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Chapter 3 : Land Resources
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The primary factors causing soil variations within the Swatara Creek Watershed are the nature of the parent material, climate, topographic relief, flora and fauna that live in and on the soil, human influences, and the length of time that these factors have affected development of the soil. These factors have created soil associations, which within the watershed basin, consist of 19 major soils and combinations of minor soils (Table 3-1). Soil characteristic information was collected from the soil surveys of Berks, Dauphin, Lebanon and Schuylkill Counties. These surveys were developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in conjunction with the Pennsylvania State University. Along the headwaters of Swatara Creek, Udorthents-Dekalb-Hazelton soils predominate. Most land associated with this soil unit is in woodland; however, there are also small areas of urban development. These well drained, steeply sloping soils exhibit good potential for trees and woodlands. The predominance of large stones on the surface, the shallow depth to bedrock, and steep slope of these soils limit their potential for farming and development. Upper and Lower Little Swatara Creeks form the remainder of the watershed in Schuylkill County. Berks- Hartleton-Weikert soils predominate along these waters. Land associated with this soil unit is mostly in agricultural and urban use. These well-drained soils are well suited for farming. Soil permeability, shallow depth to bedrock, and the large amount of coarse fragments are limits to these soils for non-farm use. Schuylkill County is located in the Valley and Ridge Physiographic Province, Appalachian Mountain Section. Synclines and anticlines are numerous and result from the folding and faulting of bedrock in this area. The physical makeup of the Appalachian Mountain Section consists of a series of parallel valleys and ridges cut through by numerous streams. The ridges are composed of sandstone and conglomerate and trend in a northeast direction across the county. The southern end of the anthracite coalfields is located in the Swatara Creek watershed. Anthracite coalfields, historically the most important mineral resource to the area, are located in the ridges of the northern headwaters of the watershed. The valleys of the region are primarily composed of shale and siltstone.
Along Swatara Creek in the northeastern corner of Lebanon County, the Laidig-Hazelton-Leck-Kill soil association is dominant. This association gives way to Berks-Weikert-Bedington soils that predominate along the creek through the remainder of the county as the stream flows to the southwest. The Laidig-Hazelton-Leck Kill soils are found on tops, side slopes and foot slopes of mountains, summits, and ridges in northern Lebanon County. The soils are primarily in woodland because the soils’ stony and steep nature and slow permeability limit its use for cultivation or development. The Berks-Weikert-Bedington soils are found in the west central and northern portions of Lebanon County. These soils are generally well suited for most agricultural uses, but shallow bedrock and limited available water are limitations for other uses. Little Swatara Creek flows from its headwaters in Berks County through the central portion of Lebanon County to its confluence with Swatara Creek near Jonestown, PA. This section of the Swatara Creek watershed is mainly associated with the Bedington-Berks-Holly and Neshaminy-Berks-Holly soils located along tops, side slopes, and foot slopes of broad hills and flood plains. Although these soils are predominantly used for crops and hay, some woodland and urban development exists. Other sub-watersheds to the south and west within the watershed lie within Hagerstown-Duffield-Clarksburg soils found on broad plains and tops, benches, and side slopes and foot slopes of low limestone ridges in broad valleys. This soil unit is predominantly used for crops, hay, and pasture. Other uses include limestone quarries and some urban and industrial development. Photo 3-1: View of Hagerstown-Duffield-Clarksburg association along Snitz Creek in Lebanon County. Lebanon County is located within the Ridge and Valley physiographic province. A small portion to the north is in the Appalachian Mountain Section of the province while the remainder of the county is in the Great Valley Section. Where Swatara Creek enters the county from Schuylkill County to the east, bedrock is Middle Paleozoic sandstone, shale, and conglomerate formations. In contrast, where Little Swatara Creek flows through the county, bedrock of the Lower Paleozoic shale, limestone, and dolomite formations predominate. Further south in the watershed, sinkholes and solution cavities are common within the carbonate rocks associated with the karst topography. Limestone, dolomite, and shale are common within this section of the watershed. Andesite extrusions are also present within his section of the watershed As Swatara Creek progresses into Dauphin County flowing in a westerly direction, it passes through the Berks-Bedington-Weikert association. These soils of mostly low-lying areas are used for general farming and for dairy and livestock businesses. As Swatara Creek continues and begins to flow towards the south- southwest, it passes through the Hagerstown-Duffield association. These soils are best suited for general farming. The creek then turns to the southwest toward the Susquehanna River and passes through the Lewisberry- Penn-Athol