LOCATION TRUSSEL WVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, frigid Aeric Fragiaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Trussel on a 6 percent, northeast-facing slope in an area of native pasture at an elevation of 3780 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
Oi--0 to 1 inches; partially decomposed grass roots.
A--1 to 3 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) channery loam; moderate fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots; 15 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary (2 to 6 inches thick).
Eg--3 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) channery silt loam; moderate medium granular structure; friable; many fine and medium roots; common fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) iron concentrations; 15 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary (0 to 5 inches thick).
Bg--4 to 8 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) channery silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; many medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) iron concentrations; common distinct silt coatings on faces of peds; 15 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bw--8 to 13 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) channery silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; many medium prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; common distinct silt coatings on faces of peds; 20 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 8 to 24 inches).
Bgx--13 to 22 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) channery silt loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; firm, slightly brittle; few fine roots; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) iron concentrations and black (10YR 2/1) iron depletions; common faint silt coatings on faces of prisms; 25 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary (8 to 24 inches thick).
BC--22 to 41 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) channery loam; weak coarse and very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium platy; firm; few fine roots; common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and black (10YR 2/1) iron depletions 25 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary (0 to 17 inches thick).
C1--41 to 52 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) channery loam; massive; friable; common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and dark gray (10YR 4/1) iron depletions; 25 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
C2--52 to 65 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) channery silt loam; massive; friable; common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and common prominent medium dark gray (10YR 4/1) iron depletions; 30 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Pendleton County, West Virginia; approximately 1 mile east of Spruce Knob Lake and 1.8 miles west of Spruce Knob. U.S.G.S. Spruce Knob topographic quadrangle; Latitude 38 degrees, 41 minutes, 56 seconds N. Longitude 79 degrees, 33 minutes, 54 seconds W; NAD 1927
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Depth to bedrock is greater than 65 inches. Depth to the top of the fragipan ranges from 10 to 30 inches. Rock fragments range from 0 to 30 percent in the A, E, and Bw horizons and from 20 to 60 percent in the Bx, BC and C horizons. Unlimed soils are extremely acid through strongly acid throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is silt loam or loam.
The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Some pedons have redoximorphic features that are red, brown, or yellow. It is silt loam or loam.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 8. Redoximorphic features are red, brown, yellow, or gray. It is silt loam, loam, silty clay loam, or sandy clay loam.
The Bx horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 6. Redoximorphic features are red, brown, yellow, gray, or black. It is silt loam or loam.
The BC and C horizon have hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 6. Redoximorphic features are red, brown, yellow, gray, or black. It is silt loam or loam.
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COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Trussel soils are on nearly level to strongly sloping drainageways and concave foot slopes on mountains at 3500 to 5000 feet elevation. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. Trussel soils formed in medium textured colluvium from acid shale, siltstone, and sandstone. The climate is humid continental with long winter snow cover. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 60 inches and is evenly distributed throughout the year. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 45 to 47 degrees F. Annual frost-free days range between 90 to 130.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gauley, Leatherbark, Mandy, Simoda and Snowdog series. Gauley and Mandy soils are well drained, do not have a fragipan, and formed in residuum. Simoda and Snowdog soils are moderately well drained. Simoda soils are formed in residuum. Leatherbark soils are somewhat poorly drained and formed in residuum.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to very high. Permeability is moderate above the fragipan and slow to moderately slow in the fragipan. In undisturbed areas the depth to the top of a perched seasonal high water table ranges from the soil surface to one half foot for some time in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for timber production consisting of rhododendron, mountain laurel, hawthorn, maple, and red spruce. Some areas are in native grasses with scattered woody species.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 127. In West Virginia and possibly Maryland and Pennsylvania. The soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pendleton County, West Virginia, 1988. The name is from a stream in Pendleton County.
REMARKS: 1. This soil was formerly included in the Brinkerton series or as a variant in the Ernest series.
2. The Bw horizon is considered to be a marginal argillic horizon, but laboratory data is not available.
3. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the typical pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon - The zone from 1 to 4 inches (A and E horizons).
b. Cambic horizon - The zone from 4 to 13 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons).
c. Fragipan - The zone from 13 to 22 inches (Bx horizon).