LOCATION LEWBEACH NYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, semiactive, frigid Typic Fragiudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Lewbeach silt loam-wooded (Colors are for moist soil.)
A-- 0 to 3 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) silt loam, light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) dry; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots; 10 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick.)
E-- 3 to 8 inches; dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) silt loam; weak medium and fine granular structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots; a few large roots; 10 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick.)
Bw1-- 8 to 20 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) gravelly sandy loam; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; friable common fine and medium roots; few large roots; many fine and medium and a few large vesicular pores; 15 percent rock fragments; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick.)
Bw2-- 20 to 28 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) gravelly loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular structure; few fine and medium roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; common fine and medium vesicular pores; 20 percent rock fragments; strongly acid, abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick.)
E'-- 28 to 33 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium vesicular pores, a few fine tubular pores; 20 percent rock fragments; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick.)
Bx-- 33 to 72 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) gravelly sandy loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure, massive within prisms, prism face is reddish brown (5YR 5/3); firm and brittle; common medium vesicular pores, a few medium tubular pores; thin clay coatings on sides of some pores; 25 percent rock fragments; few medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Sullivan County, New York, Town of Liberty, along west side of Revonah Hill Road, 0.6 mile north of the intersection of Benton Hollow and Revonah Hill Roads, 0.2 mile south of Camp Catskill. Elevation 2100 feet. USGS Liberty West, NY topographic quadrangle, Latitude 41 degrees, 49 minutes, 06 seconds N. and Longitude 74 degrees, 45 minutes, 38 seconds W. NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:: Thickness of the solum ranges from 40 to 72 inches or more. Depth to bedrock is usually greater than 5 feet. Depth to the fragipan ranges from 18 to 36 inches. Rock fragment content ranges from 5 to 35 percent by volume in the A and Bw horizons and from 15 to 50 percent in the Bx and C horizons. Reaction, where unlimed ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid above the fragipan, and very strongly acid to moderately acid in the Bx horizon and strongly acid to slightly acid in the C horizon.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 2 through 4 and chroma of 2 or 3. Dry color value is 6 or more. It is silt loam, loam or fine sandy loam in the fine earth fraction. Structure is weak or moderate granular or subangular blocky. Consistence is friable or very friable. Where an Ap horizon is present, thickness ranges from 4 to 9 inches.
The E horizon, where present, has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 through 6 and chroma of 2 or 3. It is silt loam, loam or fine sandy loam in the fine earth fraction. Structure is granular, platy or subangular blocky and consistence is friable or very friable.
The Bw horizon has hue or 2.5YR through 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 3 through 6. It is loam, silt loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam in the fine earth fraction. Structure is weak or strong, medium or fine subangular blocky.
The E' horizon, where present, has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 through 6 and chroma of 2 or 3. Redoximorphic features may be lacking. It is sandy loam, silt loam, or fine sandy loam in the fine earth fraction.
The Bx horizon has hue of 2.5YR through 7.5YR, value of 3 through 5 and chroma of 2 through 4. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam or silt loam in the fine earth fraction. Gray or brown redoximorphic features may be present. Prism face colors range from weak red (2.5YR 5/2) to light brown (7.5YR 6/4). It has very coarse prismatic structure with platy, blocky or massive interiors.
The C horizon, where present, has color and texture similar to those of the Bx horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: The Lewbath and Willowemeoc series are in the same family. Lewbath soils have hues of 7.5YR or yellower in the Bx and C horizons. Willowemoc soils have redoximorphic features in the Bw below 12 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lewbeach soils are gently sloping to very steep soils on glaciated uplands. Slope ranges from 3 to 55 percent. The soils developed in firm, acid till high in sandstone with a smaller component of red shale. The climate is humid and is cool in summer and cold in winter. Annual air temperature ranges from 40 to 49 degrees F. Annual precipitation ranges from 45 to 60 inches and the growing season ranges from 100 to 120 days. Elevation ranges from 1750 to 2500 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the moderately well drained Willowemoc, the somewhat poorly drained Onteora soils, and poorly drained Norchip soils that are associated in a drainage sequence with Lewbeach. The moderately deep Mongaup and Vly soils near hilltops and the very deep, well drained Elka soils that lack fragipans are also associated.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. The potential for surface runoff is low to very high. Permeability is moderate in the surface, moderately slow or moderate in the subsoil and very slow or slow in the fragipan.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cleared areas are used for hay, pasture, and some corn. Many areas are forested or idle. Native trees include sugar maple, black cherry, red maple, beech, ash, birch, and hemlock.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Catskill Mountain area of east central New York. MLRA 140. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sullivan County, N.Y., 1984.
REMARKS: Lewbeach is proposed as the frigid equivalent of Lackawanna. As defined for Sullivan County, it is ranged to cover soils mapped as Swartswood in the frigid region.
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in the typical pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 3 inches (the A horizon).
2. Cambic horizon - from 8 to 28 inches (the Bw horizon).
3. Fragipan - from 33 to 72 inches (the Bx horizon).
4. Udic soil moisture regime (a humid, temperate, climate)
Additional Data - Characterization data is available for 2 pedons from Delaware County, NY (S86NY025-010,011)