USDA - Soil Conservation Service
Pedon Narrative Description
DATE Sampled: 10/06/1992

Soil Series: MERRIMAC

Map Unit Name: Merrimac sandy loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes

Component Name: Merrimac

Site Identification #: 92MA023002

Map Unit Symbol: 254B Note ID: Yield ID:

Laboratory Information

Lab Pedon #: 2325402 Source Lab Id:

Location Information

Soil Survey Area #: 023 MLRA: 149B

County FIPS Code:

County Name: Plymouth County, Massachusetts

Soil Survey Area Name: Plymouth County, Massachusetts

Location Description: Wareham Quad, town of Plymouth, 50' east of Doctors Pond Road, 1/10 mile south of intersection of Webster Spring Road and Doctors Pond Road - Myles Standish State Park.

Quadrangle Name: Wareham Quad

Latitude: 41 degrees 50 minutes 11.0 seconds N

Longitude: 70 degrees 39 minutes 34.0 seconds W

UTM Zone: UTM Easting: UTM Northing:

Photograph #: 1-19

Description Category: Full pedon description

Pedon Category: Modal pedon for map unit

Slope Characteristics Information
Slope: 3 percent
Aspect: 270 degrees
Horizontal Shape:
Vertical Shape: Concave

Elevation: 140.0 feet

Physiography:
Local: Outwash Plain
Major: Glaciofluvial Landform *

Geographically Associated Soils: Carver, Windsor, Deerfield, Haven

Geomorphic Position: on lower third, foot slope, of a nose slope

Runoff: Very high

Type of Erosion: water erosion

Degree of Erosion: Class 1

Classification: ____ , ____ , ____ , ____ , ____ ____

Moisture Regime: Udic moisture regime

Landuse: Forest land not grazed
Stoniness: 0.00 percent
Permeability: Rapid

Natural Drainage Class:

Parent Material: Weathered eolian from mixed-igneous-metamorphic & sedimentary over weathered glacial outwash from mixed-igneous-metamorphic & sedimentary.

Vegetative Information
Plant Symbol:
Plant Name: Scrub Oak, Pitch Pine, Sheep Laural, Huckleberry, Ferns

Described by: Jim Turenne

Notes: Weather - sunny, dry, 50 degrees F.; Bw1 horizon sampled by UMass - cosl

Oi-- 2 to 1.5 inches; fibric material; clear wavy boundary. Oi - undecomposed pitch pine needles & scrub oak leaves.

Oe--1.5 to 0 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) mucky peat; abrupt wavy boundary.

AE-- 0 to 1 inches; 80 percent black (7.5YR 2/1) and 20 percent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium and coarse roots and common very fine and fine; 5 percent subrounded gravel and 1 percent subrounded cobbles; clear wavy boundary.

AE & Bs horizon is discontinous in areas of pit, most of pit has a clear wavy AE -> Bs boundary.

Bs-- 1 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) coarse sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium and coarse roots and common very fine and fine; 5.1 Chlorophenol red; 5 percent subrounded gravel and 1 percent subrounded cobbles; clear wavy boundary.

Bw1-- 3 to 10 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy loam; weak massive; friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots and common medium and coarse; 5.3 Chlorophenol red; 5 percent subrounded gravel and 5 percent subrounded cobbles; clear wavy boundary.

Merrimac -2325402 Bw1 horizon - %VCS = 5.5, %CS = 26.4, %MS = 16.5, %FS = 8.0, %VFS = 5.8, %CLAY = 7.2, %SAND = 62.1, %SILT = 30.6 coarse sandy loam; 8-15 cm ave. cobble size diameter in solum, cobbles and gravel are wind abraided, mostly granite.

Bw2--10 to 16 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; weak massive; friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots and common very fine and common coarse; 5.5 Chlorophenol red; 5 percent rounded gravel and 5 percent subrounded cobbles; clear wavy boundary. Higher silt/very fine sand content than Bw1 - textures need analysis.

Bw3--16 to 20 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly coarse sandy loam; weak massive; friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots and common very fine; 5.2 Chlorophenol red; 15 percent subrounded gravel and 5 percent subrounded cobbles; clear wavy boundary.

2C--20 to 36 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sand; weak single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; 6.2 Chlorophenol red; 10 percent subrounded gravel and 5 percent subrounded cobbles; clear wavy boundary. Largest cobble is 12 cm sub rounded.

2C2--36 to 67 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) gravelly coarse sand; weak single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; 20 percent subrounded gravel and 5 percent subrounded cobbles. 2C2 horizon - mostly COS & gravelly COS, with pockets of medium sand.