LOCATION WATCHUNG MD+DE NJ PAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Typic Albaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Watchung silt loam, very stony - Pasture (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise indicated)
Ap-- 0 to 7 inches, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; moderate fine granular structure; friable, sticky, slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; common fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; 14 percent stones; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Eg-- 7 to 9 inches, gray (10YR 5/1) stony silt loam; weak very thin platy structure; friable, sticky, slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; common medium distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron; few fine black (N 2.5/) iron-manganese concretions; 15 percent stones; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
Btg1-- 9 to 14 inches, gray (10YR 5/1) stony silty clay; strong medium prismatic and angular blocky structure; very firm, sticky, plastic; roots between prisms; common clay films; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; few fine black (N 2.5/)iron-manganese concretions; 15 percent stones; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btg2-- 14 to 24 inches, gray (N 5/ ) stony clay; strong medium prismatic and angular blocky structure; firm, sticky, plastic; roots between prisms; common clay films; many coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron; few fine black (N 2.5/) iron-manganese concretions; 15 percent stones; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
Btg3-- 24 to 33 inches, gray (5Y 5/1) silty clay strong coarse prismatic and weak thin platy structure; firm, sticky, plastic; roots between prisms; common clay films; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; few dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) fine iron-manganese concretions; 5 percent stones; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt is 17 to 20 inches)
BC-- 33 to 51 inches, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silty clay; moderate coarse prismatic and weak thin platy structure; firm, sticky, plastic; few roots; very few clay films; few fine prominent gray (N 5/ ) manganese masses; few dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) fine iron-manganese concretions; 5 percent stones; neutral; gradual broken boundary. (0 to 22 inches thick)
C1-- 51 to 56 inches, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) silt loam; massive, with a few vertical fractures filled with dark gray silt; firm, sticky, plastic; very few roots; few fine prominent gray (N 5/ ) iron depletion; 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid; clear broken boundary. (O to 10 inches thick)
C2-- 56 to 66 inches, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, massive; firm, sticky, slightly plastic; many fine pale brown (10YR 6/3) iron depletion and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Cecil County, Maryland; about 1.6 miles northwest of Rising Sun.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 24 to 55 inches and the lower boundary of the argillic horizon is within 40 inches of the surface. Depth to bedrock is more than 60 inches. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 15 percent throughout the profile including up to 15 percent of cobbles and stones. Some pedons have up to 40 percent rock fragments.
The A and E horizons have hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 1 through 4, with value of 3 confined to thin A horizons or Ap horizons that dry to a value of 6. Some horizons have redox features. The A and E horizons are loam, silt loam or silty clay loam in the fine earth fraction. They are very strongly to slightly acid.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 5Y or is neutral, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 0 to 3; chroma of 3 is confined to depths below 30 inches. Redox features in the Bt horizon range from fine to coarse, distinct to prominent, and common to many. The Bt horizon is clay or silty clay except subhorizons may be silty clay loam. It is strongly acid to neutral.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 5Y or is neutral, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 0 to 6. Redox features and variegations have contrasting chroma. The C horizon is silt loam, loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam. Some pedons have fragments of saprolite. It is moderately acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: The Ames, Leaksville, Pierron, Rushville, Wynoose and Zwingle are in the same family. Ames soils formed in glacial till, reworked glacial till, or till-derived sediments. Leaksville formed in residuum weathered from Triassic shale. Pierron soils formed in loess, or in loess and the underlying silty pedisediment. Rushville soils formed in loess on till plains. Wynoose soils formed in loess, the underlying silty or loamy pedisediment or coarser loess (locally known as Roxana silts), and underlying Sangamon age paleosol. Zwingle soils formed in clayey lacustrine sediments on stream terraces and foot slopes.
The Albano, Canadice, Concord, Condit, Elbert, Lightning, Maurertown, Pandora, Sexton, Traer, Trumbull, Weir and Wetzel series are similar soils in related families. Albano soils have more than 20 percent rock fragments by volume in the lower part of the particle-size control section. The Canadice, Condit, Trumbull, and Wetzel soils have illitic mineralogy. The Concord, Elbert, Sexton, Traer, and Weir soils have montmorillonitic mineralogy. The Lightning soils have a thermic temperature regime. Maurertown soils formed in alluvial deposits on stream terraces and floodplains. Pandora soils formed in glacial till.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Watchung soils are nearly level to gently sloping soils on upland flats and depressions in the northern Piedmont Plateau. Slopes are less than 8 percent. The soils formed in residuum from basic rocks, most commonly gabbro, diabase and diorite. The climate is temperate and humid, with a mean annual temperature of 45 to 55 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation of 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aldino, Calvert, Chrome, Conowingo, Kelly, Legore, Lehigh, Montalto, Mount Lucas, and Neshaminy soils. Aldino soils are moderately well drained. Calvert soils have a fragipan. Chrome, Legore, Lehigh, Montalto, and Neshaminy soils are well drained. Conowingo and Mount Lucas soils are moderately well and somewhat poorly drained; Kelly soils are somewhat poorly drained. All of these soils except the Calvert soils are in slightly higher positions on the landscape than the Watchung soils. The Calvert soils occur in similar positions on the landscape to the Watchung soils.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained. Runoff is slow to medium. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in A and C horizons and moderately low in B horizons.
USE AND VEGETATION: Some areas are in corn and pasture. Native vegetation is northern red oak, pin oak, willows, box elder, sedges, ironweed and Joe-pye-weed.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Somerset County (Bernardsville Area), New Jersey, 1919.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Albic horizon - the zone from approximately 7 to 9 inches (Eg horizon)
b. Argillic horizon - the zone from approximately 9 to 33 inches (Btg1, Btg2, Btg3 horizons)
c. Typic aqualfs feature - an aquic moisture regime.
2007 Pedon description updated - Prior update 10/1999