LOCATION SNOWDOG WVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, active, frigid Typic Fragiudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Snowdog channery loam - on a 23 percent, north-facing slope at 3640 feet elevation, in second growth hardwood. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; partially decomposed leaves and twigs.
A--1 to 4 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) channery loam; moderate fine and medium granular structure; very friable; many fine, medium, and coarse roots; 30 percent rock fragments; extremely acid; abrupt wavy boundary (1 to 4 inches thick).
BA--4 to 9 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) channery loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine, medium, and coarse roots; 25 percent rock fragments; extremely acid; abrupt wavy boundary (0 to 8 inches thick).
Bw--9 to 25 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) channery loam; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine, medium, and coarse roots; 25 percent rock fragments; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary (12 to 25 inches thick).
Bx1--25 to 34 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) channery sandy loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure, parting to moderate very coarse platy; firm and brittle; few fine distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and common medium distinct brown (10YR 5/3) iron depletions; 35 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bx2--34 to 52 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) very channery sandy loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure, parting to weak very coarse platy; very firm and brittle; few fine distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and common medium distinct brown (10YR 5/3) iron depletions; common iron and manganese stains; 45 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary (Combined thickness of the Bx horizon is 15 to 45 inches).
C--52 to 65 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) very channery sandy loam; massive; friable; 55 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid (0 to 30 inches thick).
TYPE LOCATION: Webster County, West Virginia; approximately 1.25 miles north 80 degrees east of the confluence of Lick Branch and Cranberry River. Webster Springs SW topographic qaudrangle; Latitude 38 degrees, 17 minutes, 54 seconds N. Longitude 80 degrees, 23 minutes, 55 seconds W; NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 50 to 65 inches. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Depth to the fragipan ranges from 16 to 35 inches. Depth to redoximorphic features range from 16 to 30 inches. Rock fragments range from 5 to 45 percent by volume in the A, BA, E, BE, Bw, and BC horizons and from 20 to 75 percent in the Bx and C horizons. The control section averages less than 35 percent rock fragments by volume. The soil ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 through 4. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is loam or silt loam.
Some pedons have an E horizon with hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture of the fine earth fraction is loam or silt loam.
The BA horizon (or BE horizon, where present) has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is loam or silt loam.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 through 8. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is loam or silt loam. It has weak or moderate, fine, medium, or coarse subangular blocky structure and friable consistence.
The Bx horizon has redoximorphic features and has hue of 10YR, value of 3 through 6, and chroma of 2 through 8. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is sandy loam or loam. It is firm or very firm and brittle.
The C horizon (and BC horizon where present) has hue of 10YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 4 through 8. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is sandy loam, loam, silt loam or silty clay loam. Consistence is friable.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Snowdog soils are on gently sloping to very steep slopes along drainageways and on concave or linear side slopes and benches on mountains. Snowdog soils formed in medium textured colluvium from acid shale, siltstone, and sandstone. Slope gradients range from 3 to 55 percent. The climate is humid continental with long winter snow cover. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 45 to 47 degrees F., mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 55 inches and is evenly distributed throughout the year. Annual frost free days range between 90 to 130 days. Elevation ranges from 3000 feet to greater than 4000 above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Briery, Gauley, Leatherbark, Mandy, Simoda, and Trussel series. Briery, Gauley, and Mandy soils are well drained and do not have a fragipan. Leatherbark soils are somewhat poorly drained. Simoda soils formed in residuum. Trussel soils are poorly drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained with rapid runoff. Permeability is moderate above the fragipan and slow to moderately slow in the fragipan.
USE AND VEGETATION: Nearly all areas are in second growth woodland consisting of red spruce, black cherry, yellow birch, red maple, American beech, and hemlock.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern West Virginia and possibly Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The acreage of this series is moderate. MLRA 127.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Webster County, West Virginia, 1992.
REMARKS: 1. This soil was formerly included in the Buchanan or Laidig series.
2. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the typical pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 9 inches (A and BA horizons).
b. Cambic horizon - The zone from 9 to 25 inches (Bw horizon).
c. Fragipan - The zone from 25 to 52 inches (Bx1 and Bx2 horizons).