LOCATION BAILEGAP VAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, mesic Typic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Bailegap flaggy loam, 35 percent slope in a wooded area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
0i--0 to 0.5 inches; loose leaves, twigs and partially decomposed organic material.
A--0.5 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) flaggy loam; weak fine granular structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; 12 percent gravel and 20 percent flagstones; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 thick)
E--2 to 8 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) channery silt loam; weak fine granular structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; 10 percent gravel and 20 percent channers; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--8 to 20 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) gravelly silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine vesicular pores; 30 percent gravel; few faint clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--20 to 29 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) angular cobbly silt loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; firm, sticky and plastic; few fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine vesicular pores; 15 percent gravel; and 20 percent angular cobblestones; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt3--29 to 37 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) angular very cobbly silt loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; firm, sticky and plastic; few fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine vesicular pores; 30 percent gravel and 30 percent angular cobblestones; few distinct clay films on ped faces; very strongly acid; gradual irregular boundary.
Bt4--37 to 42 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) angular very cobbly silt loam; weak fine angular blocky structure; firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine vesicular pores; 40 percent gravel and 40 percent angular cobblestones few distinct clay films on ped faces; very strongly acid; abrupt irregular boundary. (Combine thickness of the Bt horizon range from 20 to 50 inches)
Cr--42 to 58 inches; fractured red sandstone bedrock that crushes to sandy loam; weak fine granular structure in cracks; very strongly acid.
R-- 58 inches; Red sandstone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Giles County, Virginia; on the north side of Big Mountain on Va. Route 804, 2.5 miles South of Va. Route 635.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness and depth to bedrock ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Rock fragments of sandstone range from 0 to 35 percent in the A, E and upper B horizons. Individual subhorizons in the lower B horizon and the C horizon ranges up to 80 percent. The soil is very strongly acid or strongly acid unless limed.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR to 5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is loam, silt loam, fine sandy loam or sandy loam in the fine earth fraction.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR to 5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is loam, silt loam, fine sandy loam or sandy loam in the fine earth fraction.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 10R, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8. It is silt loam, loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam in the fine earth fraction.
The C horizon (where present) has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is loam, sandy loam, or loamy sand, in the fine earth fraction.
The Cr has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 3 or 4. It is saprolite that crushes to loam, sandy loam or loamy sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Jefferson, Lily, Lonewood, Marr, Riney, Sassafras, and Sunnyside series in the same family. Jefferson soils has bedrock deeper than 60 inches. Lonewood soils lack coarse fragments in the solum. Lily and Marr soils have a solum thickness of less than 40 inches. Riney soils do not have hard sandstone rock fragments throughout the solum. Sassafras soils have rock fragments dominated by smooth quartz gravel. Sunnyside soils do not have flagstones or cobblestones in the solum. Apison, Cahaba, Granville, Hartsells and Linker soils have a thermic temperature regime. Brevard, Clymer, Meadowville, Shelocta, Tate and Thurmont soils have mixed mineralogy.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Bailegap soils are on rounded hills, side slopes, or ridge tops above 1500 feet elevation in the Appalachian Ridge and Valley area. Slope gradient range from 2 to 65 percent. The soils formed in residuum weathered from sandstone, siltstone and interbedded shale. The average annual temperature ranges from 47 to 56 degrees F. Average annual precipitation ranges from 34 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Clymer and Jefferson series and the Lehew, Nolichucky, Tumbling and Wallen soils. Lehew and Wallen soils have bedrock at depths between 20 and 40 inches and lack argillic horizons. Nolichucky soils have a sola greater than 60 inches thick. Tumbling soils have clayey particle size control sections. Clymer, Lehew and Wallen soils occupy similar landscape positions. The Jefferson, Nolichucky and Tumbling soils occupy side slopes and footslopes at relatively lower landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. The potential for surface runoff is low to very high. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Nearly all areas of these soils are in woodland. Native vegetation consists of dominantly mixed hardwood species.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Ridge and Valley and Appalachian Plateau areas of Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Giles County, Virginia; 1980. Name is from Baileys Gap, Virginia.
REMARKS: These soils formerly were included in the Lehew series in Giles County but lab data show that these soils have an argillic horizon and have siliceous mineralogy.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Ochric Epipedon - The zone from 0 to 2 inches (The A horizon). 2. Argillic horizon - The zone from 8 to 42 inches (Bt horizon)