LOCATION RIGLEY KY+OH VAEstablished Series
The Rigley series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium mostly of sandstone and siltstone origin on mountain slopes, hills, and fans. Permeability is moderately rapid. Slopes range from 2 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 46 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 57 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Typic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Rigley fine sandy loam, on an east facing steep side slope in second growth woods. (Colors are for moist soil.)
0i--0 to 0.5 inches; partially decomposed leaf litter.
Ap--0.5 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; 10 percent fragments of sandstone; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
BA--5 to 9 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine roots; 10 percent sandstone rock fragments and a few small pebbles of quartzite; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 15 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; very friable; common fine roots; common distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; 15 percent fragments of sandstone; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Bt2--15 to 39 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly sandy loam; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; friable; few fine roots; common distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent fragments of sandstone; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
Bt3--39 to 45 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common thin clay films; few fine faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron and manganese accumulation; few fine prominent black (10YR 2/1) iron and manganese concretions; 20 percent fragments of sandstone; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
C--45 to 55 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly sandy loam; massive; friable; common medium faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; few fine prominent black (10YR 2/1) iron and manganese concretions; 25 percent fragments of sandstone; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Rowan County, Kentucky, about 10 miles east of Morehead on an east facing side slope along Craney Creek, 1.5 miles north of its confluence with Wagner Fork, 3 miles south of Elliottville.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth of the solum ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Depth to sandstone, siltstone or shale bedrock ranges from 60 to 100 inches or more. Content of sandstone and siltstone pebbles, cobbles, channers, and stones range from 5 to 35 percent in the solum, and 20 to 70 percent in the C horizon. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to extremely acid throughout, except in the A horizon which ranges from very strongly acid to neutral.
The Ap horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. A horizons are 1 to 5 inches thick and have hue of 2.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam in the fine earth fraction.
The E horizon, where present, is 3 to 10 inches thick, and has colors similar to the Ap horizon. Texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam in the fine earth fraction
The BA horizon, has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 6. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is sandy loam or loam. Some pedons have redoximorphic features that include shades of brown and yellow, and shades of gray in the lower part.
Some pedons have 2B horizons below 40 inches formed in residuum from shale with matrix and redoximorphic features with colors in shades of red, brown or gray.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. Texture is sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam in the fine-earth fraction.
Some pedons have a 2C horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: The Germano series is currently the only competitor. The Germano soils are formed in residuum and are less than 40 inches to bedrock.
The Dunellen, Lansdale, and Philomont series are potential competitors, because a CEC class has yet to be assigned. The Lansdale soils are formed in residuum and are less than 40 inches to bedrock. Dunellen soils have argillic horizons with hue of 2.5YR and stratified layers of sand and gravel below a depth of about 40 inches. Philomont soils are formed in residuum from gneiss and granite and occur on ridgetops in the Blue Ridge uplands.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rigley soils formed in colluvium mostly of sandstone and siltstone origin, and a minor component of shale on mountain flanks, mountain bases, back slopes, foot
slopes and fans. Slope gradient ranges from 2 to 60 percent. Climate is humid and temperate. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 42 to 54 inches, and mean annual air temperatures ranges from 48 to 59 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cranston, Dekalb, Gilpin, Lily, Shelocta, and Steinsburg series. The Cranston soils have gravelly silt loam argillic horizons, and base saturation more than 35 percent. Dekalb, Gilpin, Lily and Steinsburg soils have bedrock at less than 40 inches. Shelocta soils have fine-loamy control sections.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to medium. Permeability is moderately rapid. Depth to a seasonal high water table is greater than 6 feet.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are wooded, but less steep areas are used for crops and pasture. Native vegetation is mixed, deciduous hardwood forest of yellow poplar, upland
oaks, hickory, Virginia, white and shortleaf pine as the dominant species.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Kentucky, Southern Ohio and possibly West Virginia. MLRA's 124, 125, 128, and 147. The series is large extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Lexington, Kentucky
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rowan County, Kentucky 1971
REMARKS: These soils were formerly part of the Jefferson series. Three sample sites north of the North Fork of the Kentucky River have mixed mineralogy and less than 18 percent clay.Three sample sites south of the North Fork of the Kentucky River in Kentucky and those in Tenn. are siliceous and have more than 18 percent clay.
Diagnostic horizons in the pedon are:
Ochric epipedon- from a depth of 0 to 5 inches, (Ap horizon.)
Argillic horizon- from a depth of 9 to 45 inches, (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3 horizons.)