(Conservation Currents,
Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, March
2003)
You probably know that the state flower of
Virginia is the dogwood because you see it on signs and license
plates. You may know that the state bird is the cardinal. But
how many of us can identify the state soil? Each state in the
United States has selected a state soil, fifteen of which have
been established legislatively. Virginia’s state soil
is Pamunkey.
Areas with similar soils are grouped and labeled
as soils series because their similar origins and their chemical
and physical properties cause the soils to behave similarly
for land use purposes. A soil series name generally is derived
from a town or landmark in or near the area where the soil series
was first recognized.
A soil series is a naturally occurring entity
on the landscape. Therefore, a given series does not necessarily
occur within the confines of only one state. Several state soils
range beyond the respective states in which they are honored.
In Virginia, Pamunkey formed in stream terrace
sediments in the James River drainage basin. These sediments
are from every physiographic province in the Commonwealth. The
farm where the Pamunkey soils were first identified is near
Jamestown. It is considered to be the oldest tilled farm in
the United States. It is very likely that the first settlers
at Jamestown were able to survive because of the food they produced
on these fertile soils. The Pamunkey Tribe and other Indian
tribes were the first people to recognize the natural ability
of this soil to produce food. In recent years these soils have
produced record yields of corn and wheat.
You won’t find Pamunkey in Fairfax County.
To learn about the soils you will find here, visit NVSWCD’s
soils information page.
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