LOCATION TOWALIGA GAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Towaliga extremely gravelly sandy loam on a north-facing, convex, 33 percent slope- in forest. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise indicated.)
A--0 to 3 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) extremely gravelly loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and very fine roots; 70 percent quartz gravel; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
BA--3 to 11 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common fine and few coarse roots; 40 percent quartz gravel and 10 percent quartz cobbles; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 21 inches thick)
Bw1--11 to 21 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) very gravelly sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few coarse roots; 35 percent quartz gravel and 20 percent quartz cobbles; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bw2--21 to 33 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) very gravelly sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few medium roots; 35 percent quartz gravel and 10 percent quartz cobbles; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 10 to 28 inches)
2Bt--33 to 48 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/8) clay; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
2BC--48 to 65 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/8) clay loam; many medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and common fine prominent very pale brown (10YR 8/4) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Butts County, Georgia; located about 1800 feet south of Georgia Highway 16 at Yellow Water Creek bridge (USGS Quadrangle, Lloyd Shoals Dam (1985), Latitude 33 degrees 17 minutes 52 seconds N. Longitude 83 degrees 51 minutes 4 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum is 40 to greater than 60 inches. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Depth to the 2Bt horizon(s) ranges from about 24 to 38 inches. Reaction is strongly acid or very strongly acid, unless limed. Subangular and angular fragments of quartz gravel and cobbles range from 35 to 75 percent in the A and BA horizons. Subangular and angular fragments of quartz gravel and cobbles range from 15 to 75 percent in the Bw horizons and 0 to 15 percent in the Bt and BC horizons.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3, and chroma of 1 to 3. The fine earth fraction is loam, sandy loam, or silt loam.
The BA horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. The fine earth fraction is sandy loam, sandy clay loam, loam or silt loam.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5,and chroma of 4 to 8. The fine earth fraction is sandy loam, sandy clay loam, loam or silt loam.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 6 or 8. Mottles in shades of yellow or brown may be present. The fine earth fraction is clay loam, sandy clay or clay.
The 2BC horizon, where present, has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 6 or 8. Mottles in shades of yellow, brown, or pink may occur. The fine earth fraction is sandy clay loam or clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chestatee, Darley, Hulett, Kolomoki, Mahan, Neeses and Spotsylvania series in the same family and the Bethlehem, Pacolet, and Rion series. All of the competing series except Chestatee and Darley lack a significant amount of fragments throughout the upper solum. In addition, Bethlehem soils have soft bedrock at 20 to 40 inches. Rion soils are in a fine-loamy family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Towaliga series is located on hillsides and ridges along the Towaliga Fault Line. Near the type location, the mean annual temperature is 63 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is 48 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bethlehem, Hibriten, Pacolet, and Rion series. Hibriten soils are mesic and have soft bedrock at 40 to 60 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Towaliga soils are well drained. Runoff is medium to rapid and permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Towaliga soils have second growth timber. Principal tree species include oaks, hickories, and pines.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Along fault lines in the Southern Piedmont of Georgia and possibly Alabama. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butts County, Georgia - 2003
REMARKS: Laboratory data generated by University of Georgia Soil
Characterization Laboratory 1-2000, and by the National Soil Survey Laboratory 7-2000. Pedon S99GA614-001 is the basis for determination of clay activity.