association. These soils are also best suited for general farming. To the east of the creek is the Duncannon-Chavies-Tioga association; these soils are best suited for general farming and urban development. The Dauphin County portion of the Swatara Creek watershed contains parts of three sections in two physiographic provinces. The northern end of the watershed is located in the Appalachian Mountain Section of the Ridge and Valley Province. The portion of the watershed in the central region of Dauphin County is in the Great Valley Section of the Ridge and Valley Province. These geologic sections closely resemble the descriptions given in the discussions of Schuylkill and Lebanon Counties. Finally, in the southern end of both the watershed and the county, Swatara Creek flows into the Gettysburg-Newark Lowland Section of the Piedmont Physiographic Province. This section of the Piedmont Region is characterized by rolling lowlands with some isolated hills. The bedrock is composed primarily of gray and red sandstone, shales, conglomerate, and diabase. The headwaters of Little Swatara Creek originate along the Berks/Schuylkill County border on Blue Mountain in the Edgemont-Dekalb Association. The soils of this association are found on the steep slopes of Blue Mountain and are moderately deep and well drained. Because of the steep slopes and low nutrient content, these soils are not well suited for agricultural or other development; therefore, virtually all of these soils found in the watershed are forested. Further downstream the watershed is located in the Laidig-Buchanan-Andover Association. These soils are generally deep and moderately well drained, but due to stony conditions and seasonal high water tables, they are limited for use in crop cultivation. Pasture farming, campsites, cabins, and forested land are the primary land uses for these soils. Finally, as the watershed continues eastward towards Lebanon County, it enters the Berks-Weikert-Bedington Association. Although the Weikert soils are considered low in nutrients and are prone to droughty conditions, the majority of these soils are in some type of cultivation. If slopes or runoff are too great, some of these areas are left in woodland or used for pasture. Other types of development are limited due to the shallow depth to bedrock.The Berks County section of the Swatara Creek Watershed contains both the Appalachian Mountain and Great Valley Sections of the Ridge and Valley Physiographic Province. The section of the watershed located on Blue Mountain is in the Appalachian Mountain Section, while the remainder of the watershed is in the Great Valley Section. The descriptions of these physiographic provinces are the same as those given for Schuylkill and Lebanon Counties. B. Prime Agricultural Soils, Agricultural Security Areas, and Farmland Preservation The USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) designates prime agricultural soils in each of the counties in the watershed. Prime agricultural soils contain soil factors and slope features that are extremely well suited for agricultural purposes. These soils are deep, well drained, and level to nearly level. The same factors that make these soil types ideal for agriculture also make them an excellent soil type for development. Therefore, the locations and acreage of prime agricultural soils are important tools that can be used to plan for future development without removing important agricultural resources. Within the watershed, the majority of prime agricultural soil is located within the Great Valley section of the watershed. Much of this soil acreage is found in Lebanon County; however, significant acreage is also found in Dauphin and Berks Counties. Fewer prime farmland soils are found within the Appalachian Mountain Section of the watershed, Schuylkill County, the northern half of Dauphin County, and the northern end and edge of Lebanon and Berks Counties respectively. Much of the watershed in Schuylkill County has been mined, or is located among very steep slopes, which preclude it from being considered prime farmland. The Swatara Creek Valley, south of Sharp Mountain in southern Schuylkill County, contains the greatest amount of prime agricultural soils in this section of the watershed. 2. Agricultural Security Areas Agricultural Security Areas (ASA’s) are actively farmed lands, which have been enrolled into a statewide program that restricts development options for the properties. In addition, ASA’s protect the areas from indiscriminant condemnation, allow for farming of the area in the future, and prevent nuisance legislation detrimental to farming operations. A minimum of 250 acres is required for an ASA and they must be renewed every seven years. Local municipalities and counties administer ASA’s. Total acreage of ASA’s in the municipalities of the watershed is presented in Table 3-2 and locations of the ASA’s are presented on Figure 3-1. Totals are based upon February, 2000 information received from the Pennsylvania Farm Preservation Bureau.
In addition to ASA’s, Pennsylvania and county governments are also purchasing development easements of prime agricultural lands, located within ASA’s, for the purpose of preserving the areas in agricultural production, in perpetuity. Each of the counties in the watershed has farmland in the easement program; however, Lebanon and Berks Counties have much higher acreages than Dauphin and Schuylkill. Table 3-3 presents the total acreage found within the watershed by county and municipality.
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