, olive or gray.
Upper Bt horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2 to 8.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--loam, silt loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam, with 18 to 30 percent clay
Redoximorphic features--iron masses in shades of red, brown, or yellow and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive or gray.
Lower Bt horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, chroma of 1 to 8.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay or clay, with 30 to 50 percent clay.
Redoximorphic features--iron masses in shades of red, brown, or yellow and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray.
2Btg horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y or neutral, value of 5 to 7, chroma of 1 or 2.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--fine sandy loam, sandy loam, sandy clay loam or loam.
2BCg horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y or neutral, value of 5 to 7 and chroma of 1 or 2.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--ranges from fine sand to sandy clay loam.
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron masses in shades of red, brown, or yellow
COMPETING SERIES:
Ingersoll soils--have a thinner solum and free carbonates in the substratum.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Coastal Plain
Landform: Terrace
Geomorphic Component: Treads and Risers
Parent Material: Silty and loamy fluviomarine deposits
Slope: 0 to 10 percent
Elevation: 3 to 30 m (10 to 100 feet)
Frost-free period: 180 to 210 days
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 12 to 13 degrees C (54 to 56 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation: 1016 to 1270 mm (40 to 50 inches)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Annemessex soils--are moderately permeable.
Dodon soils--are moderately well drained.
Elkton soils--are poorly drained.
Lenni soils--are poorly drained.
Liverpool soils--are moderately well drained.
Quindocqua soils--are poorly drained.
Woodstown soils--are moderately well drained.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage Class (Agricultural): Somewhat Poorly Drained
Internal Free Water Occurrence: Shallow (25 to 50 cm) and common (present 3 to 6 months)
Flooding Frequency and Duration Classes: None
Ponding Frequency and Duration Classes: None to rare Index Surface Runoff Class: Low to high
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Class: Moderately high or moderately low
Permeability Class (obsolete): Moderately slow to slow
Shrink-swell Potential Class: Moderate
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Woodland
Dominant Vegetation: Where cultivated--soybeans or fescue. Where wooded--sweetgum, yellow poplar, red maple, white oak, American holly, and shortleaf pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Coastal Plain of Southern Maryland; possibly the Delmarva Peninsula.
Extent: Small, but locally significant.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Charles County, Maryland, 2007.
REMARKS: Piccowaxen soils were previously mapped as Elkton, Keyport, Mattapex, and Othello soils. The Piccowaxen series is mapped on the Maryland Point geologic formation along the Potomac and Wicomico Rivers. The lithologic discontinuity is attributed to spatially variable carbonates which are derived from buried oyster bars.
Diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from 0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 inches) (A1, A2 and E horizons)
Argillic horizon--the zone from 23 to 142 cm (9 to 56 inches) (Bt1, Btg1, Bt2, Btg2, and Btg3 horizons)
Aquic conditions--the soil has redox depletions and concentrations within the upper 60 cm of the argillic horizon, with periodic saturation and reduction at some time during the year
Other soil features identified with this pedon:
Series control section--the zone from 0 to 152 cm (0 to 60 inches)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data for the typical pedon is available from the National Soil Survey Laboratory. Pedon ID: S04MD-017-002.