LOCATION FAIRPOINT OH+IN KY MO WVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, active, nonacid, mesic Typic Udorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Fairpoint gravelly clay loam - on a 12 percent slope in clover. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) gravelly clay loam; moderate medium and coarse granular structure; friable; many roots; 15 percent by volume fragments of sandstone, 5 percent by volume fragments of siltstone, and few fragments of coal; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
C1--5 to 17 inches; variegated light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) (70 percent), brown (10YR 4/3) (20 percent), and gray (10YR 5/1) (10 percent) very gravelly clay loam; massive; firm; few roots in vertical cracks; 30 percent by volume fragments of sandstone, 5 percent by volume fragments of siltstone, and few fragments of coal; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
C2--17 to 60 inches; variegated light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) (70 percent), brown (10YR 4/3) (20 percent), and gray (10YR 5/1) (10 percent) very gravelly clay loam; massive; firm; 35 percent by volume fragments of sandstone, 10 percent by volume fragments of siltstone, and few fragments of coal; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Belmont County, Ohio; 2,100 feet north and 850 feet east, of the southwest corner, sec. 27, Kirkwood Township, T. 9 N, R. 6 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil ranges from medium acid to neutral except for surface subhorizons that are mildly alkaline or strongly acid. Fragments of rock consist of siltstone, shale, sandstone,
limestone, and some coal. They commonly range in size from 2 mm to 25 cm in diameter but include stones and boulders.
The A or Ap horizon of unreclaimed areas is gravelly, very gravelly, channery, very channery, shaly or very shaly analogues of clay loam, silty clay loam, loam, or silt loam. Rock fragments are 15 to 60 percent by volume. Areas reclaimed with addition of "topsoil" have an Ap horizon (and in some places the upper layer of the C horizon) from natural soil material, 4 to 20 inches thick. It is loam, silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam and contains up to 15 percent rock fragments. Colors range from hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, or are neutral; value of 3 to 6; and chroma of 0 to 6.
Individual subhorizons of the C horizon typically are gravelly to extremely gravelly, shaly to extremely shaly, or channery to extremely channery analogues of clay loam, silty clay loam, silt loam, or loam. Colors are neutral or range in hue from 7.5YR to 5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 0 to 8. Rock fragments commonly range from 35 to 60 percent by
volume and average about 45 percent. Individual subhorizons range from 20 to 80 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Fiveblock and Kaymine series in the same family and the Barkcamp, Bethesda, Cedarcreek, Enoch, Itman, Morristown, Myra, and Sewell series. Fiveblock soils contain less than 18 percent clay. Kaymine soils exclude textures of clay loam or silty clay loam in the fine earth and have moderate or moderately rapid permeability. Barkcamp and Enoch soils are ultra acid. Bethesda, Cedarcreek, Itman, and Sewell soils are acid. Morristown and Myra soils are calcareous.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fairpoint soils are on nearly level ridgetops and benches to very steep side slopes. They formed in regolith from surface mining operations. Fragments of rock consist of siltstone, shale, coal, limestone, and fine and medium grained sandstone. Slopes commonly are 6 to 70 percent but range from 0 to 90 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from about 35 to 45 inches, and mean annual temperature ranges from about 52 to 56 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Bethesda and Morristown soils and the undisturbed Culleoka, Dekalb, Elba, Gilpin, Guernsey, Latham, Lowell, Shelocta, and Westmoreland soils. Bethesda and Morristown are on similar landscape positions as Fairpoint soils. Culleoka, Gilpin, Shelocta, and Westmoreland soils have fine-loamy argillic horizons and are formed in residuum of shale, siltstone, and sandstone. Dekalb soils are loamy skeletal and lack argillic horizons. Elba, Guernsey, Latham, and Lowell soils have fine-textured argillic horizons and are formed in residuum from limestone, shale, and siltstone.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Fairpoint soils are well drained; runoff is slow to very rapid; permeability is moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for recreation and wildlife. Many areas support volunteer deciduous trees. Most reclaimed areas are seeded to hay or pasture.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and possibly Pennsylvania. The series is extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Belmont County, Ohio, 1978.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly mapped as mine spoils. Except for the ochric epipedon, from the surface to a depth of about 5 inches (Ap horizon), they have no diagnostic horizons.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory test data is available for the following pedons: BT-18, BT-19, BT-20, and JF-9 in Ohio and S79IN55-17 in Indiana.