LOCATION THAMES CT

Established Series
Revised CEP-BEF-DCP
10/2024

THAMES SERIES

MLRA(s)--144A, 145
Depth class--Very deep
Drainage Class--Subaqueous
Water Depth Range--2 to 252 centimeters
Parent material--Coarse-loamy subaqueous alluvium
Geomorphic location--River channels and shoals in tidal rivers
Slope range for series--0 to 3 percent
Mean annual air temperature--10 degrees C (50 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation--1295 millimeters (51 inches)

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, mesic Haplic Sulfiwassents

TYPICAL PEDON: Thames fine sandy loam on a west facing, linear, 1 percent slope on a river channel under 1.5 meters of estuarine water. Tidal range is 280 centimeters. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted).

Aseg--0 to 12 centimeters; black (10YR 2/1) fine sandy loam; massive; moderately fluid; 5 percent shell fragments; strong effervescence with 30 percent hydrogen peroxide; moderately saline; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4), extremely acid (pH 3.9) oxidized pH; clear boundary.

Cseg1--12 to 28 centimeters; black (5Y 2.5/1) silt loam; massive; slightly fluid; slight sulfurous odor; slight effervescence with 30% hydrogen peroxide; moderately saline; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6), extremely acid (pH 4.0) oxidized pH; gradual boundary.

Cseg2--28 to 96 centimeters; very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) silt loam; massive; slightly fluid; 1 percent medium wood fragments; slight sulfurous odor; very slight effervescence with 30 percent hydrogen peroxide; moderately saline; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0), extremely acid (pH 3.9) oxidized pH; gradual boundary.

Cseg3--96 to 190 centimeters; very dark gray (5Y 3/1) silt loam; massive; slightly fluid; 1 percent medium wood fragments; moderate sulfurous odor; very slight effervescence with 30 percent hydrogen peroxide; moderately saline; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8), extremely acid (pH 3.9) oxidized pH; clear boundary.

Cseg4--190 to 227 centimeters; very dark gray (5Y 3/1) silt loam; massive; slightly fluid; very slight effervescence with 30 percent hydrogen peroxide; moderately saline; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4), extremely acid (pH 4.0) oxidized pH; clear boundary.

Cseg5--227 to 248 centimeters; very dark gray (5Y 3/1) silt loam; massive; slightly fluid; very slight effervescence with 30 percent hydrogen peroxide; moderately saline; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6), extremely acid (pH 3.8) oxidized pH.

TYPE LOCATION: New London County, Connecticut; Black Hall River, approximately 482 meters (1,580 feet) south-southeast from the Smiths Neck Road boat ramp and approximately 701 meters (2,300 feet) southwest from the intersection of Shore Road and Homestead Circle (southern circle intersection closest to Black Hall River). USGS topographic quadrangle: Old Lyme, CT

Latitude--41.2858028
Longitude-- -72.3185389
Datum--WGS84
Coordinates source--from hand-held GPS

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to bedrock--Greater than 200 centimeters
Soil moisture--These soils are continuously inundated
Reaction throughout--Neutral to moderately alkaline throughout (pH 6.6 to 8.4)
Oxidized reaction--Ultra acid to neutral throughout (pH <3.5 to 7.3)
Electrical conductivity (EC1:5 water) throughout--0.6 dS/m or greater
Depth to hypersulfidic materials (incubated pH 4.0)--0 to 50 centimeters
Shell fragments--0 to 70 percent, by volume
Coarse fragments--0 to 50 percent gravels, by volume
Total soil organic carbon stocks to 200 centimeters--22 to 49 kg m-2

Aseg, or Auseg horizon
Hue--7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, 10Y, or N
Value--2 to 3
Chroma--0 to 2
Texture--fine sandy loam; range includes coarse sand through silt loam, and their mucky analogs
Manner of failure / fluidity class--nonfluid to very fluid
Human artifacts--0 to 20 percent, by volume; artifacts such as charcoal, brick, and glass
Organic carbon density--9 to 69 kg m-3

Cseg, Cuseg, or C horizon
Hue--7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, 10Y, or N
Value--2 to 6
Chroma--0 to 3
Texture--coarse sand; range includes coarse sand through silt loam, and their mucky analogs
Manner of failure / fluidity class--nonfluid to moderately fluid
Human artifacts--0 to 20 percent, by volume; artifacts such as charcoal, brick, and glass
Organic carbon density--7 to 39 kg m-3

