LOCATION REELFOOT TN+MO
Established Series
Rev. WTB-JAE
04/2017
REELFOOT SERIES
The Reelfoot series is a member of a fine-silty, mixed, thermic family of Aquic Argiudolls. These soils have very dark grayish brown silt loam A horizons and mottled yellowish brown, grayish brown, and gray silty clay loam B horizons.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, thermic Aquic Argiudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Reelfoot silt loam--cultivated. (Colors for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; weak medium granular structure; friable; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
A12--7 to 14 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; few fine roots and pores; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
B2t--14 to 26 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; many medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) mottles; moderate, medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots and pores; thin patchy clay films on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
B3--26 to 38 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; many medium distinct gray (10YR 5/1) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots and pores; few clay films on faces of peds; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
C1--38 to 50 inches; mottled gray (10YR 5/1) and brown (10YR 4/3) loam; massive; very friable; few fine pores; medium acid; gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 24 inches thick)
C2--50 to 72 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam with common medium distinct gray (10YR 5/1) mottles; massive; very friable; few fine pores; medium acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Tennessee; about 1-3/4 miles south of Reelfoot Lake and 1/2 mile west of Running Reelfoot Bayou. In northwest corner of Lake Isom Wildlife Refuge.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 30 to 65 inches.
The A horizon is very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2), very dark gray (10YR 3/1), dark brown (10YR 3/3), and very dark brown (10YR 2/2). It is silt loam or loam, and the range includes fine sandy loam and silty clay loam. The A horizon ranges from 10 to 20 inches thick. It is medium acid or slightly acid.
The B2t and B3 horizons are yellowish brown (10YR 5/4, 5/6, 5/8) or dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) with gray, yellow, olive, or brown mottles. They are silt loam or silty clay loam. Clay content commonly is 25 to 30 percent but ranges from 18 to 35 percent. Content of sand coarser than very fine sand ranges from about 8 to 15 percent, but content of very fine sand is commonly 20 to 35 percent or more. Reaction ranges from strongly acid through slightly acid.
The C horizon is dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), gray (10YR 5/1), dark gray (10YR 4/2; 2.5Y 4/2), or very dark gray (10YR 3/1) mottled with gray, yellow, olive, or brown. It commonly is silt loam or loam and the range includes silty clay loam and clay loam. Reaction ranges from medium acid through neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Armistead,
Askew,
Commerce,
Dundee,
Forestdale,
Mason,
Raub,
Renox, and
Tiptonville series. Armistead soils have clayey horizons in the 10 to 20 inch section. Askew and Dundee soils do not have a mollic epipedon. Commerce soils have an ochric epipedon, and they do not have an argillic horizon. Forestdale soils have an argillic horizon that is dominantly gray, and they do not have a mollic epipedon. Mason and Tiptonville soils do not have mottles due to wetness within 6 inches of the lower boundary of the mollic epipedon. Raub soils have C horizons of calcareous glacial till and are mesic. Renox soils have coarse fragments throughout the solum, and they do not have gray mottles due to wetness within 6 inches of the lower boundary of the mollic epipedon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Reelfoot soils are on the lower part of the terrace, commonly referred to as @old natural levees@ on the Mississippi River bottoms. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. At the site location the average precipitation is about 49 inches and the average annual air temperature is about 60 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing
Commerce and
Tiptonville series, and the
Bruno,
Bowdre,
Robinsonville,
Sharkey, and
Tunica series. Bruno soils lack B horizons. Bowdre, Sharkey, and Tunica have clayey surface soils and lack an argillic horizon. Robinsonville soils are well drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow surface runoff; moderate permeability. The water table rises to within 1 to 2 feet of the surface and remains there for several weeks during the winter and spring.
USE AND VEGETATION: Soybeans, corn, and cotton are the main crops grown on these soils. Native vegetation was mixed hardwood forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils are in the western edge of Tennessee and Kentucky and in the eastern edge of Arkansas and Missouri. They are moderate in extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: AUBURN, ALABAMA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County, Tennessee; 1965.
REMARKS: The Reelfoot series formerly would have been classified in the Brunizem Great Group. These soils were formerly included in the Dundee series.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.