LOCATION WALLEN TN+AR KY MD PA VA WV
Established Series
Rev. DFW, RRD
11/2021
WALLEN SERIES
The Wallen series consists of moderately deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in residuum or colluvial creep over residuum weathered from fine-grained sandstone, siltstone, and shale. They are on mountain tops and on mountain sides with warm aspect. Slopes range from 2 to 85 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, siliceous, active, mesic Typic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Wallen gravelly loam--forest. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organic mat of mixed hardwood leaves and pine needles.
E--1 to 7 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam; weak fine and medium granular structure; very friable; many roots; 25 percent angular sandstone fragments mostly between 1 inch and 4 inches across, a few up to 10 inches across; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bw1--7 to 19 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly loam; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; common roots; 35 percent angular sandstone fragments mostly 1 inch to 4 inches across, a few up to 10 inches across; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw2--19 to 29 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very cobbly loam; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; common roots; 45 percent angular sandstone fragments 2 to 10 inches across; very strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of Bw horizons range from 18 to 35 inches).
R--29 inches; hard fractured sandstone with light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam extending into cracks.
TYPE LOCATION: Hawkins County, Tennessee on south facing mountainside north of Poor Valley; 100 feet east of intersection of gravel roads; 2 miles northeast of the community of Spruce Pine.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of solum and depth to bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Rock fragments, ranging from gravel to stones, make up 15 to 35 percent by volume of the surface layer and 35 to 70 percent of the B subsoil. Stony and rubbly phases are allowed in this soil. Reaction is extremely to moderately acid.
The A horizon or Ap horizons, where present, have hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 6 and chroma of 1 to 4. Fine-earth texture is loam, silt loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam. Surface horizons with values of 2 or 3 are less than 6 inches thick.
The E horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 3 or 4. Fine-earth texture is loam, silt loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 4 or 6. Some pedons have lithochromic mottles in shades of brown and red in the lower part. Fine-earth texture is loam, silt loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam or loamy sand. Some pedons have a thin BC or C horizon with colors and textures similar to the lower part of the Bw horizon. Other pedons have thin Cr horizons overlying bedrock.
The R horizon is commonly unweathered sandstone, but grades to siltstone or shale in some areas.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Dekalb and
Hazleton series in the same family. Dekalb soils do not allow silt loam textures in the solum. Hazleton soils are deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wallen soils are on mountain tops and mountain sides with warm aspect. Slopes range from 2 to 85 percent. These soils formed in residuum or colluvial creep over residuum weathered from Pennsylvanian aged fine-grained sandstone, siltstone and shale. At a weather station about 25 miles from the type location and at approximately the same elevation, average annual air temperature is 55 degrees F, and average annual precipitation is 50 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Alticrest,
Gilpin,
Helechawa,
Jefferson,
Ramsey and
Varilla series. Alticrest and Helechawa soils are coarse-loamy. Gilpin and Jefferson soils are fine-loamy. Ramsey soils are loamy. Gilpin and Jefferson soils have argillic horizons. Helechawa, Jefferson and Varilla soils are deeper than 40 inches to bedrock. Ramsey soils have bedrock within 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained with moderately rapid permeability. Runoff is very low on slopes less than 5 percent; low on slopes between 5 and 20 percent; and medium on slopes greater than 20 percent.
USE AND VEGETATION: Practically all areas are in mixed secondary growth hardwood forest consisting of oaks, hickories, sourwood and Virginia pine. Huckleberry and Mountain Laurel are common understory species.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Great Valley and Cumberland Mountain provinces of Tennessee and Pine Mountain in Kentucky and possibly Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Virginia and West Virginia. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hawkins County, Tennessee; 1973.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 7 inches (Oi and E horizons).
Cambic horizon - 7 to 29 inches (Bw1, Bw2 horizons).
REV. RRD
MLRAs: 125, 128
SIR numbers: TN0117, TN0152, TN0231
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.