LOCATION SCIOTA NYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, frigid Aquic Udipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Sciota fine sand in a nearly level corn field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap--0 to 9 inches, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; very friable; many very fine and fine, and few medium roots; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick).
Bw1--9 to 14 inches, pale brown (10YR 6/3) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) fine sand; very weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few very fine roots; common coarse and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) soft masses of iron accumulation, and few fine and medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) areas of iron depletion; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--14 to 19 inches, pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sand; very weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) soft masses of iron accumulation, and few fine faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) areas of iron depletion; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bw3--19 to 24 inches, mixed pale brown (10YR 6/3) and light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sand; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; many coarse and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), and many fine and medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) soft masses of iron accumulation; common fine faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) areas of iron depletion; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 12 to 33 inches).
BC--24 to 37 inches, mixed light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sand; weak thin and medium platy structure; loose; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), and common fine distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) soft masses of iron accumulation; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick).
Cg1--37 to 50 inches, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) loamy fine sand; single grain; very friable; common medium and coarse prominent yellowish brown and dark yellowish brown (10YR 5/4 and 4/4) soft masses of iron depletions; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Cg2--50 to 57 inches, dark gray (N4/0) fine sand; few fine and medium distinct very dark gray (N3/0) organic stains; single grain; very friable; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Cg3--57 to 72 inches, dark gray (N4/0) sand; single grain; very friable; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Clinton County, New York; in the Town of Mooers, 0.75 mile southeast of junction of LaValley Road with Angelville Road, and 3000 feet south of LaValley Road; USGS Mooers topographic quadrangle; lat. 44 degrees 55 minutes 41 seconds N. and long. 73 degrees 31 minutes 31 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 18 to 39 inches. Depth to carbonates ranges from 20 to 80 inches. Redoximorphic features consisting of concentrations of Fe/Mn accumulation, and Fe depletions occur within 40 inches of the mineral soil surface. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Rock fragments are typically absent, but may range up to 2 percent by volume in the lower subsoil and substratum. Unless limed, reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral in the surface layer, slightly acid to slightly alkaline in the subsoil, and neutral to moderately alkaline in the substratum.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is fine sand, loamy fine sand or fine sandy loam in the fine earth fraction.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 4. It has faint to prominent redox concentrations and depletions. Texture is fine sand or loamy fine sand in the fine earth fraction. Structure is weak or very weak subangular blocky or is single grain. Consistence is very friable or loose.
The BC horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 4. It has faint to prominent redox concentrations and/or depletions. Texture is fine sand or loamy fine sand in the fine earth fraction. Structure is weak or very weak subangular blocky, platy, or is single grain. Consistence is very friable or loose.
The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or is neutral, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 0 to 2. It has faint to prominent redox concentrations and depletions. Texture is fine sand, sand or loamy fine sand in the fine earth fraction. It is single grain or massive. Consistence is very friable or loose.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Aylmer, Clearriver, Hiwood, Lino, Meehan, Poppleton, Redby, Rushlake and Winterfield series in the same family. All of these soils are from outside of Region R. Aylmer, Poppleton and Redby soils are in areas of lower precipitation and are substantially drier in the soil moisture control section during the growing season. Clearriver soils have B/E horizons. Hiwood and Lino soils are more acid in the control section. Meehan soils have more than 50 percent medium sand and coarser in the series control section. Rushlake soils have free carbonates above 40 inches. Winterfield soils have an irregular decrease in organic carbon with increasing depth.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sciota are nearly level and gently sloping soils on glacial lake plains. They also occur on toeslopes of narrow glacial lake beach ridge deposits. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 32 to 36 inches; mean annual air temperature ranges 42 to 46 degrees F; and the mean frost-free season ranges from 120 to 150 days. Elevation ranges from 200 to 600 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the moderately well drained Mooers and the poorly drained Deinache soils which are associated in a drainage sequence. Wainola, Junius, Flackville, Pinconning and Coveytown soils are also associated. Wainola soils are on similar landscapes but have spodic development. The poorly and somewhat poorly drained Junius soils are on similar landscapes in mesic areas. Flackville and Pinconning soils are on similar landscapes but have clayey substrata within a 20 to 40 inch depth. Coveytown soils occur near the toe of glacial lake beach ridges where sands are underlain by loamy deposits.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Many areas are used for growing silage corn and hay. Areas remaining in forest contain northern white cedar, eastern white pine, red maple and yellow birch.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Champlain Valley of northern New York (MLRA 142). The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clinton County, New York 1995.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in the typical pedon include: a. Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 9 inches (Ap horizon). b. Aquic subgroup - Redox depletions with chroma 2 or less in one or more horizons within 40 inches of the mineral soil surface. c. Redoximorphic features - accumulation of Fe accumulation, areas of Fe depletions, or reduced matrices (in all horizons below the Ap).
Soil Interpretation Record: NY0445