Asegb horizon (where present)
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y
Value--2 to 5
Chroma--1 to 3
Texture--fine sandy loam or coarse sandy loam, and their mucky analogs
Manner of failure / fluidity class--nonfluid to moderately fluid
Organic carbon density--9 to 69 kg m-3

2Cseg or 2C horizon (where present)
Hue--7.5YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, or 10Y
Value--2.5 to 5
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--loamy coarse sand; range includes loamy coarse sand to silty clay loam, and their mucky analogs
Manner of failure/fluidity class--nonfluid to moderately fluid
Organic carbon density--10 to 21 kg m-3

COMPETING SERIES:
Cottman soils--formed in heterogenous lagoonal deposits; found on barrier side lagoon bottoms in estuaries in the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain and Northern Tidewater Area
Fort Neck soils--formed in estuarine deposits and found on mainland coves and lagoon bottoms in coastal lagoons and bays
Hammock soils--formed in marine deposits overlying estuarine deposits and found on submerged mainland beaches in estuaries and sounds
Marshneck soils--formed in sandy estuarine deposits and are on flood-tidal deltas and shoals in coastal lagoons, estuaries, and sounds

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--Coarse-loamy subaqueous alluvium; may be underlain by marine deposits or till
Landscape--Tidal rivers
Landform--River channels and shoals
Slope--0 to 3 percent
Mean annual precipitation--1023 to 1320 millimeters (40 to 52 inches)
Mean annual air temperature--4 to 13 degrees C (39 to 55 degrees F)
Water salinity range--18 to 30 parts per thousand
Frost-free period--350 to 365 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Gillette Castle soils--formed in sandy subaqueous alluvium and are on river channels and coves in tidal rivers; have EC 1:5 < 0.6 dS/m throughout, do not have sulfidic soil materials and have an irregular decrease in carbon with depth
Naugatuck soils--are in sandy subaqueous alluvium, do not have sulfidic soil materials, and are on river channels, shoals, and point bars in tidal rivers; have EC 1:5 < 0.6 dS/m throughout
Nott Island soils--formed in sandy subaqueous alluvium, have coarser textured materials, are on river channels, shoals, and sand bars in tidal rivers and contain hypersulfidic materials below 50 centimeters

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--Subaqueous
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--High or Very High
Soil moisture regime--Peraquic
Soil is continuously inundated with salt or brackish water.

USE AND VEGETATION:
Major uses--Areas of this soil are used for recreational fishing and swimming. Commercial uses include shell fishing and aquaculture. Wildlife use and benthic fauna associated with this soil includes tubeworms, clams, juvenile blue crabs, scallops, and juvenile finfish.
Native vegetation--Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima) may occur on these soils.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
General area--These soils are located along the Connecticut coast.
Land Resource Regions--R - Northeastern Forage and Forest Region
MLRA(s)--144A, 145
Extent--Small

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Special Projects Office

SERIES ESTABLISHED: New London County, Connecticut, 2024.

REMARKS: This subaqueous series is mapped in areas previously published as water in Connecticut.

Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include--
Peraquic feature--Positive soil water potential (permanently submerged) at the soil surface. (under 1.5 meters of salt water).
Haplic feature--have an n-value of 0.7 or less (or a nonfluid class) or less than 8 percent clay in some horizon at a depth between 20 and 50 centimeters
Particle-size control section--The zone from 0 to 100 centimeters (0 to 40 inches).
Hypersulfidic materials--The zone from 0 to 248 centimeters (Aseg and Cseg horizons) have oxidized reactions with pH values less than 4 after 16 weeks.
Taxonomic version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 13th edition (2022)

ADDITIONAL DATA: Type location taken from S2022CT011099 in Black Hall River, CT.

Additional support pedons used to develop this series include S2022CT001030, S2022CT001032, S2022CT007015, S2022CT009053, S2022CT009056, S2022CT009071, S2022CT009079, S2022CT011054, S2022CT011075, S2022CT011082, S2022CT011107, S2022CT011115, S2023CT001085, S2023CT007004, and S2023CT009010.
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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.