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2005 Minesoil Study in Barbour and Preston Counties

Submitted by Steve Baker

The original surveys for Barbour (1968) and Preston (1959) Counties delineated strip mined lands, but simply designated these areas as ‘Sm’, with no corresponding interpretations. This was standard for the time as minesoils were thought to be too variable to accurately classify. Since then, the concept of mined areas has changed greatly, with WVU as a leading research facility for these soils.

The original surveys listed the total mined land to be 7,350 acres in Barbour and 1,974 acres in Preston County, with those figures expected to double by the time these counties make SSURGO certification and are posted to the Soil Data Mart in 2007. The MLRA 127 soil survey staff decided that a sampling project for minesoil characterization was well justified given the fairly intense post-mining use as pasture for area farmers, coupled with the high price of coal spurring further mining.

There are two dominant coal producing geologies in the survey area, the Monongahela, mainly in western Barbour, and the Conemaugh, which extends well into Preston County. See table below.

Geology Dominant Rock Type Associated Coal Resultant Soil Series
Monongahela Sandstones, Thin Limestones, Shales Redstone, Pittsburgh JaneLew
Conemaugh Sandstones, Shales Bakerstown, Upper Freeport Bethesda

The sampling method was to dig four pits in the Monongahela and four in the Conemaugh, along with transect data to support these pits. The pits were dug to 150+ cm, sampled by horizon, and then shipped to the Soil Survey Lab in Lincoln for analysis.  This project will help us characterize the series as they occur in this survey area, and will provide interpretations that were unavailable.

I would also like to take a moment to thank Athena Van Lear (SS, Philippi), Adam Boner (SS, SCEP), and Jim Allen (SCT, Kingwood) for their help in digging these rock laden pits. It was quite labor intensive and not always in the best of weather, and I am forever grateful. Also thanks are due to Tony Jenkins (MLRA Project Leader), Skip Bell (SDQS), and Steve Carpenter (SSS) for their help and encouragement on this project.

For further information, contact Steve Baker at the Major Land Resource Area # 127 Central Soil Survey Project Office.

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