LOCATION PREAKNESS NJEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, acid, mesic Typic Humaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Preakness sandy loam - old field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sandy loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry, crushed; moderate medium granular structure; friable; less than 5 percent fine gravel; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
A2--8 to 12 inches; very dark gray (N 3/0 ) sandy loam, gray (N 5/0) dry, crushed; moderate medium granular structure and weak fine platy at top; friable; few fine gravel; many coarse prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bg--12 to 30 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy loam; very weak fine granular structure; very friable; 10 percent rounded fine gravel; many coarse distinct gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 24 inches thick)
2Cg--30 to 65 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) gravelly loamy sand; single grain; 20 percent rounded fine granitic gravel; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Morris County, New Jersey; nearly level idle field on a sandy outwash plain 1/4 mile east of Comly Road, north side of right-of-way for Interstate Highway 287.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 20 to 36 inches. Depth to bedrock is more than 6 feet. Rock fragments, sand, and silt are derived mainly from granitic gneiss and are composed of quartz, feldspar, amphibole and mica with minor amounts of sandstone, shale, quartzite and conglomerate. There are 0 to 20 percent cobbles or gravel through the solum and 0 to 70 percent in individual strata of the C horizon with a weighted average of less than 35 percent rock fragments in the textural control section. Reaction is strongly or very strongly acid unless limed, and ranges to moderately acid in the lower part of the substratum.
The O horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is peat, mucky peat, or muck where the surface is histic. In lieu texture is slightly to highly decomposed plant material.
The Ap or A1 horizon is neutral or has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 0 through 2. The A2 horizon commonly has the same hue and chroma as the Ap or A1 horizon, but value is 3 or 4. Texture of the A and Ap horizons ranges from sandy loam to silt loam in the fine-earth fraction, with more than 30 percent sand. Structure is moderate or strong, medium or fine granular and ranges to weak platy in the lower part of the A horizon of many pedons.
The B horizon is neutral or has hue of 7.5YR through 2.5Y, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 0 through 2. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is fine sandy loam or sandy loam in the upper part of the B horizon, and is sandy loam, loamy fine sand, or loamy sand at depths of about 25 inches or more. Structure is weak, very weak, or moderate fine granular or blocky.
Some pedons have a BC horizon up to 10 inches thick. Colors and textures have the same range as the lower part of the B horizon.
The C or 2C horizon is neutral or has hue of 5YR through 5Y or 5GY, value of 4 through 7, and chroma of 0 through 4. Texture is fine sand, loam, loamy fine sand, loamy sand, sand, or sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction. Very gravelly strata are in some pedons above 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series currently in the same family.
Soils in related families include the Cook, Halsey, Lickdale, Lyons, Rutlege, Scarboro, Wareham and Whately series. Except for Rutlege, none of these soils have an umbric epipedon. Rutlege soils have a sandy textural control section and mean annual soil temperature of more than 59 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Preakness soils are on broad, nearly level outwash plains or in narrow swales that dissect outwash terraces. The soils formed in stratified coarse textured materials dominantly from granitic rocks with minor amounts or other materials. Climate is temperate and humid; mean annual temperature ranges from 45 to 50 degrees F.; mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 48 inches and is usually well distributed throughout the year.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Adrian, Parsippany, Pompton, and Riverhead soils on nearby landscapes. Adrian soils have organic soil materials 16 to 50 inches thick. Parsippany soils have a fine textural control section. Pompton soils are somewhat poorly drained and are on slightly higher landscape positions. Walpole soils have a sandy textural control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Preakness soils are poorly or very poorly drained. Runoff is negligible or low. Permeability is moderate or moderately rapid in the surface and subsoil and rapid or very rapid in the substratum. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately low or high in the surface and subsoil and moderately low to very high in the substratum. The water table is at or near the surface from late autumn through winter and spring. The soils are often ponded in winter and during periods of high rainfall because of their low topographic position. In many places adjacent to streams, Preakness soils flood frequently for brief periods in late winter and early spring. They flood more extensively but less often following severe storms of low frequency in August through October.
USE AND VEGETATION: Many areas of these soils are idle or are drained and used for housing developments. In the past, many areas had been drained and used for production of vegetables. Native vegetation is red maple, elm, willow, and ash with some sedge and other hydrophytic species.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern New Jersey; MLRA 144A. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Morris County, New Jersey, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Umbric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 12 inches (Ap and A horizons).
2. Cambic horizon - the zone from 12 to 30 inches (Bg horizon).