LOCATION ERIE NY PAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Aeric Fragiaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Erie silt loam, on a 3 percent slope in a meadow. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap-- 0 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak fine and medium granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; 10 percent rock fragments; few fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation within the matrix; slightly acid (limed); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick.)
E-- 9 to 13 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silt loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; common fine pores; 10 percent rock fragments; many medium and coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation within the matrix; moderately acid; clear irregular boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick.)
Bx1-- 13 to 27 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) channery silt loam; moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; firm, slightly brittle; few fine roots along prism faces; common fine pores; common distinct patchy clay films on surfaces along pores; prism faces, 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, are gray (5Y 6/1) with strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) rinds; prism faces have thin nearly continuous silt coats; 15 percent rock fragments; many medium distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation within the matrix; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bx2-- 27 to 36 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) channery silty clay loam; moderate very coarse prismatic structure; firm, slightly brittle; few fine pores; common faint clay films on surfaces along pores; prism faces, 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick, are coated with gray (10YR 6/1) silt and have strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) rinds; 20 percent rock fragments; common medium faint grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) areas of iron depletion and distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation within the matrix; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bx horizon is 10 to 48 inches.)
C1-- 36 to 44 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) channery silty clay loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure; firm; prism faces are gray (5Y 6/1); 25 percent rock fragments; common fine faint grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) areas of iron depletion and distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation within the matrix; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
C2-- 44 to 56 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) channery silty clay loam; very weak very coarse prismatic structure; prism faces are gray (5Y 5/1); firm; 25 percent rock fragments; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation and olive gray (5Y 5/2) areas of iron depletion within the matrix; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
C3-- 56 to 72 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) channery silty clay loam; massive; firm; 25 percent rock fragments; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation and light olive gray (5Y 6/2) areas of iron depletion within the matrix; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Wyoming County, New York; town of Arcade, 1200 feet west of Stinson Road and 2500 feet north of East Arcade Road. USGS Bliss, NY topographic quadrangle; Latitude 42 degrees, 34 minutes, 35 seconds N. and Longitude 78 degrees, 21 minutes, 20 seconds W., NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 32 to 58 inches. Depth to carbonates ranges from 35 to 65 inches. Depth to the top of the fragipan ranges from 10 to 21 inches. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Rock fragments, mostly channers, gravel or flagstones, range from 5 to 35 percent above the fragipan and from 15 to 60 percent in the Bx and C horizons.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 or 3. Dry value is 6 or more. It is silt loam, loam, or fine sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction. Reaction ranges from strongly acid through slightly acid. Some pedons have an A horizon 1 to 4 inches thick, with hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 through 3.
The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam in the fine-earth fraction. It has subangular blocky or platy structure, and friable or firm consistence. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.
Some pedons have a B horizon with hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 through 4. Texture is similar to the E horizon. An E horizon underlies the B horizon in some pedons. Some subhorizon within 30 inches of the surface is dominated by chroma of 3 or more.
The Bx horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam in the fine-earth fraction. Consistence is firm or very firm and the material is slightly brittle or brittle. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline, and is neutral within a depth of 40 inches.
Some pedons have a BC horizon that has hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 through 4. Texture is similar to the Bx horizon.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam in the fine-earth fraction. The C horizon has plate or prismatic-like divisions, or it is massive. Consistence is firm or very firm. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: The Volusia and Wiscoy series are the only other members of the same family. Volusia soils are in general more acid in the solum and do not have free carbonates within a depth of 65 inches. Wiscoy soils are underlain with silty lacustrine deposits in the lower subsoil and substratum.
The Chippewa, Dalton, Morris, Norchip, Ontusia, Rexford, Scriba, and Venango series are similar soils in related families. Chippewa soils lack a layer, within a depth of 6 to 30 inches that has more than 40 percent high chroma colors (3 or more with redoximorphic features or 2 or more if redoximorphic features are lacking) either in the matrix or as redox features. Dalton soils have a coarse-silty particle size control section. Morris, Rexford, and Scriba soils have a coarse loamy particle-size control section. Norchip and Ontusia soils have frigid temperature regimes. Venango soils have an argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Erie soils are nearly level to moderately steep on uniform, plane or concave slopes along lower valley sides, footslopes, and on broad divides. Slope ranges from 0 to 25 percent. These soils formed in till of Wisconsin age derived from siltstone, sandstone, shale, and some limestone. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 30 to 45 inches; mean annual temperature ranges from 47 to 50 degrees F. and mean annual growing season ranges from 120 to 180 days. These soils are at elevations between 1100 and 1800 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chenango, competing Chippewa, and Langford soils. Chenango soils are on nearby glacio-fluvial terraces and formed in gravelly deposits. Chippewa soils are poorly drained and very poorly drained, and are drainage associates on toe slopes and in depressions. Well drained and moderately well drained Langford soils are on adjacent higher convex knolls and ridges.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is low to very high. Permeability is moderate above the fragipan, and slow in the fragipan and substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: A large acreage is idle, and some is used for growing forage crops and pasture associated with dairy farms. Woodlots contain sugar maple, white ash, black cherry, white pine, and hemlock.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The glaciated Appalachian Plateau of central and southern New York and north-west Pennsylvania. MLRAs 100, 101, 139, 140, and 144A. These soils are extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Erie County, New York, 1929.
REMARKS: The Erie Series was previously classified as Aeric Fragiaqualfs, however, recent laboratory data indicates these soils do not have enough illuviated clay to have a qualifying argillic horizon. A new typifying pedon has been selected.
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in the typical pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 13 inches (Ap and E horizons).
2. Fragipan - the zone from 13 to 36 inches (Bx1 and Bx2 horizons).
3. Aquepts suborder - aquic moisture regime, and matrix or ped faces with 2 chroma or less with redoximorphic features, within 20 inches of the soil surface (E horizon).
4. Aeric subgroup - a zone within 30 inches of the soil surface that has chroma higher than 2 in 40 percent or more of the matrix (Bx1 horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data is available for the typical pedon from the Cornell University soil survey laboratory. Pedon number S84NY121-01 in Agronomy Memo 85-6.