Potomac soil and landscape
Soil profile: A representative profile of Potomac soil, the dominant soil on first-bottom flood plains in western West Virginia and eastern Kentucky. Potomac soils are characterized by a high content of cobbles and gravel throughout and commonly have layers deposited from a series of flood events. (Soil Survey of Pike County, Kentucky; by John A. Kelley, Natural Resources Conservation Service)
Landscape: A typical landscape of Potomac–Nelse complex, 0 to 5 percent slopes, extremely stony, frequently flooded. (Soil Survey of New River Gorge National River, West Virginia; by Wendy Noll and James Bell, Natural Resources Conservation Service)
The Potomac series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils formed in coarse-textured alluvial material on flood plains. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual percipitation is about 32 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 51 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Typic Udifluvents
Depth to bedrock is greater than 5 feet. Pebbles and cobblestones dominantly of sandstone range from 0 to 50 percent in the A horizon, and the weighted average by volume in the C horizon is dominantly greater than 50 percent, but ranges from 35 to 70 percent. Subhorizons of the C horizon in some pedons are nearly free of rock fragments and in others it ranges to 80 percent. Unlimed soils are mildly alkaline to very strongly acid.
USE AND VEGETATION: More than one-half of the acreage is cleared and used mainly for pasture or hay. Many areas are idle and reverting to woody vegetation. Native vegetation was mixed hardwoods.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Ridge and Valley and southern Appalachian Plateau areas of West Virginia, also Kentucky and North Carolina. The extent is moderate.
For additional information about the survey areas, visit:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/kentucky/KY195...
and...
www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/west_virginia/...
For a detailed soil description, visit:
soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/P/POTOMAC.html
For acreage and geographic distribution, visit:
Potomac soil and landscape
Soil profile: A representative profile of Potomac soil, the dominant soil on first-bottom flood plains in western West Virginia and eastern Kentucky. Potomac soils are characterized by a high content of cobbles and gravel throughout and commonly have layers deposited from a series of flood events. (Soil Survey of Pike County, Kentucky; by John A. Kelley, Natural Resources Conservation Service)
Landscape: A typical landscape of Potomac–Nelse complex, 0 to 5 percent slopes, extremely stony, frequently flooded. (Soil Survey of New River Gorge National River, West Virginia; by Wendy Noll and James Bell, Natural Resources Conservation Service)
The Potomac series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils formed in coarse-textured alluvial material on flood plains. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual percipitation is about 32 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 51 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Typic Udifluvents
Depth to bedrock is greater than 5 feet. Pebbles and cobblestones dominantly of sandstone range from 0 to 50 percent in the A horizon, and the weighted average by volume in the C horizon is dominantly greater than 50 percent, but ranges from 35 to 70 percent. Subhorizons of the C horizon in some pedons are nearly free of rock fragments and in others it ranges to 80 percent. Unlimed soils are mildly alkaline to very strongly acid.
USE AND VEGETATION: More than one-half of the acreage is cleared and used mainly for pasture or hay. Many areas are idle and reverting to woody vegetation. Native vegetation was mixed hardwoods.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Ridge and Valley and southern Appalachian Plateau areas of West Virginia, also Kentucky and North Carolina. The extent is moderate.
For additional information about the survey areas, visit:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/kentucky/KY195...
and...
www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/west_virginia/...
For a detailed soil description, visit:
soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/P/POTOMAC.html
For acreage and geographic distribution, visit: