LOCATION SPRINGWOOD VA+MDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic Paleudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Springwood silt loam-on a gently sloping, broad convex ridge summit, in a hayfield. (Colors are for moist soil)
Ap--0 to 4 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) silt loam; strong fine granular structure; friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; 10 percent gravel; many very fine, fine, and common medium roots; many very fine and fine pores; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
BA--4 to 9 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) silt loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to medium fine granular; friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; 5 percent gravel; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine and fine pores; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 21 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) silty clay loam; few medium irregular black manganese masses; moderate, medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; firm, sticky, slightly plastic; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; common very fine, many fine and medium roots; many fine, common medium tubular pores; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--21 to 34 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) clay; few medium irregular black manganese masses; moderate, medium and coarse angular blocky structure; firm, sticky, plastic; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; common very fine, many fine and medium roots; many fine tubular pores; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt3--34 to 44 inches; red (10R 4/6) silty clay loam; common medium irregular black manganese masses; moderate, fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm, sticky, plastic; common faint clay films on faces of peds; few fine and medium roots; many very fine, common fine tubular pores; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 16 to 48 inches or more)
BCt--44 to 52 inches; dark red (10R 3/6) silty clay loam; many medium irregular black manganese masses; few fine distinct irregular reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/8) Fe masses; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm, sticky, slightly plastic; few faint clay films on faces of peds; few medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
C--52 to 62 inches; variegated reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) and reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/8) silty clay loam; few medium irregular black manganese masses; massive; friable, sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, and medium pores; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Loudoun County, Virginia. About 350 feet from the south side of Limestone Branch, about 700 feet from the confluence with the Potomac River. (Virginia Grid Coordinates E 2,227,250, N 546,250)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Depth to hard calcareous conglomerate bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Rock fragments range from 0 to 25 percent in the A, Ap, AB, BA, Bt, and BCt horizons, and 0 to 40 percent in the C horizon. Reaction is very strongly acid through neutral.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 2 through 8. It is loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The AB or BA horizon, where present, has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 4 through 8. It is loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10R through 5YR, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 4 through 8. It is clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay in the fine-earth fraction.
The BCt horizon, where present, has hue of 10R through 10YR, value of 3 through 7, and chroma of 4 through 8. It is clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay in the fine-earth fraction.
The C horizon, where present, commonly has hue of 10R through 10YR, value of 3 through 7, and chroma of 4 through 8; but colors are often variegated. It is loam, silt loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay in the fine-earth fraction.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Baxter, Bluelick, Courtois, Maury, Shenval, and Vertrees series in the same family. All these soils have sola greater than 60 inches thick. In addition, Baxter soils have chert fragments; and Bluelick and Courtois soils have a loess cap.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Springwood soils are on gently sloping to strongly sloping broad ridge summits, shoulders, and backslopes. Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent, but are dominantly 3 to 9 percent. The soils formed in residuum from calcareous conglomerate. Sinkholes are common. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 50 to 55 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 45 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lucketts, Morven, Scattersville, Wintergreen, and Braddock soils. Lucketts soils are on adjacent footslopes and have rock fragments of quartzite and greenstone indicative of the colluvial capping present. Morven soils are in concave positions with rock fragments indicative of colluvial and alluvial parent materials throughout. Scattersville soils are in drainageways and have more than 50 percent redox depletions in the subsoil. Braddock and Wintergreen soils are on adjacent backslopes and formed in colluvium of crystalline rock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Medium runoff. Moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for hay or pasture. Some small areas are used for cultivated crops, woodland, or residential development. Corn and soybeans are the main row crops. Alfalfa, orchardgrass, fescue, and red clover are the main hay crops. Woodland is mainly hardwoods.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Virginia and possibly Maryland and Pennsylvania. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Frederick County, Maryland, 2001.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon-zone from the surface to 9 inches (Ap and BA horizons)
2. Argillic horizon-zone from 9 to 52 inches (Bt and BCt horizons)
3. Palic feature-no significant decrease in translocated clay content in the argillic horizon
ADDITIONAL DATA: Particle-size analysis by Loudoun County Department of Natural Resources. Chemical analysis by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
SIR=VA0369
MLRA=148
REVISED=8/26/92, MHC