LOCATION NOLO PA+MD WV

Established Series
Rev. AWD-ART
04/2025

NOLO SERIES

The Nolo series consists of deep and very deep, poorly drained soils formed in residuum primarily from sandstone but includes some materials from shale and siltstone. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high above the fragipan and low in the fragipan. Mean annual precipitation is about 1092 millimeters. Mean annual air temperature is about 10 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Typic Fragiaquults

TYPICAL PEDON: Nolo mucky loam - woodland, in an area of Nolo loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oa--0 to 7 centimeters; black (5Y 2/1) muck, many fine to medium roots throughout; extremely acid.

A--7 to 22 centimeters; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loam; weak thick platy structure parting to weak medium and coarse granular; friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many roots; common fine distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; 10 percent coarse fragments; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 15 centimeters thick)

Eg---- 22 to 35 centimeters; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam; weak very coarse to fine granular structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many roots; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; 10 percent coarse fragments; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 18 centimeters thick)

Btg1-- 35 to 66 centimeters; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) channery clay loam; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common roots; few thin clay films; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; 20 percent coarse fragments; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Btg2-- 66 to 81 centimeters; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) channery sandy clay loam; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few thin clay films; few roots; common fine prominent gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions and many coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; 20 percent coarse fragments; very strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. (Btg thickness is 15 to 51 centimeters)

Bx1--81 to 114 centimeters; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), gray (10YR 6/1) prism faces, channery sandy clay loam; moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak thick platy and moderate coarse subangular blocky; firm and brittle, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few roots; common fine distinct gray (N 6/0) iron depletions; 15 percent coarse fragments; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bx2--114 to 147 centimeters; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), gray (N 6/0) prism faces, channery loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate thick platy; very firm and brittle, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; 15 percent coarse fragments; very strongly acid. (combined thickness of Bx is 45 to 90 centimeters)

R--147 centimeters; acid gray sandstone.

TYPE LOCATION: Somerset County, Pennsylvania, Somerset Township, in a wooded area 2.5 miles southeast of Somerset on State Game Lands 50, approximately 3.25 kilometers east of the intersersection of Routes T519 and T480, 100 meters north of the road. USGS Murdock, PA topographic quadrangle Lat 39.9661111111 N and Long 79.05519444444 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 100 to 140 centimeters. Bedrock is at 100 to 150 centimeters or more. Depth to the fragipan ranges from 40 to 82 centimeters. Rock fragments range from 5 to 20 percent in the solum above the fragipan and from 10 to 35 percent in the fragipan. Reaction throughout soil, unless limed, is very strongly acid or extremely acid.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 3. Texture is silt loam, loam or sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction.

The E or BE horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is silt loam, loam or sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction.

The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Ped interiors have many to common high and low chroma redoximorphic features. Texture is loam, silt loam, clay loam or sandy clay loam in the fine-earth fraction. Sand content is greater than 20 percent in the particle-size control section. Structure is weak or moderate, medium or fine subangular blocky or blocky. Consistence ranges from firm to friable.

The Bx horizon is neutral or has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y. Prism faces have value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Ped interiors have value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 1 to 6. Ped interiors have many to common high and low chroma redoximorphic features. Texture is loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam in the fine-earth fraction. Structure is weak or moderate very coarse prismatic parting to medium or thick platy or subangular blocky. Consistence is very firm or firm and brittle.

Some pedons have a thin very channery loam C horizon having massive structure and firm consistence.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Andover and Cokesbury series. Lamington and Shelmadine series are closely related. The Andover soils formed in colluvium and average 20 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Cokesbury soils have gneiss and schist rock fragments rather than sandstone. Lamington soils have hue redder than 7.5YR and are in a semiactive CEC class. Shelmadine soils formed in pre-Wisconsin age glacial till, have less sand and more silt in the particle-size control section, and also are in a semiactive CEC class.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nearly level to slighty sloping broad ridgetops and plateaus. Slope gradients are dominantly less than 5 percent with a range of up to 8 percent. The soils formed in brownish gray, acid material weathered mostly from sandstone and includes some materials from shale and siltstone. The climate is humid temperate. Mean annual air temperatures ranges from 8.3 to 11.6 degrees C, mean annual rainfall ranges from 914 to 1270 millimeters, and the frost free season ranges from 140 to 170 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Clymer, Cookport, Dekalb, and Hazleton series. Clymer, Dekalb, and Hazleton soils do not have a fragipan. Cookport soils do not have dominant chroma of 2 or less in all horizons between the A horizon and the fragipan.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is neglegible to medium. Some areas are ponded during wet periods.

USE AND VEGETATION: Approximately 90 percent in woodland of mixed hardwoods including maple, mixed oak, hickory and blackgum with some hemlock and white pine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia. The series is of moderate extent. MLRA 127.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clarion County, Pennsylvania, 1940.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 35 centimeters (Oa, A, Eg horizons).
2. Argillic horizon - the zone from 35 to 81 centimeters (Btg horizon).
3. Fragipan - the zone from 81 to 147 centimeters (Bx horizon).

Available laboratory data is inconsistent regarding the presence of an argillic horizon. Also, the data suggests that some Nolo is actually in a coarse-loamy family. Further study is needed.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.