LOCATION CAMDEN             IL+IA IN
Established Series
Rev. KG-MWB-SEW
09/2009

CAMDEN SERIES


The Camden series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in loess or other silty material and in the underlying loamy stratified outwash on outwash terraces, stream terraces, and outwash plains. Permeability is moderate. Slope ranges from 0 to 50 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 889 mm (35 inches), and mean annual air temperature is about 10 degrees C (50 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Camden silt loam - on a north-facing convex slope of 3 percent in a cultivated field at an elevation of about 720 feet above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate fine and very fine granular structure; friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [15 to 23 cm (6 to 10 inches) thick]

E--23 to 36 cm (9 to 14 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate thin platy structure; friable; few distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) (dry) silt coatings on faces of peds; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [ 0 to 25 cm ((0 to 10 inches) thick]

Bt1--36 to 46 cm (14 to 18 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; few distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) (dry) silt coatings on faces of peds; neutral; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--46 to 56 cm (18 to 22 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; few distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) (dry) silt coatings on faces of peds; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bt3--56 to 71 cm (22 to 28 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; few fine spherical black (7.5YR 2.5/1) very weakly cemented iron-manganese nodules throughout; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bt4--71 to 89 cm (28 to 35 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; common fine and medium irregular black (7.5YR 2.5/1) very weakly cemented iron-manganese nodules throughout; 3 percent by volume chert pebbles; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bt horizon ranges from 36 to 81 cm (14 and 32 inches).]

2Bt5--89 to 132 cm (35 to 52 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; friable; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; common fine and medium irregular black (7.5YR 2.5/1) weakly cemented iron-manganese nodules throughout; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron-manganese in the matrix; 5 percent by volume chert and quartz pebbles; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.

2Bt6--132 to 158 cm (52 to 62 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; friable; few faint brown (10YR 4/3) clay bridges between sand grains; few fine spherical black (7.5YR 2.5/1) weakly cemented iron-manganese nodules throughout; few fine faint brown (10YR 5/3) iron-manganese accumulations in the matrix; 5 percent by volume chert and quartz pebbles; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon ranges from 18 to 89 cm (7 to 35 inches).]

2C--158 to 203 cm (62 to 80 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4 and 10YR 5/6) stratified sandy loam, loam, and sandy clay loam; massive; very friable; moderately acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Champaign County, Illinois; about 6 miles northeast of Penfield; 30 feet north and 100 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 6, T. 22 N., R. 14 W.; USGS Rankin topographic quadrangle; lat. 40 degrees 23 minutes 6.1 seconds N., and long. 87 degrees 58 minutes 16.1 seconds W.; UTM Zone 16T 0417570 easting 4470947 northing; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 30 to 65 inches. The depth to horizons with more than 10 percent sand ranges from 24 to 40 inches. Carbonates may be present below a depth of 60 inches. The particle-size control section averages between 22 and 35 percent clay and less than 10 percent fine sand or coarser. The series control section is moderately acid or strongly acid in at least one sub-horizon.

The Ap or A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5 (6 or 7 dry), and chroma of 2 or 3, except some eroded pedons have chroma of 4. The Ap or A horizon of pedons with value of 3 are less than 6 inches thick. It is silt loam, except severely eroded pedons are silty clay loam. Clay content ranges from 14 to 35 percent. It ranges from strongly acid to neutral.

The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 or 3, or less commonly chroma of 4. It is silt loam. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutral.

Some pedons have a BE horizon as much as 8 inches thick.

The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is silty clay loam or silt loam. Clay content ranges from 22 to 35 percent. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutral.

The 2Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y; value of 4 to 6; and chroma of 3 to 6. It is silty clay loam, clay loam, loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or silt loam. Clay content ranges from 18 to 30 percent, and sand content ranges from 15 to 65 percent. Individual sub-horizons range from 10 to 35 percent clay and 10 to 75 percent sand. Volume of rock fragments is less than 10 percent. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutral.

Some pedons have a 2BC horizon with similar ranges as the 2Bt horizon.

