LOCATION WATERFORD IN

Established Series
Rev. RAB-FF-DAG
09/2012

WATERFORD SERIES

The Waterford series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils formed in loamy alluvium underlain by gravelly or sandy alluvium on flood plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 914 mm (36 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 10.0 degrees C (50 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Fluvaquentic Eutrudepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Waterford loam, on a nearly level slope in a woods at an elevation of 238 meters (781 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 20 cm (8 inches); dark brown (10YR 3/3) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; many medium roots throughout; common very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores with moderate continuity; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [15 to 23 cm (6 to 9 inches) thick]

Bw1--20 to 38 cm (8 to 15 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common very fine to medium roots throughout; many fine and medium interstitial and tubular pores with moderate continuity; very few distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) organic coatings in root channels and pores; common fine distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions in the matrix; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

Bw2--38 to 61 cm (15 to 24 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine to medium roots throughout; many very fine to medium interstitial and tubular pores with moderate continuity; many fine faint brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few fine faint dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) spherical iron-manganese concretions; common fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

Bw3--61 to 91 cm (24 to 36 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine to medium roots throughout; many very fine to medium interstitial and tubular pores with moderate continuity; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few fine distinct very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) spherical iron-manganese concretions; many fine distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

Bw4--91 to 104 cm (36 to 41 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common fine interstitial and tubular pores with moderate continuity; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few fine prominent black (N 2.5/) spherical iron-manganese concretions; many medium distinct gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions in the matrix; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 41 to 102 cm (16 to 40 inches).]

2C--104 to 117 cm (41 to 46 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand; single grain; loose; many medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 inches) thick]

3Ab--117 to 127 cm (46 to 50 inches); black (10YR 2/1) loamy sand; massive; very friable; common fine interstitial and tubular pores with moderate continuity; common medium distinct gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions in the matrix; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 13 cm (5 inches) thick]

3Cb--127 to 152 cm (50 to 60 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; many medium distinct gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions in the matrix; 25 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

3Cgb--152 to 203 cm (60 to 80 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; 30 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Elkhart County, Indiana; about 1 mile south and 1/2 mile west of the center of Goshen; 2,367 feet north and 2,143 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 16, T. 36 N., R. 6 E.; USGS Goshen NW, IN topographic quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees 34 minutes 22 seconds N. and long. 85 degrees 50 minutes 26 seconds W., NAD 27; UTM Zone 16, 596662 easting and 4602999 northing, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the cambic horizon: 61 to 117 cm (24 to 46 inches)
Thickness of the loamy alluvium: 61 to 117 cm (24 to 46 inches)

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 or 4
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam
Clay content: 10 to 15 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 7 percent gravel
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

Bw or Bg horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 7 percent gravel
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

2C or 2Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: sand, loamy sand, or coarse sand
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Sand content: averages more than 80 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 14 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline

3Ab horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loamy sand
Rock fragment content: 0 to 14 percent gravel
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral

3Cb or 3Cgb horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: very gravelly coarse sand or gravelly coarse sand
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Sand content: averages more than 80 percent
Rock fragment content: 15 to 40 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 25 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Oldenburg series. Oldenburg soils average less than 80 percent sand in the lower part of the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Waterford soils are on flood plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Waterford soils formed in loamy alluvium underlain by gravelly or sandy alluvium. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 813 to 1067 mm (32 to 42 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 10.0 to 11.1 degrees C (50 to 52 degrees F). Frost-free period is 130 to 170 days. Elevation is 177 to 311 meters (580 to 1,020 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Abscota, Cohoctah, and Gravelton soils. The moderately well drained Abscota soils are on natural levees and alluvial fans on flood plains. The poorly drained or very poorly drained Cohoctah soils and the very poorly drained Gravelton soils are in channels and on backswamps on flood plains.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Depth to the top of an apparent seasonal high water table ranges from 15 to 46 cm (0.5 to 1.5 feet) for some time in normal years. Potential for surface runoff is very low or negligible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high in the subsoil and very high in the underlying material. Permeability is moderately rapid in the subsoil and very rapid in the underlying material. These soils are subject to flooding for brief to long periods.

USE AND VEGETATION: Some areas are in woods consisting of elm, ash, and cottonwood. Most of the cleared areas are used for permanent pasture.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 98 in northern Indiana. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elkhart County, Indiana, 1997.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 20 cm (8 inches) (A horizon).
Cambic horizon: from 20 to 104 cm (8 to 41 inches) (Bw horizon).
Aquic conditions: redoximorphic features present in all horizons below a depth of 20 cm (8 inches).

The Waterford series was developed for soils previously mapped as Ceresco, gravelly substratum.

NASIS Data Mapunit ID 124335 represents the typical pedon.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab characterization data is available for the typical pedon (S95IN-039-002) from the National Soil Survey Laboratory in Lincoln, NE. Transect data (T93IN-039-235) for the typical pedon is on file in MLRA project office, Plymouth, Indiana. Transect shows 60 percent Waterford soils, 20 percent Abscota, coarse-loamy soils, 10 percent Algansee soils, and 10 percent Cohoctah soils.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.