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

5. Gilpin-Upshur
Soil Survey of Lincoln County, West Virginia
Moderately deep and deep, moderately steep to very steep, well drained soils that
have a loamy or clayey subsoil; on ridges and side slopes of hills
This map unit is in the northern and northeastern parts of the county. The
landscape is characterized by broad, gently sloping and strongly sloping ridgetops
and steep hillsides separated by deep, narrow, nearly level to sloping valleys (fig. 5).
Slopes range from 15 to 65 percent but are dominantly 25 to 65 percent. The soils in
this map unit are underlain by acid to alkaline interbedded siltstone, shale, and
sandstone.
These soils are poorly suited to development because of the steep slopes and a
severe hazard of slippage. Most of the acreage of this map unit is used as woodland.
Some areas on the less sloping, lower side slopes and on footslopes have been
cleared and are used for hay or pasture.
This map unit makes up about 25 percent of the county. It is about 46 percent
Gilpin and similar soils, 20 percent Upshur and similar soils, and 34 percent soils of
minor extent (fig. 6).
Gilpin soils are moderately deep and well drained. They are on linear or slightly
convex summits of ridges, on side slopes, and on convex shoulder slopes. Slopes
range from 8 to 65 percent. These soils formed in loamy residuum and are underlain
by interbedded shale, siltstone, and fine grained sandstone. Typically, they have a
surface layer of silt loam and a subsoil of channery silt loam or channery silty clay
loam. Permeability is moderate.
Figure 5.—A typical landscape in the Gilpin-Upshur general soil map unit.
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