LOCATION SOWEGO VA
Established Series
DGS-DRH-MAV Rev. MDJ
09/2016
SOWEGO SERIES
The Sowego series consists of deep, moderately well drained to well drained soils formed in colluvium and local alluvium over residuum of shale, siltstone, fine-grained sandstone and conglomerate on footslopes, fans, saddles and along drainageways in the Triassic-Jurassic Basin of the Northern Piedmont. Permeability is moderate to moderately rapid. Slope ranges from 0 to 7 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 41 inches and mean annual temperature is about 54 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Ultic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Sowego loam on a southeast facing slope in cropland at 215 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; few fine and medium pores; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt--9 to 23 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; few medium pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; few black mineral concretions; 5 percent weathered coarse shale gravels and 5 percent rounded medium quartz gravels; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
2C--23 to 42 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) channery silt loam; few fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/8) iron-manganese masses and pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) iron depletions; structureless, massive; friable; few fine roots; few fine pores; 30 percent weathered coarse siltstone channers; very strongly acid.
2Cr--42 to 61 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR3/3) soft, fractured siltstone bedrock with common medium prominent light gray (10YR7/1) iron depletions.
TYPE LOCATION: Fauquier County, Virginia; approximately 1.57 miles northwest of the junctions of highways VA-794 and VA-611, 0.78 miles southeast of the junctions of highways VA-640 and VA-806. USGS Somerville topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 37 minutes 0.43 seconds north latitude, 77 degrees 35 minutes 33.47 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to base of the solum ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to paralithic contact ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Depth to lithic contact is greater than 60 inches. Reaction is very strongly to moderately acid throughout.
The Ap or A horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is silt loam, fine sandy loam, or loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 20 percent. Rock fragments are mainly shale, siltstone, conglomerate and quartz gravels and channers.
Some pedons have an E horizon with hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 4 to 6. It is silt loam or loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 20 percent. Rock fragments are mainly shale, siltstone, conglomerate and quartz gravels and channers.
The Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 20 percent. Rock fragments are mainly shale, siltstone, conglomerate and quartz gravels and channers.
The 2C horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 15 to 60 percent. Rock fragments are mainly shale, siltstone, conglomerate and quartz gravels and channers.
The Cr horizons are commonly weathered shale or siltstone. Some pedons have thinly interbedded sandstone.
COMPETING SERIES: The
Athol,
Bolton,
Bookwood,
Brecknock,
Carpenter,
Culleoka,
Door,
Dormont,
Duffield,
Frondorf,
Hayter,
Lamotte,
Legore,
Loudonville,
Mechanicsburg,
Morrison,
Myersville,
Neshaminy,
Penn,
Ryder,
Washington,
Westmoreland,
Wheeling, and
Williamsburg series are in the same family. Athol soils contain rock fragments of sandstone and do not have mottles in the upper 40 inches. Bolton, Bookwood and Duffield soils have chert and limestone rock fragments. Brecknock, Carpenter, Door, Dormont, Frondorf, Morrison, Ryder, Washington, Westmoreland, Wheeling and Williamsburg soils have hue of 7.5YR or yellower in the Bt2 horizon. Carpenter soils are also well drained. Culleoka, Loudonville and Penn soils have bedrock at 20 to 40 inches. Hayter soils are well drained and have moderately rapid permeability. Lamotte soils contain sandstone fragments in the lower part of the solum in the Cr horizon. Legore, Myersville and Neshaminy soils have igneous rock fragments. Mechanicsburg soils have a lithologic discontinuity within 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sowego soils formed in colluvium and local alluvium over residuum of shale, siltstone, and conglomerate and are on footslopes, colluvial fans, along drainageways, and in narrow saddles in the Triassic lowlands of the Northern Piedmont Province. Drainageways are subject to frequent, extremely brief, flash flooding events with little or no deposition or erosion. Slope gradients range from 0 to 7 percent. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 53 degrees to 57 degrees F, mean annual precipitation ranges from 38 to 44 inches, frost free days range from 165 to 203 days, and elevation ranges from 150 feet to 550 feet above mean sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are
Penn,
Nestoria,
Bermudian,
Clover,
Panorama and
Ashburn soils. Penn soils are moderately deep and well drained on summits and backslopes. Nestoria soils are shallow, loamy-skeletal soils on backslopes. Bermudian soils are on floodplains. Clover soils are fine and very deep on summits and backslopes. Panorama soils are fine-loamy and deep on summits and backslopes. Ashburn soils are moderately well drained with a thin fluvial capping.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained and well drained. The potential for surface runoff is low to moderate. Permeability is moderate to moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Sowego soils have been cleared and are used for cultivated crops and pasture. Crops include corn, small grain and hay. Some areas are in woodland. Woodland vegetation is mostly oaks, hickory, yellow-poplar, sweet gum, dogwood and walnut.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 148. In Virginia. The soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES PROPOSED: Fauquier County, Virginia; 2004.
REMARKS: This soil was previously mapped as Manassas. Data showed series to be deep to paralithic contact, versus very deep, primarily due to its close proximity to Penn and Nestoria soils.
02/2005 added statement about frequent, extremely brief, flash flooding in the geographic setting.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon-zone from 0 to 9 inches (Ap horizon)
2. Argillic horizon-zone from 9 to 23 inches (Bt horizon)
3. Aquic conditions-zone from 23 to greater than 60 inches
4. Base saturation between 35 and 60 percent at 42 inches
2016 Update was to change the status to Established.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.