LOCATION BLOMFORD MN+WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Arenic Endoaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Blomford loamy fine sand with a slightly concave slope of 1 percent on a sandy mantled ground moraine. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 5 inches; black (10YR 2/1) loamy fine sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; very friable; many fine to coarse roots throughout; 2 percent gravel; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
Eg--5 to 23 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loamy fine sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots throughout; many fine and medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions and many fine and medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) iron concentrations; 2 percent gravel; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (12 to 36 inches thick)
2Btg1--23 to 40 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay loam; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; many very fine to medium roots throughout; common continuous distinct very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) clay films on faces of peds; few coarse masses of iron accumulation; many medium and coarse distinct dark gray (5Y 4/1) iron depletions and many medium and coarse distinct olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) iron concentrations; 12 percent gravel; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
2Btg2--40 to 55 inches; olive gray (5Y 4/2)clay loam; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; common very fine and fine roots throughout; many continuous distinct dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) clay films on faces of peds; few coarse masses of iron accumulation; many coarse faint dark gray (5Y 4/1) iron depletions and many coarse prominent olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) iron concentrations; 12 percent gravel; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizons is 12 to 40 inches)
2BCg--55 to 65 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) clay loam; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; very firm; few very fine roots; few discontinuous distinct dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; few fine masses of iron accumulation; few fine carbonate threads; many fine and medium distinct olive gray (5Y 5/2) iron depletions and many fine and medium distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) iron concentrations; 10 percent gravel; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. ( 0 to 18 inches thick)
2Cg--65 to 80 inches; mixed grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay loam and sandy clay loam; massive; very friable; few very fine roots; few fine masses of iron accumulation; few fine carbonate threads; many fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) iron concentrations; 8 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Cass County, Minnesota; 2,300 feet south and 150 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 19, T. 145 N., R. 31 W., Cass County; USGS Steamboat Lake quadrangle; lat. 47 degrees 21 minutes 37 seconds N. and long. 94 degrees 40 minutes 10 seconds W., NAD27:
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to free carbonates ranges from 30 to over 60 inches. The upper mantle is 20 to less than 40 inches thick. Rock fragments, by volume, range from 0 to 10 percent gravel in the upper part and 2 to 10 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles in the underlying till. A gravelly lag line up to 5 inches thick may occur at the contact of the upper mantle and the till. Rock fragments range to 35 percent, by volume, in this horizon.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 through 3. It is loamy sand, loamy fine sand, or loamy coarse. The reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Eg or E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sand or coarse sand. The reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid. Thin lamellae may occur in this horizon.
Some pedons have a thin B/E, 2B/E, E & Bt, or 2E/B horizon.
The 2Btg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y; value of 4 to 6; and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam. The reaction is moderately acid to neutral. It has 18 to 30 percent clay and less than 45 percent total sand.
Some pedons have a 2Bkg horizon that has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 7; and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loam or clay loam. Carbonate threads or masses are common to many. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Properties of the 2BCg are similar to the B and C horizons respectively. The reaction is slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
The 2Cg horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 or 6; and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam or clay loam. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. The moist bulk density is 1.4 to 1.6 g/cc. Redox features with chroma of 1 to 4 are present.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils have plane or concave slopes on glacial moraines and till plains. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in a sandy glacial outwash or eolian mantle and underlying calcareous, loamy till. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 22 to 30 inches. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 36 to 45 degrees F. Frost-free days range from 88 to 145. Elevation above sea level ranges from 670 to 1,500 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the well Braham, moderately well drained Cutaway, and somewhat poorly drained Ricelake soils that are members of a hydrosequence. The poorly drained Talmoon and Effie soils and somewhat poorly drained Beltrami soils are associated in places.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Surface runoff is low. Permeability is rapid in the upper part and moderate to moderately slow in the lower part. The depth to season high saturation is as high as .5 foot during April to June in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Blomford soils are mostly cropped to corn, soybeans, and hay in the southern part of their range and are mostly in forest in the northern part of their range. Native vegetation is mixed water tolerant deciduous, spruce and pine trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: : North-central, east-central and west-central Minnesota. MLRA-57, 88, 91 and possibly MLRA-93. Moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Isanti County, Minnesota, l953.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 23 inches (A and Eg horizons); argillic horizon - the zone from about 23 to 55 inches (2Btg horizon); arenic subgroup - the layers in the upper 23 inches have textures of loamy fine sand or coarser; aquic moisture regime - low chroma of argillic horizon.