LOCATION SKYUKA NC
Established Series
Rev. STE:SCK:AG
04/2022
SKYUKA SERIES
The Skyuka series consists of gently sloping to strongly sloping, very deep, well drained soils on stream terraces of the Piedmont. They formed in old alluvium washed from upland soils underlain dominantly by dark colored high grade metamorphic rocks such as hornblende gneiss, amphibolite, hornblende schist, and biotite gneiss. Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 64 inches and mean annual temperature is 59 degrees F. near the type location.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, semiactive, thermic Ultic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Skyuka clay loam on a 2 percent slope at 830 feet in elevation--cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine flakes of mica; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 30 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; sticky, plastic; common faint clay films on faces of peds; common fine and medium roots; few fine flakes of mica; few medium, soft, irregular iron-manganese masses; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--30 to 38 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) clay; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; sticky, plastic; common faint clay films on faces of peds; few fine flakes of mica; few medium, soft, irregular iron-manganese masses; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt3--38 to 52 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/8) clay loam; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and red (2.5YR 4/8) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; sticky, plastic; few faint clay films on faces of peds; common fine flakes of mica; common medium, soft, irregular iron-manganese masses; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 24 to 53 inches.)
BC--52 to 60 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; common medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) iron depletions; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic, common fine flakes of mica; common medium, soft, irregular iron-manganese masses; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
C--60 to 72 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6), yellowish red (5YR 4/6), strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam; massive; very friable; nonsticky, nonplastic, common fine flakes of mica; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Polk County, North Carolina; about 1.0 mile north of McGinnis Crossroads on Secondary Road 1004; 1.5 miles northeast on Secondary Road 1359; 0.2 mile east on Secondary Road 1004; 1.5 miles north on Secondary Road 1356; 300 feet northeast from end of road and 300 feet from west side of the Green River; in a cultivated field.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 48 to more than 60 inches. Depth to bedrock is more than 72 inches. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid unless lime has been added. Limed soils typically range from moderately acid to neutral in the upper part of the solum. Content of rock fragments ranges from 0 to 15 percent by volume throughout. Fragments are gravel or cobbles. Content of mica flakes ranges from none to common. Content of iron-manganese masses ranges from few to common in the B and C horizons of some pedons.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 2 to 4. Textures are sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam.
In some pedons, there is a BA or AB horizon that has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. It is loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam.
The Bt horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. The Bt horizon is clay loam, sandy clay, or clay. Silt content is less than 30 percent.
The BC horizon, where present, has hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 8. Redoximorphic features of high chroma and low chroma in shades of red, yellow, gray or brown are in the BC horizon of some pedons below a depth of 48 inches. Texture is sandy clay loam, clay loam, or loam.
In some pedons, there is a BCc horizon that contains many hard iron-manganese concretions ranging from about 1/4 to 2 inches in diameter. It has the same colors and textures as the BC horizon.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 8, or is multicolored in shades of red, yellow, gray, or brown. These colors are redoximorphic features of iron depletions and massses of iron accumulation. Texture is loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam, or silty clay loam. Thin strata of loamy sand or sandy clay are in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Brantley,
Canton Bend,
Capshaw,
Cowton,
Enon,
Gundy,
Hallsummit,
Hampshire,
Maben,
Magnet,
Mecklenburg,
Spray,
Zion, and
