LOCATION SAWYER AR+AL LA TX

Established Series
Rev. LBW
12/2020

SAWYER SERIES

The Sawyer series consists of very deep, moderately well drained, slowly permeable soils that formed in loamy and clayey marine sediments of Tertiary age. These soils are on uplands of the Western and Southern Coastal Plains. Slopes are dominantly 1 to 8 percent but range to 25 percent.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Aquic Paleudults

TYPICAL PEDON: Sawyer silt loam, 1 to 3 percent slopes, forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; weak fine granular structure; friable; many fine and medium roots; few fine soft dark brown concretions; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

Bt1--5 to 12 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few faint clay film on faces of peds; common fine roots; few pebbles less than 1/2 inch in diameter; few fine soft dark brown concretions; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt2--12 to 20 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silty clay loam; few fine distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) mottles and few fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few faint clay films on faces of peds; few fine roots; few fine soft dark concretions; few small pebbles less than 1/2 inch in diameter; extremely acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt3--20 to 29 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silty clay loam; many fine distinct gray (10YR 5/1) mottles and many fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many faint clay films on faces of peds; few fine roots; few pebbles less than 1/2 inch in diameter; few fine soft dark brown concretions; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bt4--29 to 36 inches; mottled gray (10YR 5/1), red (2.5YR 4/8) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many faint clay films on faces of peds; few fine roots; few fine dark brown concretions; few small pebbles less than 1/2 inch in diameter; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Btg1--36 to 52 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) mottles; strong medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; few fine roots; few pebbles less than 1/2 inch in diameter; few fine soft dark brown concretions; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Btg2--52 to 80 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay; few medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and few fine prominent dark red (2.5YR 3/6) mottles; moderate medium blocky structure; firm; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; few fine roots; few pebbles less than 1/2 inch in diameter; red mottled areas are more friable and less clayey than gray and brown areas; extremely acid. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon ranges from 50 to 76 inches or more.)

TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Arkansas; one mile southwest of junction of Highways 133 and 54 on Highway 133 just south of the Mt. Zion Church and cemetery, then 100 feet east of highway in the SE1/4NW1/4SE1/4 sec. 26, T. 7 S., R. 10 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 60 to 80 inches or more. Reaction ranges from extremely acid through strongly acid, except in surface layers that have been limed. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 5 percent throughout.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. In cultivated areas, the Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.

The E horizon, if present, has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2, 3, or 4. Texture is silt loam, loam, fine sandy loam, or very fine sandy loam.

The Bt1 and Bt2 horizons have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5, and chroma of 4, 6, or 8. Mottles range from none to common in shades of gray, red or brown. Texture is silt loam, loam, or silty clay loam. The weighted average of clay in the control section ranges from 22 to 35 percent. The Bt3 and Bt4 horizons have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5, and chroma of 4, 6 or 8 and mottles in shades of gray, brown, or red, or are mottled horizons in shades of gray, brown and red. Some pedons have lower Bt horizons with hue of 5YR or 2.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 6 or 8 and mottles in shades of brown and gray. Texture is silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay. The Btg horizon have hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 or 2 and mottles in shades of gray, brown and red. Texture is silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay.

The BC and C horizons, where present, have hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 or 2, or hue of 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2. Mottles are in shades of gray, brown or red. Texture is silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay and is usually stratified with clay shale.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Exum and Felker series in the same family. Exum soils contain plinthite nodules and are moderately slowly permeable. Felker soils commonly have pockets and streaks of uncoated sand grains and less than 30 percent clay in the argillic horizon, and are somewhat poorly drained.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Sawyer soils are on nearly level through steep landscapes on uplands of the Western and Southern Coastal Plains. Slopes range from 1 to 25 percent. The soil formed in loamy and clayey marine sediments of Tertiary age. The average annual temperature ranges from about 60 to 66 degrees F. and the average annual precipitation ranges from about 48 to 54 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Harleston, Sacul, Savannah, Smithdale and Warnock soils. Harleston soils, which occur on lower sideslope positions, have a coarse-loamy control section and moderate permeability. Sacul soils, which are on adjacent sideslopes are in a clayey particle size class. Smithdale soils, which are on adjacent similar landscapes, are in a fine-loamy particle size class and are well drained. Savannah soils, which are on broad gently sloping area have a fine-loamy control section and a fragipan. Warnock soils, which occurs on similar landscapes have a fine-loamy control section and moderate permeability.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow to rapid runoff and slow permeability. A perched seasonally high water table is 2 to 3 feet below the soil surface from December through April, most years.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of this soil are in forests of loblolly and shortleaf pine. Cleared areas are dominantly used for pasture. The native vegetation was mixed shortleaf pine and hardwood forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Western Coastal Plain of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana, and Southern Coastal Plain of Alabama and possibly Mississippi. The series is of large extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: TEMPLE, TEXAS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Choctaw County, Oklahoma; 1937.

REMARKS: The following diagnostic horizons and features are recognized in this pedon:

Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to a depth of 5 inches.

Argillic horizon - The zone from 5 to 80 inches.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization of the type location by the University of Arkansas Soil Characterization Laboratory. Pedon No. S71AR-069-003.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.