LOCATION WILLOWEMOC NYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, semiactive, frigid Typic Fragiudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Willowemoc silt loam - idle (Colors are for moist soil.)
A-- 0 to 4 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) silt loam, light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) dry; moderate fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and a few medium roots; 5 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick.)
Bw1-- 4 to 16 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to fine granular structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium vesicular pores; 5 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bw2-- 16 to 24 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) gravelly fine sandy loam; with thin lenses of brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few medium tubular pores and common fine and medium vesicular pores; common medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/8) iron concentrations; 25 percent rock fragments; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw is 6 to 21 inches.)
Bx-- 24 to 72 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) gravelly loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure; weak medium platy and subangular blocky structure within prisms, prism face is pale brown (10YR 6/3) with a strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) border; very firm, brittle; common fine and medium vesicular pores; few fine tubular pores; thin clay coatings in some pores and on ped faces; few medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) iron concentrations; 20 percent rock fragments; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Sullivan County, New York, Town of Liberty, along west side of Breezy Hill Road, 500 feet north of the intersection of Pearl Lake Road and Breezy Hill Road. USGS Liberty West, NY, topographic quadrangle. Latitude 41 degrees, 52 minutes, 6 seconds N. and Longitude 74 degrees, 46 minutes, 14 seconds W., NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 35 to 75 inches. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. The depth to the fragipan ranges from 17 to 26 inches. Rock fragment content ranges from 5 to 35 percent by volume in the A and Bw horizons and from 15 to 50 percent in the Bx and C horizons. Reaction is extremely acid to moderately acid in the solum and strongly acid to moderately acid in the C horizon. Redoximorphic features occur below 12 inches.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 2 through 4 and chroma of 1 through 3. Dry color value is 6 or more. It is silt loam to fine sandy loam in the fine earth fraction. Structure is weak to strong granular. Consistence is friable or very friable. O or E horizons are present in some pedons.
The Bw horizon has hue of 2.5YR through 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 3 through 6. It is fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam in the fine earth fraction. Structure is weak or moderate, granular, blocky, or prismatic.
The Bx horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 3 through 5 and chroma of 2 through 4. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, silt loam, or loam in the fine earth fraction. Prism face colors range from weak red (2.5YR 5/2) to pale brown (10YR 6/3). Structure is prismatic with ped interiors parting to platy or blocky structure or they are massive. Consistence is very firm or extremely firm. Gray or brown redoximorphic features may be present.
Some pedons have a BC horizon.
The C or Cd horizon, where present, has color and texture similar to the Bx horizon, but lacks very coarse prismatic structure and is realatively more friable.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Lewbath and Lewbeach soils in the same family. Lewbath and Lewbeach soils do not have redoximorphic features in the Bw horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Willowemoc soils are nearly level to moderately steep soils on glaciated uplands. Slope ranges from 0 to 35 percent. The soils developed in firm, acid till high in sandstone with a smaller component of red shale. The climate is humid and is cool in summer and cold in winter. Annual air temperature ranges from 40 to 49 degree F. Annual precipitation is 45 to 60 inches and the growing season ranges from about 100 to 120 days. Elevation ranges from 1750 to 2500 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the well drained Lewbeach soils, the somewhat poorly drained Onteora soils, and the poorly drained Norchip soils that are associated in a drainage sequence with Willowemoc. The moderately deep Mongaup and Vly soils are on nearby hilltops. The very deep, well drained Elka soils that do not have fragipans are on steeper or higher nearby hillsides.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. The potential for surface runoff is low to high. Permeability is moderate above the fragipan and slope or very slow in the fragipan.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cleared areas are used for corn, hay, or pasture. Many areas are forested or are idle. Native trees include sugar maple, red maple, beech, ash, birch, and hemlock.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Catskill Mountain area of east central New York. MLRA 140. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sullivan County, New York, 1984.
REMARKS: Willowemoc was proposed as the frigid equivalent of Wellsboro.
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in the typical pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 4 inches (the A horizon).
2. Cambic horizon - from 4 to 24 inches (the Bw horizon).
3. Fragipan - from 24 to 72 inches (the Bx horizon)
4. Udic soil moisture regime (a humid, temperate climate).