Soil Survey of Murray and Whitfield Counties, Georgia

216 Soil Survey
Typical Pedon
Wax fine sandy loam, 2 to 6 percent slopes, rarely flooded; 1.0 mile west of Georgia
Highway 71 on Wilson Caldwell Road, 0.6 mile south on Red Clay Road, 0.3 mile west
on Old Apison Road, in road cut on left side of road; Whitfield County, Georgia; USGS
topographic quadrangle, Cohutta, GA-TN (1972); lat. 34 degrees 57 minutes 03
seconds N. and long. 84 degrees 57 minutes 35 seconds W.
A1—0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam; weak fine granular structure;
very friable; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; 10 percent chert
fragments; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
A2—3 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam; common medium distinct brownish
yellow (10YR 6/6) mottles; weak medium granular structure; very friable; many
very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; 10 percent chert fragments; strongly
acid; clear wavy boundary.
BE—9 to 22 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt loam; few medium distinct
brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) mottles; weak medium granular structure and weak
medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; many very fine and fine and
common medium and coarse roots; 10 percent chert fragments; strongly acid;
clear wavy boundary.
Bt—22 to 29 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) silty clay loam; common medium
distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) mottles; weak fine subangular blocky
structure; friable; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots;
few faint and distinct clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent chert fragments; very
strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary.
Btx1—29 to 36 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) gravelly clay loam; weak
medium platy structure and weak medium angular blocky structure; firm; few very
fine, fine, and medium roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 30 percent chert
fragments; brittle; few medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of
oxidized iron; common medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) iron depletions; very
strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Btx2—36 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) extremely gravelly clay loam;
moderate medium platy structure and moderate medium angular blocky structure;
very firm; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 60 percent chert fragments;
extremely brittle; few medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of
oxidized iron; common medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) iron depletions; very
strongly acid.
Range in Characteristics
Thickness of the solum: More than 60 inches
Depth to soft bedrock: More than 60 inches
Depth to hard bedrock: More than 60 inches
Content of rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent, except in the Btx and Btxg horizons, which
range from 20 to 60 percent
Reaction: Strongly acid or very strongly acid throughout
Other distinctive features: Depth to horizons with dense and brittle properties ranges
from 20 to 40 inches
A horizon:
Color—hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 4
BE horizon:
Color—hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4
Texture—silt loam or loam
Bt horizon:
Color—hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4