LOCATION LORADALE KYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, mesic Typic Argiudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Loradale silt loam - cultivated.
(Color for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many roots; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
A--7 to 12 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) silt loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many roots; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--12 to 17 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) silty clay loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many roots; common clay films; 1 percent small black concretions; medium acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bt2--17 to 34 inches; brown (7/5YR 4/4) silty clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common roots; many clay films; few small black concretions; medium acid; clear smooth boundary. (15 to 30 inches thick)
BC--34 to 42 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay; common fine faint mottles of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and light olive brown (2.5YR 5/4); weak medium angular blocky structure; very firm; few roots; many clay films; common small black concretions; common soft black manganese and iron segregations; medium acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
C--42 to 72 inches; mottled yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) and light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) clay; massive; extremely firm; many small black concretions; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 30 inches thick)
R--72 inches; limestone and interbedded shale.
TYPE LOCATION: Fayette County, Kentucky, 7 1/2 miles east of Lexington on north side of Haley Pike, 1 mile north of U. S. Highway 60.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Depth to limestone or limestone and interbedded shale is 40 to more than 120 inches. Reaction of the solum ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid, and the C horizon from strongly acid to mildly alkaline.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 3 or less. Texture is silt loam or silty clay loam. Thickness ranges from 10 to 20 inches.
The Bt horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 through 6, with mottles in shades of brown. Texture is silty clay loam, silty clay or clay.
The BC horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 through 6, with mottles in shades of brown, olive, or gray. Texture is silty clay or clay.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 through 8, with mottles in shades of brown, olive or gray or is mottled horizons of these colors. Texture is clay or silty clay.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Donerail, Montello, Peebles, Schapville, Wamego, and Woolper series in the same family. The Donerail soils are moderately well drained and have mottles with chroma of 2 or less higher in the solum. The Montello, Peebles and Schapville soils have sola less than 40 inches thick. The Wamego soils have a dryer climate. The Woolper soils are slightly acid to mildly alkaline in the solum and their Bt horizons are part of the mollic epipedon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Loradale soils are on toeslopes, footslopes, and sideslopes in the uplands and terrace areas. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent. Some areas are karst. These soils formed in residuum or old alluvium from limestone and thin layers of calcareous shale. Mean annual temperature ranges from 53 to 56 degrees F., and the annual precipitation ranges from 44 to 48 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ashton, Donerail, Huntington, Lowell, McAfee, and Maury soils. The Ashton and Huntington soils have silt loam or light silty clay loam B horizons. Lowell soils have lighter colored A horizons. McAfee soils have bedrock at a depth less than 40 inches. Maury soils have sola more than 60 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium to slow and permeability is moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Nearly all areas now are used for crops or pasture. The chief crops are corn, small grains, burley tobacco, and hay. Original vegetation was hardwoods, chiefly overcup and white oak, elm, ash, hackberry, black walnut, black locust, and Kentucky coffee tree. There were many glades of native grasses, sedges, and cane.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Inner Bluegrass region of Kentucky. Extent is moderate.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fayette County, Kentucky; 1931.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 12 inches (Ap, A).
Argillic horizon - 12 to 42 inches (Bt1, Bt2, BC).