LOCATION TOWALIGA GA
Established Series
Rev: JRL/SEC/RHB; Rev:DTA
05/2026
TOWALIGA SERIES
MLRA(s): 136 (thermic part)
Soil Survey Regional Office (SSRO) Responsible: Southeast
Depth Class: Very deep
Agricultural Drainage Class: Well drained
Index Surface Runoff: Medium to rapid
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Class: Moderately high
Landscape: Piedmont uplands
Landform: Interstream divides, ridges, and side slopes
Parent Material: Loamy colluvium weathered from fault line material over
residuum weathered from felsic crystalline rock
Slope: 10 to 45 percent
Elevation: 152 meters (500 feet)
Mean Annual Air Temperature (type location): 17 degress C (63 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation (type location): 1219 millimeters (48 inches)
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 8 centimeters (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. (5 to 15 centimeters (2 to 6 inches) thick)
BA--8 to 28 centimeters (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 53 centimeters (0 to 21 inches) thick)
Bw1--28 to 53 centimeters (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--53 to 84 centimeters (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--84 to 122 centimeters (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--122 to 165 centimeters (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 Lloyd Shoals Dam, Georgia topographic quadrangle.
Latitude--33.2978
Longitude-- -83.8511
Datum--WGS84
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum thickness: 102 to greater than 152 centimeters (40 to greater than 60 inches)
Depth to 2Bt horizon: 61 to 97 centimeters (24 to 38 inches)
Depth to bedrock: Greater than 152 centimeters (60 inches)
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: Greater than 152 centimeters (60 inches)
Rock Fragment Content: Subangular and angular fragments of quartz gravel and cobbles range from 35 to 75 percent, by volume, in the A and BA horizons. Subangular and angular fragments of quartz gravel and cobbles range from 15 to 75 percent, by volume, in the Bw horizons and 0 to 15 percent, by volume, in the 2Bt and 2BC horizons.
Soil Reaction: Very strongly acid or strongly acid, unless limed
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
A horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR, value of 3, chroma of 1 to 3
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--loam, sandy loam, or silt loam
BA horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 4 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy loam, sandy clay loam, loam, or silt loam
Bw horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, chroma of 4 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy loam, sandy clay loam, loam, or silt loam
2Bt horizon:
Color--hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5, chroma of 6 or 8. Mottles in shades of yellow or brown may be present.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--clay loam, sandy clay, or clay
2BC horizon: (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5, chroma of 6 or 8. Mottles in shades of yellow, brown, or pink may occur.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy clay loam, or clay loam
COMPETING SERIES:
Chestatee soils--have coarse fragments consisting of stones and boulders throughout the solum
Hulett soils--lack a significant amount of fragments throughout the upper solum
Spotsylvania soil--lack a significant amount of fragments throughout the upper solum
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Piedmont uplands along the Towaliga fault line
Landform: Ridges and hill slopes
Parent Material: Loamy colluvium weathered from fault line material over
residuum weathered from felsic crystalline rock
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Bethlehem soils--have soft bedrock at a depth to 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches) and lack a significant amount of fragments throughout the solum
Meansville soils--are loamy-skeletal and have soft bedrock at a depth of less than 51 centimeters (20 inches)
Pacolet soils--lack a significant amount of fragments throughout the solum
Rion soils--are fine-loamy and lack a significant amount of fragments throughout the solum
Saw soils--have hard bedrock at a depth of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches) and lack a significant amount of fragments throughout the solum
Thomaston soils--are fine-loamy and have a depth to soft bedrock of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Tussahaw soils--are loamy-skeletal, have soft bedrock at a depth of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches) and hard bedrock at a depth of 102 to 152 centimeters (40 to 60 inches)
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Agricultural Drainage Class: Well drained
Index Surface Runoff: Medium
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Moderately high
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Woodland
Dominant Vegetation: Where wooded--oaks, hickories, and pines.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Georgia and possibly Alabama
Extent: Small
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butts County, Georgia: 2003
REMARKS: The May 2026 revision changed the format. No data was changed. 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.
Diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from 0 to 8 centimeters (0 to 3 inches) (A horizon)
Cambric horizon--the zone from 8 to 84 centimeters (3 to 33 inches) (BA and Bw horizons)
Argillic horizon--the zone from 84 to 122 centimeters (33 to 48 inches) (2Bt horizon)
ADDITIONAL DATA:
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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.