LOCATION TOXAWAY NC+GA VAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, mesic Cumulic Humaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Toxaway silt loam--cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 26 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) black (10YR 2/1) silt loam; moderate medium granular structure; friable, sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; few fine flakes of mica; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary.
A2--26 to 36 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loam; weak medium granular structure; friable; few fine roots; common fine flakes of mica; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon ranges from 24 to 50 inches.)
Cg1--36 to 43 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sandy loam; massive; very friable, slightly sticky; common fine flakes of mica; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Cg2--43 to 53 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sand; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; single grained; loose; common fine flakes of mica; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
Cg3--53 to 65 inches; gray (N 6/0) sandy clay loam with lenses of sandy loam; massive; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine flakes of mica; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Cg4--65 to 72 inches; gray (N 6/0) loamy sand; single grained; loose; common fine flakes of mica; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Henderson County, North Carolina; 1.5 miles east of Hendersonville; 800 feet southeast of Hendersonville-Meyer Airport; 600 feet east of Airport Road.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 24 to 50 inches. The loamy horizons are commonly 40 to 60 inches thick over sandy subhorizons. Depth to bedrock is more than 10 feet. The soil is strongly acid to slightly acid unless limed. Flakes of mica range from few to many. Rock fragments range from 0 to 5 percent by volume in the A horizon and 0 to 15 percent in the Cg horizon.
Organic matter content of the A horizon is medium to high. The A horizon has hue of 10YR or is neutral, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 0 to 3. The A horizon is silt loam or loam. Some pedons have an Ab horizon. The Ab horizon, where present has the same color and texture range as the A horizon.
The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or is neutral, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 0 to 2. The C horizon is stratified alluvial sediments of clay loam, sandy clay loam, silt loam, loam, silty clay loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, often with lenses and strata of loamy sand or sand. Gravel or cobbles are in the C horizons in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other known series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Toxaway soils are on nearly level flood plains of mountain valleys. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. The soils formed in loamy alluvial deposits. Elevations are above 2,000 feet. Mean annual temperature near the type location is 57 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation is about 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arkaqua, Biltmore, Chatuge, Colvard, Codorus, Comus, Cullowhee, Dellwood, Dillard, Dillsboro, French, Hatboro, Hemphill, Iotla, and kinkora, Nikwasi, Reddies, Rosman, Statler, Sylva, Transylvania, Whiteside series. All of these series except Chatuge, Hatboro, Hemphill, Kinkora, Nikwasi, and Sylva are better drained than Toxaway soils. Chatuge, Hatboro, Hemphill, and Kinkora have an argillic horizon, and Nikwasi is in a coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal family. Also, none have an umbric epipedon thicker than 24 inches except Nikwasi and Transylvania soils. Arkaqua, Biltmore, Colvard, Codorus, Comus, French, Iotla, Reddies, Rosman, and Transylvania soils are on higher parts of the flood plain or are nearer to stream channels. Chatuge, Dillard, Dillsboro, Hatboro, Hemphill, kinkora, and Statler soils are on stream terraces nearby. Sylva and Whiteside soils are on colluvial fans and toe slopes that do not flood.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained and poorly drained; very slow or ponded runoff; moderate permeability. These soils are subject to common, very brief floods.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the Toxaway soils are cleared and drained and used for cultivated crops, pasture, and hay. The dominant tree species are yellow-poplar, pitch pine, shortleaf pine, Virginia pine, eastern white pine, northern red oak, sycamore, red maple, and yellow birch.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and possibly Tennessee. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Transylvania County, North Carolina; 1906.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon are:
Umbric Epipedon - The zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 36 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Cumulic Humaquept feature - An umbric epipedon 24 inches or more thick
Irregular decrease in organic matter content with depth
Nonacid family - reaction of 5.5 or more in the 10 to 40 inch control section (A horizon)
MLRA = 130 SIR = NC0021