LOCATION PEAKS VA+NC
Established Series
Rev. EPE-TWB-MKC
12/2021
PEAKS SERIES
The Peaks series consists of moderately deep, somewhat excessively drained, rapidly permeable soils on ridge tops and convex side slopes in the Blue Ridge province. Slopes range from 0 to 90 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 42 inches, and mean annual temperature is about 55 degrees F near the type location.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, active, mesic Typic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Peaks gravelly loam-forested. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; loose leaves and twigs
A--1 to 2 inch; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly loam; weak very fine granular structure; very friable; many very fine, fine and medium roots; 20 percent gravel; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
E--2 to 4 inches, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; common fine and medium discontinuous pores; common very fine, fine medium, and few coarse roots; 25 percent gravel and channers; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--4 to 14 inches, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) gravelly loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium discontinuous pores; common fine and medium roots; 35 percent gravel and channers; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--14 to 25 inches, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) very gravelly loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine and medium discontinuous pores; few fine and medium roots; 45 percent gravel and channers; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 12 to 35 inches)
C--25 to 34 inches, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) extremely channery loam; massive; very friable; 65 percent channers; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
R--34 inches; moderately hard granite gneiss.
TYPE LOCATION: Roanoke County, Virginia, about 200 yards west of the Franklin and Roanoke County line; 4 miles southeast of Simmonds Gap.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness: Solum ranges from 14 to 38 inches
Depth to rock: 20 to 40 inches
Rock fragments: 15 to 55 percent in the A and E, 35 to 60 percent in the Bw, 35 to 75 percent in the C horizons. Granite, gneiss, and schist gravel and channers.
Reaction: Very strongly acid through moderately acid, unless limed.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 through 5, and chroma of 2 through 6. Texture is SL, FSL, or L in fine-earth fraction.
The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 3 through 6. Texture is SL, FSL, or L in fine-earth fraction.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 through 6, and chroma of 3 through 8. Texture is SL, FSL, or L in fine-earth fraction.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 3 through 8. Texture is LS, SL, FSL, or L in fine-earth fraction.
The Cr horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 4 through 8. It is slightly weathered gneiss, granite, or granodiorite that crushes to LS, SL, FSL, or L in fine-earth fraction.
COMPETING SERIES: The
Berks,
Blasdell,
Brownstown,
Brownsville,
Cadosia,
Calvin,
Cloverlick,
Deadline,
Highsplint,
Jubin,
Judyville,
Keyesville,
Lippitt,
Manlius,
Matewan,
Nailkeg,
Solon,
Sylco,
Warwick and
Wyoming series are in the same family. Brownsville, Cadosia, Cloverlick, Deadline, Highsplint, Jubin and Warwick soils do not have bedrock within a depth of 40 inches. Berks and Blasdell soils have coarse fragments dominated by shale. Judyville, Matewan and Solon soils have coarse fragments dominated by sandstone. Brownstown soils average more than 40 percent silt in the fine-earth fraction of the control section. Calvin soils have 5YR hue or redder in the B and C horizon. Keyesville soils have a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Nailkeg soils have a mean annual soil temperature less than 54 degrees F. Wyoming soils have water rounded gravel and do not have bedrock within 40 inches. Lippitt soils are formed in glacial till over weathered gneiss, granite or schist bedrock. Manlius soils formed in glacial till over shaly bedrock. Sylco soils have coarse fragments dominated by phyllite bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Peaks soils are on nearly level to very steep ridgetops and side slopes in the Blue Ridge province. Slopes range from 0 to 90 percent. Peaks soils formed in residumm from crystalline rocks, primarily granite, gneiss, and schist. Mean annual precipitation ranges from about 38 to 45 inches, and mean annual temperature ranges from about 54 to 57 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Edneytown and
Edneyville soils are on similar adjacent landscape positions on tops and shoulders of ridges.
Thurmont soils are on lower colluvial sideslopes.
Evard and
Hayesville soils are on lower associated ridges.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained. Permeability is rapid or moderately rapid. Index surface runoff class is very low to medium.
USE AND VEGETATION: Native vegetation is mixed hardwoods and pines.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Blue Ridge province in Virginia and North Carolina, and possibly Georgia and Tennessee. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Roanoke County, Virginia, 1990.
REMARKS: Peaks soils have been included in the Ashe series in the past.
The 2/1999 revision updates classification to the 8th Edition of Keys to Soil Taxonomy. This soil is placed in the active CEC family based on associated soils such as Edneyville and Chestnut.
The 9/2005 revision updates slope range, permeability and C horizon hue. Other minor revisions were made.
The 9/2008 revision updates the Competing Series and adjusts the thickness of the C horizon.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon-0 to 3 inches (A and E horizons).
b. Cambic horizon-1 to 24 inches (E and Bw horizons).
c. Rock fragments-average more than 35 percent in the 10 to 33 inch control section.
The 11/2021 revision: Oi had 1 to 0 inch depths, corrected to be 0 to 1 in horizon depths then added 1 inch to all horizon depths throughout the typical pedon.
SIR = VA0287, VA0310 (stony)
MLRA=130
Revised: 2/1999-MKC; 9/2005-JAK,DHK; 9/2008-DGF; 12/2021 -WJN
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.