Soil Survey of Lincoln County, West Virginia - Soil Data Mart - US ...

Soil Survey of Lincoln County, West Virginia
The elevation in Lincoln County ranges from about 535 feet along the Guyandotte
River at the Cabell County line to 1,686 feet in the southeastern part of Lincoln
County along the Boone County line.
Numerous large streams pass through the county and, together with their
tributaries, constitute its drainage. The northeastern part of the county is drained by
the Little Coal River, which flows in a northeasterly direction, forming first the dividing
line between Lincoln and Boone Counties and then between Lincoln and Kanawha
Counties, before emptying into Big Coal River. The Mud River drains the northern,
central, and southeastern portions of the county. It has its source in Boone County
and flows generally to the northwest through Lincoln County before it empties into the
Guyandotte River a short distance below Barboursville, in Cabell County. Its principal
tributaries in Lincoln County are the Middle Fork and Trace Fork. With a total length of
only 77 miles and a fall of 328 feet, the Mud River is relatively meandering and
sluggish.
The Guyandotte River and its major tributaries drain most of the southern and
western parts of the county. The Guyandotte River, which has its source in Raleigh
County, to the southeast, flows through Wyoming, Mingo, and Logan Counties before
entering southern Lincoln County. It flows in a general north-northwest direction
through Lincoln County before emptying into the Ohio River near Huntington, West
Virginia, in Cabell County. In the mid-19th century, the Guyandotte River was used for
transporting coal to the Ohio River. The construction of the railroad along the
Guyandotte River to the town of Logan, in Logan County, caused commercial
transportation on the river to be abandoned. Some of the major tributaries of the
Guyandotte River in Lincoln County include Little Hart, Hart, Green Shoals, Fourteen
Mile, and Big Ugly Creeks.
Natural Resources
In addition to soil and water, other important natural resources in Lincoln County
are coal, timber, oil, and gas. Sand and gravel are resources of minor extent. Ground
water and surface water supplies throughout the county generally meet domestic
water demands. Most of the towns and many rural areas are served by community
water systems. Wells and cisterns provide water to many rural homes and farms.
Numerous farm ponds, small lakes, and streams throughout Lincoln County provide
water for livestock, wildlife, and limited irrigation, as well as for recreational use and
wildlife habitat. Watering troughs have been developed at many of the local springs to
provide water for livestock. The 330-acre Upper Mud River Lake is the largest lake in
the county and provides recreational opportunities such as boating, fishing, and water
skiing. The Guyandotte River also provides recreational opportunities and is a source
of water.
Woodland makes up 246,000 acres, or nearly 88 percent of the total land area in
the county (U.S. Department of Agriculture 1999). Timber production contributes to
the local economy by providing employment in timber harvesting and at numerous
sawmills throughout the county. The primary trees harvested are northern red oak,
white oak, yellow-poplar, and hemlock, with some black walnut. Eastern redcedar is
harvested for fenceposts and some lumber.
Other natural resources in Lincoln County include oil, gas, and coal. Gas wells are
scattered throughout the county. In 2003, there were 1,918 gas wells in Lincoln
County that produced about 9.4 million cubic feet of gas. Most of the oil reserves are
in the northern half of the county, especially near Griffithsville. Annual oil production
for the estimated 260 wells was 57,146 barrels in 2003 (West Virginia Geological and
Economic Survey n.d.). Original estimates of mineable coal reserves in the county
were 1.7 billion tons (fig. 2).
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