LOCATION LEHIGH PA+MD NJEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Lehigh silt loam - cultivated (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many medium roots throughout; few medium pores; 10 percent subangular gravel; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.(6 to 9 inches thick)
Bt1--7 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) channery silt loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; many medium roots throughout; few medium pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 20 percent subangular gravel; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--14 to 21 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) channery silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common medium and few coarse roots throughout; few medium pores; common, medium, faint, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions and common medium faint dark yellowish brown (10YR4/4) iron and manganese masses on faces of peds; 25 percent subangular gravel; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt3--21 to 28 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) very channery silt loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few medium pores; few fine roots between peds; few faint clay films on faces of peds common medium faint grayish brown (10YR5/2) iron depletions and common medium distinct brown (7.5YR4/4) and common fine distinct olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) masses of oxidized iron on faces of peds; 35 percent subangular gravel; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the B horizon is 21 to 37 inches)
C--28 to 42 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) extremely channery silt loam; few fine distinct olive brown (2.5Y4/4) masses of iron on faces of peds; firm, slightly sticky, nonplastic; few medium pores; few medium faint very dark grayish brown (2.5Y) iron depletions; 80 percent subangular gravel; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick).
R--42 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) to dark bluish gray (5B 4/1) porcelanite.
TYPE LOCATION: Lebanon County, Pennsylvania; on Pennsylvania State Gamelands, 1 mile south of Mt. Gretna on west side of Legislative Route 38061. Then 5/8 mile west of Pennsylvania Gameland Parking Area.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Bedrock is at 40 to 60 inches. Gravel fragments of porcelanite range from 0 to 45 percent in the A horizon, 5 to 60 percent in individual subhorizons of the B horizon, and 25 to 80 percent in the C horizon. The upper 20 inches of the B horizon averages less than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Diabase stones occur in the upper part of the solum in some areas. The clay fraction includes abundant amounts of kaolinite, moderate amounts of illite, moderate amounts of chlorite and low amounts of vermiculite. Where unlimed, the reaction in the solum and substratum ranges from very strongly acid through neutral.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 1 through 3. It is silt loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The B horizon has hue of 7.5YR through 5Y or is neutral, value of 3 through 6, and chroma of 0 through 4. Redoximorphic features are found 10 to 18 inches below the soil surface. Low chroma and low value colors are inherited from the dark colored parent material. Texture is silt loam or silty clay loam in the fine-earth fraction. Structure is moderate or strong, fine or medium subangular blocky.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR through 5Y or is neutral, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 0 through 3. It is silt loam or silty clay loam in the fine-earth fraction.
COMPETING SERIES: The Mount Lucas and Passport series are the only competing series in the same family. Mount Lucas soils have depth greater than 60 inches to bedrock and do not have rock fragments formed from porcelanite. Passport soils are formed in loamy materials and in the underlying till that contains a strongly developed paleosol in the till. Some pedons from the Passport series have a loess cap that is less than 10 inches thick. The Bogart, Centerburg, Conowingo, Haney, Reaville, Thackery, Tuscola, Vaughnsville, and Williamstown series are in a related family. Bogart, Centerburg, Thackery, Tuscola, Vaughnsville, and Williamstown soils are greater than 60 inches to bedrock. Haney soils do not have rock fragments of porcelanite. Reaville soils have bedrock at less than 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lehigh soils are nearly level to moderately steep soils on hills and low ridges. The regolith is formed in residuum from porcelanite (metamorphosed shale and sandstone). The porcelanite areas commonly occur in bands separating areas of diabase and red Triassic sandstone and shale. Climate is continental with warm summers and cold winters. Mean annual rainfall ranges from 40 to 48 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 50 to 55 degrees F. The frost-free season ranges from about 165 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: They occur in close association with the well drained Brecknock soils and the poorly drained Croton soils. They are also associated with the Legore, Montalto, Mount lucas, Neshaminy, Penn, Readington, and Watchung soils. Legore, Montalto, Neshaminy, and Penn soils are well drained and do not have mottling in the B horizon. Watchung soils are poorly drained and have a clayey particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained and somewhat poorly drained. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately low and runoff is medium. Water table measurements indicate a depth of one-half to three feet during portions of late fall, winter and spring months. The water table is generally below three feet during the late spring, summer and early fall months.
USE AND VEGETATION: Land use is approximately 60 percent cropland, 8 percent pasture, 22 percent woodland and 10 percent urban and other miscellaneous uses. Woodland is mixed hardwoods dominated by upland oaks.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Triassic basins of the Piedmont in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, 1914.
REMARKS: The low value and low chroma matrix colors given in the typifying pedon and the range of characteristics are due to colors inherited from the parent material and not due to wetness. Base saturation immediately above bedrock is more than 60 percent by sum of cations.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 7 inches (Ap horizon).
b. Argillic horizon - the zone from about 7 to 28 inches (Bt horizon).
2007 Revision updates the type location, profile description, competing and geographically associated soils. Prior revision 6/2001 - EAW