LOCATION FAIRPLAY MDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, carbonatic, mesic Fluvaquentic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Fairplay (marl) silt loam, on a 1 percent slope in a flood plain under mixed vegetation, elevation 440 feet. (Colors for moist soil)
Ap--0 to 11 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) marl with a texture of silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine and medium roots, common coarse roots; 5 percent gastropod shells; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--11 to 15 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) marl with a texture of silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine roots, common medium roots, and few coarse roots; 5 percent gastropod shells; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness 10 to 15 inches)
Bkg--15 to 20 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and olive gray (5Y 5/2) marl with a texture of sandy loam; weak and moderate subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine roots, few medium roots; many fine and medium tubular pores, common fine, and common medium vesicular pores; few medium distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) organic material filling krotovinas; 4 percent gastropod; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
Agb--20 to 27 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) marl with a texture of silt loam; moderate medium subangular structure; friable; common fine roots; many fine and few medium tubular pores; few fine faint light olive gray (5Y 6/2) depletions; 5 percent gastropod shells, 3 percent crushable; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
Bkb1--27 to 36 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) marl with a texture of sandy loam; weak coarse prismatic parting to a moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; many fine tubular pores, common medium tubular pores and few medium vesicular pores; 3 percent gastropod shells and secondary pendent; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Bkb2--36 to 40 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) marl with a texture of coarse sandy loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to a moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; many fine tubular pores, common medium tubular pores and few medium vesicular pores; few fine prominent weak red (2.5YR 4/2) depletions; 4 percent gastropod shells and common medium carbonate pipestems and nodules; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
A'gb--40 to 47 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) marl with a texture of silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine faint brown (10YR 5/3) depletions; 5 percent gastropod shells; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
B'kb--47 to 53 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) marl with a texture of sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to a weak fine granular; very friable; many fine tubular pores, common medium tubular pores and few medium vesicular pores; few fine faint gray (10YR 6/1) depletions and few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron concentrations; 4 percent gastropod shells; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline.
Bkmb--53 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) marl with a texture of loamy sand; massive; very firm; few fine tubular pores; common medium prominent red (2.5YR 5/8) iron concentrations, common medium prominent very dark gray (N/3) depletions; 5 percent gastropod shells; common medium and coarse cemented pipestems and nodules; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline. (Combined thickness 0 to 10 inches)
A''gb--60 to 68 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) marl with a texture of sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/1) depletions; 5 percent gastropod shells; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
B''kb--68 to 79 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) marl with a texture of sandy loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to a weak medium subangular blocky; very friable; few fine and medium tubular pores; common medium faint light reddish brown (2.5YR 7/4) depletions; 4 percent gastropod shells; common medium and coarse secondary carbonate pipestems and nodules; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline. (Combined thickness 20 to 50 inches)
TYPE LOCATION: Washington County, Maryland; 0 to 3 percent slope in pasture, .5 miles north of MD Rt. 63 and its intersection with Riechard Rd., and 50 ft. east of Riechard Rd. In the Spielman area. Latitude 39 degrees, 32 minutes, 21 seconds N; Longitude 77 degrees, 45 minutes, 36 seconds, W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 20 to 90 inches. Depth to bedrock is more than 60 inches. Thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 10 to 24 inches. Thickness of the marl deposits ranges from 4 to 15 feet. The CaCo3 equivalent is greater than 40 percent in the upper 20 inches. Soil reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
The Ap and A horizons have hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 1 to 3. Texture is (marl) with texture of silt loam or loam. Gastropod shells and secondary pendent range from 0 to 10 percent, and gravel's range from 0 to 10 percent. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
The Agb and A'gb horizon where present has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 3 to 5, chroma of 1 to 2. Texture is (marl) with texture of silt loam, silty clay loam, loam, and or sandy loam. Gastropod shells and secondary pendent range from 5 to 25 percent, gravel's range from 0 to 15 percent, and cobbles range from 0 to 3 percent. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
The Bkb, B'kb and Bkmb horizons have hue of 10YR to 5Y value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 3. Texture is (marl) with a texture of sandy loam, loam, clay loam, or silt loam. Gastropod shells and secondary pendent range from 5 to 30 percent, gravel's range from 0 to 15 percent, and cobbles range from 0 to 3 percent. Reaction ranges from moderately alkaline to moderately alkaline.
The 2Bt horizon (if present) has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. Texture is silty clay loam, clay loam or clay. Rock fragments range from 5 to 15 percent. Reaction is neutral to slightly alkaline.
The Ckb horizon (if present) has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value 4 to 7, chroma 1 to 2. Texture's is (marl). Gastropod shells and secondary pendent range from 5 to 30 percent, of which 20 to 25 percent are crushable; gravel's range from 0 to 15 percent, and cobbles range from 0 to 5 percent. Reaction ranges from moderately alkaline to moderately alkaline.
The 2C horizon (if present) has hue of 7.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. Texture is silty clay loam, clay loam, or clay. Rock fragments range from 5 to 10 percent. Reaction is neutral to slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: Sandusky is the only other known soil in this family. Sandusky does not have a calcic horizon nor is it formed in Marl. Soils in closely related families are Massanetta, and Warners soils series. The Massenetta series is moderately well drained, and Warners has a fine silty particle size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Fairplay soils occur on nearly level active flood plains, and at the heads of limestone spring's where there is a discharge of calcium carbonate charged water, in the Ridge and Valley province. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual temperature ranges from 50 to 54 degrees F. and annual precipitation ranges from 45 to 55 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dunning, Melvin, Funkstown, Huntington, Lappans, Massanetta and Murill series.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Drainage is very poorly drained. Runoff is low to medium. Permeability is moderately slowly to slowly.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used extensively for wetland wildlife habitat. In some areas it is used for pasture, and to a limited extent, some agricultural crops.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: In the Ridge and Valley Province of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Total extent is limited.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washington County, Maryland 1994
Remarks:
1. This soil was formerly included in the Warners soil series.
2. Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon 0 to 15 inches, calcic horizon 20 to 47 inches.
3. The CaCo3 equivalent is greater than 40 percent throughout, so dry color value is waived and moist value is 5 or less.
4. Additional lab data on pedons 92MD043T1P4, 92MD043T5P3.
5. The 2/10/2005 revisions reflect changes in Master horizon nominclature of ordering suffixes and carrying the b throughout, changing the competing series, and grammatical changes in the range of characteristics.