LOCATION WATERFORD          IN

WATERFORD SERIES

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 781 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 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. (6 to 9 inches thick)

Bw1--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--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 iron oxide accumulation in the matrix; few fine faint dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) rounded iron and manganese oxide concretions; common fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

Bw3--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 iron oxide accumulation in the matrix; few fine distinct very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) rounded iron and manganese oxide concretions; many fine distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

Bw4--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 iron oxide accumulation in the matrix; few fine prominent black (N 2.5/0) rounded iron and manganese oxide concretions; many medium distinct gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions in the matrix; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 16 to 40 inches.)

2C--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. (4 to 8 inches thick)

3Ab--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 5 inches thick)

3Cb--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--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.; U.S.G.S. 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: 24 to 46 inches
Thickness of the loamy alluvium: 24 to 46 inches

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

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
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline
Rock fragment content: 0 to 7 percent gravel

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
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline.
Rock fragment content: 0 to 14 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent

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

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
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Rock fragment content: 15 to 40 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 25 percent

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Middlebury and Oldenburg series. Middlebury soils do not have calcium carbonates in the lower part of the series control section. Oldenburg soils average less than 80 percent sand in the lower part of the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Waterford soils formed in loamy alluvium underlain by gravelly or sandy alluvium and are on flood plains. Slope gradients range from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual temperature ranges from 50 to 52 degrees F., mean annual precipitation ranges from 32 to 42 inches, frost-free period ranges from 130 to 170 days, and elevation ranges from 580 to 1,020 feet above 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 PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is very low or negligible. Permeability is moderately rapid in the subsoil and very rapid in the underlying material. The depth to the top of an apparent seasonal high water table ranges from .5 to 1.5 feet for some time in normal years. These soils flood for brief to long periods.

USE AND VEGETATION: Soils 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 soils are of moderate extent.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elkhart County, Indiana, 1997.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to 8 inches (A horizon)
Cambic horizon: from 8 to 41 inches (Bw1, Bw2, Bw3, Bw4 horizons)
Aquic conditions: redoximorphic features present in all horizons between 8 to 80 inches

The Waterford series was proposed 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.