LOCATION SWAMPOODLE VAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Aquic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Swampoodle loam - on a gently sloping concave footslope in an improved pasture. (Soil was moist when described.)
Ap-- 0 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; moderate medium granular structure; friable, slightly sticky, and non-plastic; common very fine and fine roots; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary (2 to 9 inches thick).
Bt1-- 8 to 16 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, and non-plastic; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; many fine and medium roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2-- 16 to 24 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm, sticky, and slightly plastic; few medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) iron depletions on faces of peds; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; many fine and medium, common coarse roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt3-- 24 to 37 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; firm, very sticky, and very plastic; many large distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) iron depletions on faces of peds; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; common medium and coarse roots; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary (combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 20 to 40 inches).
2C1-- 37 to 56 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) loam; massive; friable, slightly sticky, and slightly plastic; many coarse prominent very pale brown (10YR 8/2) iron depletions in the matrix; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
2C2-- 56 to 62 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/6) sandy loam; massive; friable, non-sticky, and non-plastic; many coarse prominent very pale brown (10YR 8/2) iron depletions in the matrix; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Loudoun County, Virginia, 1800 feet north of the junction of U. S. Route 50 and Virginia Route 627. Virginia State Coordinates E 2,225,900; N 478,800; in Mercer Park.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum ranges from 25 to 50 inches. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. The solum typically contains no rock fragments; however, they can range from 0 to 10 percent in the solum and from 0 to 25 percent in the C horizons. Reaction is strongly acid or very strongly acid unless limed.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is sandy loam, loam, or silt loam.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR through 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 through 8. It is sandy loam, loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam in the upper part and sandy loam, loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, or clay in the lower part.
The C or 2C horizon has hue of 5YR through 5Y, value of 5 through 7, and chroma of 2 through 8. Texture in the fine earth fraction is variable, ranging from sandy loam to silty clay but is normally sandy loam, loam, or silt loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bogart, Centerburg, Conowingo, Haney, Lehigh, Mount Lucas, Reaville, Tuscola, Vaughnsville, and Williamstown series. Reaville soils have bedrock within 40 inches of the surface. Bogart soils contain more rock fragments. Conowingo soils contain serpentine. Haney soils contain carbonates. Mount Lucas soils contain porcelainite channers. Vaughnsville soils contain more clay in the lower part of the solum. Williamstown soils formed in glacial till. Tuscola soils are stratified.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Swampoodle soils are on gently sloping concave uplands, in saddles, and on footslopes along intermittent drainageways. Slope gradient ranges from 0 to 8 percent and is dominantly less than 4 percent. These soils formed in parent materials derived from local colluvial over residual material weathered from greenstone schist, biotite schist, and basic gneiss rocks. The mean annual temperature ranges from 52 to 60 degrees F and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 38 to 42 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Middleburg, Philomont, Purcellville, and Tankerville series. All of these soils are well drained. In addition, Philomont soils are coarse-loamy, Purcellville soils are fine silty, and Tankerville soils have bedrock within 60 inches of the surface.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Swampoodle soils are moderately well drained. Runoff is medium to slow and permeability is slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of this soil are used for pasture and hay. A significant portion is wooded. Native vegetation is hardwood forest dominated by beech, gum, and sycamore.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Blue Ridge lowlands of Virginia and possibly Maryland and Pennsylvania. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Loudoun County, Virginia, 2005.
REMARKS: Swampoodle is the name of a community in central Loudoun County.
Swampoodle soils were mapped partly as Belvoir and partly as Chester soils in the previous soil survey of Loudoun County.
REVISED = 2/18/2004, MAV added active ce activity class.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a) Ochric epipedon - zone from 0 to 8 inches (Ap horizon).
b) Argillic horizon - zone from 8 to 37 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
c) Redoximorphic depletions - 2 chroma depletions begin at a depth of 16 inches, in the upper 10 inches of the argillic horizon.
d) Lithologic discontinuity at 37 inches (2C1 horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Mechanical and mineralogical analyses performed by Loudoun County, Virginia, Department of Environmental Resources staff using the hydrometer method. Chemical analyses performed by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University staff. Lab numbers for this pedon are as follows: Loudoun County DER, 940040-940043; VPI&SU 94-53-176. In addition, 16 other pedons have been sampled for PSA and 11 for chemistry.