Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area: Geologic and Soil Resources Inventory Summary
Thornberry-Ehrlich T. 2025. Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area: Geologic and Soil Resources Inventory Summary. National Park Service
This document summarizes the status of National Park Service (NPS) Geologic Resources Inventory (GRI) and Soil Resources Inventory (SRI) deliverables for Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (BISO). It also provides information on current geology and soil resources management concerns with a focus on identified inventory needs related to geologic heritage, geohazards, and related soil features and processes. This document is intended to assist park staff with prioritizing technical assistance or new inventory and assessment funding requests in the near term (roughly 1–5 years). GRI hosted a baseline scoping meeting for BISO in 2007. Baseline bedrock and surficial geologic maps were delivered to the park in 2021. SRI delivered a legacy soil database and map to the park in 2010 and delivered updated data and an “enhanced report” in 2013. Geologic heritage resources of particular interest include Big South Fork and gorge; stratotypes; paleokarst; periglacial features; rock shelters and first inhabitants; homesteading; oil, gas, and coal; unique, geologically controlled habitats and ecological relationships; and river rapids and recreation. Inventory needs include cliff surveys, climbing use studies, stratotype designations, field inventories, ecological flow studies, stone quarry identification, and streambed mapping. Soils at BISO are generally thin and rocky on upper slopes with limited fertility. In the river floodplains and valley bottoms, the soils are thicker and more fertile but of limited spatial extent. Inventory needs include detailed correlations between soil type and vegetation communities and pH buffering capacity surveys. Geologic resource management issues include abandoned mineral lands (oil, gas, and coal); fluvial issues; land use and visitor overuse; slope movements; and seismicity. Geohazards include flooding, extreme precipitation events, dam failure, landslides, earthquakes, shrink/swell soils, and toxicological soils. Inventory needs include cave and karst mapping, landscape evolution mapping, slope analyses, digitized mine maps, spoil area mapping, abandoned mineral land site identification, and clinker maps.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Thornberry-Ehrlich, Trista
- Date of Issue
- 2025-06
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- APHN , BISO , GRI , SER , SRI
- Keywords
- Abandoned Mineral Lands, Acid Mine Drainage, Caves, Coal, Contaminated Mine Drainage, Fluvial Issues, Free-Flowing River, Geologic Features, Geologic Hazards, Geologic Heritage, Geologic History, Geologic Processes, GIS, GSRI, Homesteading, Karst, Map Units, Oil and Gas, Paleokarst, Paleontological Resources., Periglacial, Rapids, Resource Management, Rock Shelters, Seismicity, Slope Movements, Stratotype
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Geomorphology | Glacial Features and Processes , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Geomorphology | Hillslope Features and Processes , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Geomorphology | Stream/River Channel Characteristics , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Subsurface Geologic Processes | Cave/Karst Features and Processes , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Subsurface Geologic Processes | Seismic Activity , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Soil Quality | Soil Function and Dynamics , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Paleontology | Paleontology