Zuber soils. Brantley soils formed in marine sediments and are slowly permeable. Canton Bend are slowly permeable and contain more than 30 percent silt in the Bt horizon. Capshaw, Cowton, Gundy, Hampshire, Magnet, Spray, and Zion soils are on uplands and may have bedrock at depths ranging from 20 to 60 inches. Also, Capshaw soils have more silt than Skyuka soils. Enon and Mecklenburg soils are on uplands, have sola less than 40 inches thick, and are underlain by saprolite. Maben soils have a 20 to 48 inch solum and formed in marine sediment. Hallsummit soils have hue as red as 2.5YR, moderately slow permeability, and formed in coastal plain sediments of Tertiary age. Spray soils formed from shale and contain shale fragments. Zuber soils have moderately slow permeability and contain limestone fragments.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Skyuka soils are gently sloping to strongly sloping and are on stream terraces in the Piedmont. They formed in old alluvium washed from upland soils dominantly underlain by dark colored high grade metamorphic rocks such as amphibolite, hornblende gneiss, hornblende schist, and biotite gneiss. Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent, but commonly are 2 to 8 percent. Elevation ranges from 750 to 1,100 feet. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 50 to 65 inches and mean annual temperature ranges from 58 to 64 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Altavista,
Buncombe,
Cecil,
Chewacla,
Davidson,
Gaston,
Grover,
Hiwassee,
Lloyd,
Madison,
Masada,
Pacolet,
Rion,
Riverview, and
State soils. Altavista, Chewacla, Grover, Rion, Riverview, and State soils are in a fine-loamy family. In addition Chewacla and Riverview soils have a cambic horizon. Cecil and Pacolet soils have red Bt horizons and have C horizons in residuum. Buncombe soils are sandy throughout and have no diagnostic subsurface horizons. Hiwassee, Davidson and Lloyd soils have hue of 2.5YR or redder and value of 3 or less in the Bt horizon. Masada soils have base saturation of less than 35 percent. Altavista and State soils are in younger, lower positions on stream terraces. Cecil, Davidson, Gaston, Grover, Lloyd, Madison, Pacolet, Rion are on nearby upland ridges and side slopes. Buncombe, Chewacla, and Riverview soils are on nearby flood plains. Hiwassee soils are on older higher stream terraces. Masada soils are in the same landscape positions as Skyuka soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of this soil are cleared and used for cropland, hayland or pasture. Important crops include corn, soybeans, small grains, and specialty crops such as tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, snap beans, and cabbage. The major forages are tall fescue and ladino clover. A few areas are in forest. Native trees include red maple, sweetgum, yellow poplar, black oak, white oak, southern red oak, shortleaf pine, and Virginia pine. A few areas are managed for improved loblolly pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Piedmont area of North Carolina and possibly Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Polk County, North Carolina; 1992.
REMARKS: This soil was previously included with the Masada series. Masada soils are Typic Hapludults. Classification of this soil is supported by reference laboratory data from the typical pedon (NSSL Nos. 90P1477, 90P1478). This revision changes the depth to the seasonally high water table to 4 to 6 feet. Revision on 4-2022 removed an offensive soil series name and replaced it with Hallsummit.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 9 inches (Ap horizon)
Argillic horizon - the zone between 9 and 52 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons)
MLRA: 136
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation
NC0253 SKYUKA 2- 15 58- 64 180-230 50- 65 750-1100
SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness
NC0253 NONE RARE 4.0-6.0 APPARENT DEC-APR 60-60
SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC-
NC0253 0- 9 CL SCL 0- 5 80-100 20-35 10- 25
NC0253 0- 9 FSL SL 0- 5 80-100 10-20 5- 20
NC0253 0- 9 L 0- 5 90-100 10-20 5- 20
NC0253 9-52 CL C SC 0- 5 90-100 35-60 15- 40
NC0253 52-60 SCL CL L 0- 5 75-100 15-35 5- 20
NC0253 60-72 FSL CL SICL 0- 5 75-100 10-35 4- 20
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll
NC0253 0- 9 5.1- 6.5 1.-3. 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 LOW
NC0253 0- 9 5.1- 6.5 1.-3. 0- 0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
NC0253 0- 9 5.1- 6.5 1.-3. 0- 0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
NC0253 9-52 5.1- 6.5 .5-1. 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 MODERATE
NC0253 52-60 5.1- 6.5 0.-.5 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 LOW
NC0253 60-72 5.1- 6.5 0.-.5 0- 0 0.6- 2.0 LOW
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.