LOCATION KINGS FALLS NY
Established Series
SJP-TDT
12/2018
KINGS FALLS SERIES
The Kings Falls series consists of shallow, well drained soils formed in loamy till materials overlying limestone, dolomitic sandstone, or marble bedrock on till plains. Bedrock is at a depth of 25 to 50 cm. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high to high in the mineral soil. Slope ranges from 0 to 45 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 965 inches and mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, active, frigid Lithic Eutrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Kings Falls loam on a southwest-facing aspect in an existing hayfield. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated).
Ap -- 0 to 18 cm; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry, loam, weak fine and medium granular structure; very friable; many very fine, common fine and very few medium roots; 10 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles and 1 percent channers; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 20 cm thick.)
Bw1 -- 18 to 28 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine and few fine roots; 10 percent gravel, 5 percent channers and 1 percent cobbles; slightly acid; clear broken boundary.
Bw2 -- 28 to 36 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) channery loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine and few fine roots; 15 percent channers, 10 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral; abrupt irregular boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bw is 18 to 41 cm.)
R -- 36 cm; limestone.
TYPE LOCATION: Lewis County, New York; West of Lowville on the Rice Road, 2940 feet west of the intersection with County Rd. 14. USGS West Lowville topographic quadrangle; Latitude: 43 degrees, 47 minutes, 43 seconds N and Longitude: 75 degrees, 30 minutes, 42 seconds W., NAD 1983.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to bedrock ranges from 25 to 50 cm. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately alkaline throughout the pedon. Stones, cobbles, channers, and gravel ranging from about 5 to 20 percent by volume commonly are on the surface and mixed throughout the pedon. Texture throughout the pedon includes sandy loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, silt loam, loam, or gravelly, channery, or cobbly analogs of these textures.
Some pedons have an O horizon.
The A horizon or Ap horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR or is neutral; value of 2 or 3; and chroma of 0 to 3.
Some pedons have an E horizon that has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 2 or 3.
The Bw horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value of 2 to 6; and chroma of 3 to 8.
Some pedons have a BC horizon with a hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value of 3 to 6; and chroma of 2 to 4.
Some pedons have a C horizon up to 5 inches thick with hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value of 3 to 6; and chroma of 2 to 4.
COMPETING SERIES: The
Summerville series is the only other in this family. Summerville is a Region (LRR) K series and has less than 5 percent rock fragments throughout.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Kings Falls soils are on nearly level to steep bedrock controlled till plains. The underlying bedrock is limestone, dolomitic sandstone, or marble. Slope gradients typically are 2 to 12 percent, but range from 0 to 45 percent. Mean annual temperature is estimated to range from 5 to 7 degrees C, and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 889 to 1067 mm.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The somewhat poorly drained
Muskellunge soils and very poorly and poorly drained
Adjidaumo soils are clayey soils that occur in troughs and swales between the bedrock controlled ridges where Kings Falls occurs.
Grenville and
Hogansburg soils are well drained and very deep to bedrock.
Nehasne soils are well drained and moderately deep to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained. The potential for surface runoff is high to very high. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high to high in the mineral soil.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cleared areas are used for hay and pasture. Some areas are used for cropland. Some areas support second growth woodland tree species such as sugar maple, American basswood, balsam fir, eastern white pine, and northern white cedar.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Tughill and Black River Valley area of northern New York. MLRA 142. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lewis County, New York, 2018.
REMARKS: Kings Falls is the frigid equivalent of the Farmington series. Farmington was used in what are now frigid areas in New York and Vermont.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
1. Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 18 cm (Ap horizon);
2. Cambic horizon - the zone from 18 to 36 cm (Bw horizons);
3. Lithic contact of bedrock at 36 cm (R horizon).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.