LOCATION SWANCOTT NY
Tentative Series
Rev. BWH, ANL
03/2011
SWANCOTT SERIES
The Swancott series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils formed in glacio-fluvial deposits from sedimentary parent material. They are on terraces, kames, eskers, and outwash plains. Slope ranges from 3 to 35 percent. Estimated saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high in the solum and very high in the substratum. Mean annual precipitation is about 1476 mm and mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Typic Haplorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Swancott loamy fine sand, on a 14 percent, east facing slope, in a woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oa -- 0 to 19 cm; black (5YR 2.5/1); highly decomposed plant material; weak medium subangular blocky and weak very fine granular structure; very friable; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots throughout; ultra acid (pH 2.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 19 cm thick.)
E -- 19 to 30 cm; dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2); loamy fine sand; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; common very fine, fine and medium roots throughout; 8 percent gravel; extremely acid (pH 3.9); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick.)
Bh -- 30 to 36 cm; black (5YR 2.5/1); loamy fine sand; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine and medium roots throughout; 8 percent gravel; extremely acid (pH 3.9); discontinuous ortstein; clear wavy boundary.
Bhs -- 36 to 49 cm; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3); gravelly loamy fine sand; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots throughout; 16 percent gravel; extremely acid (pH 4.1); discontinuous ortstein; clear wavy boundary.
Bs -- 49 to 67 cm; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4); very gravelly loamy sand; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; common very fine and fine roots throughout; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; extremely acid (pH 4.2); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bh, Bhs and Bs horizons is 10 to 50 cm.)
BC -- 67 to 83 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4); very gravelly loamy sand; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; common very fine and fine roots throughout; 50 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 60 cm thick.)
C1 -- 83 to 112 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4); very gravelly sand; single grain; loose; moderately few very fine and fine roots throughout; 45 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear wavy boundary.
C2 -- 112 to 160 cm; brown (10YR 4/3); very gravelly sand; single grain; loose; moderately few very fine and fine roots throughout; 45 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear wavy boundary.
C3 -- 160 to 191 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4); extremely gravelly sand; single grain; loose; moderately few very fine and fine roots throughout; 65 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Lewis County, New York; Town of Lewis; borrow pit on Camp Four Rd., approx. 1/4 mile north from Osceola Rd., USGS Point Rock, NY topographic quadrangle; Latitude 43 degrees, 28 minutes, 10.8 seconds N. and Longitude 75 degrees, 35 minutes, 50.1 seconds W., NAD 1983.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 30 to 120 cm. Depth to bedrock is greater than 152 cm. Rock fragments, mainly gravel and cobbles, range from 5 through 65 percent in the mineral solum and from 35 through 75 percent in the substratum.
Most pedons have an O horizon that is slightly, moderately or highly decomposed (fibric, hemic, sapric material). It has a hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 2 through 4, and chroma of 0 through 4. Reaction is ultra acid to extremely acid.
The E horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy very fine sand, loamy fine sand and loamy sand. It has granular or subangular blocky structure. It is very friable or friable. Reaction is extremely acid to very strongly acid.
The Bhs or Bh, where present, horizon has hue of 2.5YR through 10YR, value of 2 through 3, and chroma of 1 through 3. Texture is loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam and loamy fine sand. It has granular or subangular blocky structure. It is very friable or friable. Reaction is extremely acid to very strongly acid.
The Bs, where present, horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value or chroma of 4 or more. Texture is loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy fine sand and loamy sand. It has granular or subangular blocky structure. It is very friable or friable. Reaction is extremely acid to very strongly acid.
The BC horizon has hue of 7.5YR through 2.5Y, value of 3 through 6, and chroma of 3 through 6. Texture is sand, loamy fine sand, loamy sand or loamy coarse sand. It has granular or subangular blocky structure, or is massive. It is very friable or friable. Most pedons have very to extremely gravelly and cobbly analogs. Reaction is extremely acid to very strongly acid.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR through 5Y, value of 3 through 6, and chroma of 2 through 6. Texture is coarse sand, sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, and fine sands. It is single grain or massive. It is loose or very friable. Reaction is extremely acid through strongly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Colton,
Hermon,
Masardis, and
Stetson soils. The Colton, Masardis and Stetson soils are dominated by igneous and metamorphic rocks. Hermon soils are found on till plains, hills and ridges.
The
Constable,
Success and
Colosse series are similar soils in related families. Constable and Success soils both have continuous ortstein layers and Colosse soils are loamy-skeletal
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Swancott (T) soils are on glacial outwash terraces, plains, kames, and eskers. Slope ranges from 3 through 35 percent. The soils formed in water-sorted sand, gravel, cobbles, and stones of sedimentary origin. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 1270 to 1727 mm., mean annual temperature ranges from 1 to 11 degrees C, and mean annual frost-free days ranges from 90 through 140 days. Elevation ranges from 305 to 610 meters above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Empeyville,
Fishcreek (T),
Highmarket (T), and
Worth soils. Both Empeyville and Worth are glacial till soils with fragipans. Fishcreek (T) soils are sandy and have fewer rock fragments. Highmarket (T) soils are coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal derived from glacial till.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained. The potential for surface runoff is very low to medium. Estimated saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high in the solum and very high in the substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Much of this area is forested and used for minor logging operations and recreational use. Forests include sugar maple, eastern white pine, red pine, and white spruce.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern New York. MLRA 141. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.
SERIES PROPOSED: Lewis County, New York, 2010.
REMARKS: 1. The series name is taken from the Swancott Mill settlement in south-central Lewis County.
2. Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in the typical pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 through 30 cm (Oa and E horizons).
Albic horizon - the zone from 19 through 30 cm (E horizon).
Spodic horizon - the zone from 30 through 67 cm (Bh, Bhs and Bs horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Pedon #10NY049013
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.