The 2C horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is commonly stratified sandy loam, loam, or silt loam with thin strata of other textures. Clay content ranges from 5 to 20 percent, and sand content ranges from 30 to 75 percent. Individual subhorizons range from 75 to 95 percent sand. Volume of rock fragments is less than 13 percent. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Baraboo, Bertrand, Blackhammer, Dodge, Dubuque, Fayette, Flagg, Greenridge, Hackers, Jackson, Jemerson, Knowles, La Farge, Lambeau, Lomira, Martinsburg, Menfro, Middletown, Navlys, Palermo, Palsgrove, Pepin, Piscasaw, Ridgway, Rozetta, Ruma, Rush, Russell, Seaton, St. Charles, Stookey, Sylvan, Thebes, and Yellowriver soils. Baraboo, Dubuque, and La Farge, soils have a lithic or paralithic contact within a depth of 40 inches. Bertrand, Jackson, Ruma and St. Charles soils average less than 10 percent sand to a depth of 40 inches or more. Blackhammer soils average more than 10 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the series control section. Dodge, Flagg, and Jemerson, soils do not have subhorizons with greater than 75 percent sand in the lower part of the series control section. Fayette, Martinsburg, Menfro, Navlys, Rozetta, Seaton, and Stookey soils average less than 15 percent sand in the lower part of the series control section. Greenridge and Lambeau soils have a paralithic contact within a depth of 80 inches. Hackers soils have 5YR or redder hues in the solum. Knowles soils have a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Lomira soils have carbonates within the series control section. Middletown soils have more than 40 inches of loess or silty material. Palmero soils soils do not have a lithological discontinuity and have more than 40 inches of loess or silty material. Palsgrove soils average more than 35 percent clay in the lower part of the series control section. Pepin soils average more than 35 percent clay in the lower part of the series control section. Piscasaw, Russell, and Sylvan soils have carbonates within a depth of 60 inches. Ridgway soils are more moist in the moisture control section and have average temperatures of more than 57 degrees F in the temperature control section. Rush soils average more than 10 percent rock fragments in the lower two parts of the series control section. Thebes soils are underlain by eolian sandy material. Yellowriver soils average more than 10 percent sand in the upper part of the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Camden soils are on outwash plains, stream terraces, and outwash terraces of Wisconsinan Age. Slope ranges from 0 to 50 percent. These soils formed in 61 to 102 cm (24 to 40 inches) of loess or other silty material and in the underlying loamy stratified outwash. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 7 to 12 degrees C (45 to 54 degrees F), mean annual precipitation ranges from 762 to 1016 mm (30 to 40 inches), frost-free period ranges from 140 to 190 days, and elevation ranges from 400 feet to 1020 feet above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Harvard, Martinsville, Ockley, Sexton, Starks, and St. Charles soils. The well drained Harvard, Martinsville, and Ockley soils are on similar landforms. In addition, Harvard soils form a biosequence with the Camden soils and have a dark colored surface layer. The well drained St. Charles soils are on nearby landforms and have a thicker loess mantle. The poorly drained Sexton soils and the somewhat poorly drained Starks soils form a drainage sequence with Camden soils and are on lower lying areas.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to high. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high to high (4.23 to 14.11 micrometers per second). Permeability is moderate.

USE AND VEGETATION: Camden soils are used mainly for cultivated crops such as corn, soybeans, small grain; some areas are used for pasture and woodland. Native vegetation is mixed hardwood forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. The extent is large (more than 122,000 acres correlated) in MLRAs 95B, 105, 108A, 108B 110, 111, 113, 114B, and 115A, 115B, and 115C.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Schuyler County, Illinois, 1930.

REMARKS: A sandy substratum phase, flooded phase, moderately wet phase, and till substratum phase are recognized. These soils will be evaluated during MLRA updating to determine if new series are needed.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 14 inches (Ap, E horizons); argillic horizon - the zone from approximately 14 to 62 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, 2Bt5, and 2Bt6 horizons); udic moisture regime; mesic temperature regime.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.