LOCATION EAGLESNEST MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Oxyaquic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Eaglesnest stony loam on a linear slope of 2 percent on a till plain in a clear-cut forest. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 3 inches; black (10YR 2/1) stony loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; 2 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, 15 percent stones, 10 percent boulders; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick.)
Bw1--3 to 6 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) stony loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine roots; 2 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, 15 percent stones, 10 percent boulders; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--6 to 20 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) stony sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine roots; 2 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, 15 percent stones, 10 percent boulders; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bw3--20 to 28 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) very stony sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine roots; 5 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, 15 percent stones, 10 percent boulders; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bw horizons is 10 to 30 inches.)
2BC--28 to 41 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) very cobbly sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) Fe concentrations; 15 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones, 5 percent boulders; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 25 inches thick.)
2Cd--41 to 80 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) very cobbly sandy loam; massive; firm; few 2-3 millimeter wide vertical fractures; few fine roots in fractures; few medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) Fe concentrations; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones, 5 percent boulders; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: St. Louis County, Minnesota; about 12 miles north of Biwabik; 1300 feet south and 1800 feet west of the northeast corner sec. 11, T. 60 N., R. 16 W. USGS Biwabik NE Quadrangle; latitude 47 degrees 42 minutes 10 seconds N and longitude 92 degrees 20 minutes 00 seconds W., NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to free carbonates is greater than 80 inches. Depth to dense till is 40 to 60 inches. Rock fragment content averages 35 to 60 percent, by volume, in the series control section.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loam, fine sandy loam or sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction. Rock fragment content ranges from 15 to 35 percent, by volume, with 2 to 10 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, 2 to 25 percent stones and 0 to 25 percent boulders. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid.
Some pedons have an E horizon 1 to 4 inches thick with hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 1 to 3. It is loam, fine sandy loam or sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction. Rock fragment content averages 15 to 35 percent with 2 to 10 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, 2 to 25 percent stones and 0 to 25 percent boulders. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid. The E horizons occur in less than 50 percent of all pedons.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5 and chroma of 3 to 6. It is loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction. Rock fragment content averages 15 to 35 percent, by volume, with 2 to 15 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, 2 to 25 percent stones and 0 to 25 percent boulders. Lower subhorizons contain up to 45 percent rock fragments. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The 2BC horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 3 to 6. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy sand or loamy coarse sand in the fine-earth fraction. Rock fragment content averages 35 to 60 percent by volume with 15 to 40 percent gravel, 5 to 25 percent cobbles, 0 to 15 percent stones and 0 to 10 percent boulders. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The 2Cd horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2 to 4. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, loamy sand or loamy coarse sand in the fine-earth fraction. Rock fragment content averages 35 to 60 percent by volume with 15 to 40 percent gravel, 5 to 25 percent cobbles, 0 to 15 percent stones and 0 to 10 percent boulders. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Eaglesnest soils are on linear or convex slopes on till plains and till-mantled bedrock uplands. Slopes range from 2 to 12 percent. They formed in a mantle of loamy material and underlying dense till. The till was deposited by the Rainy Lobe. Mean annual air temperature is 36 to 40 degrees F. and mean annual precipitation is 27 to 30 inches. The frost-free period is 90 to 120 days. Elevation above sea level is 1400 to 1900 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Babbitt, Cathro, Cloquet, Conic, Eveleth, Soudan and Wahlsten soils. The somewhat poorly drained Babbitt soils are on less sloping areas. The very poorly drained Cathro soils formed in organic materials and are in depressions. The well drained Cloquet soils formed in a mantle of loess and underlying outwash. The well drained Conic and moderately well drained Wahlsten soils have bedrock at 20 to 40 inches. Well drained Eveleth soils are on more steeply sloping areas. Moderately well drained Soudan soils have a sandy mantle.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Runoff is low to medium. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is .01 to 1.41 micrometers per second (.0015 to .20 inches per hour). Perched seasonal high saturation is as high as 2.0 feet during the period April through June and October through November in years of normal precipitation.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. Principal trees are aspen, paper birch, red maple, balsam fir, white spruce, red pine and jack pine. Native vegetation is mixed coniferous and deciduous forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA-93A. Northeast Minnesota. Moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Louis County (Virginia subset), 2006
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 3 inches (A horizon); Cambic horizon - the zone from 3 to 41 inches (Bw and 2BC horizons); Oxyaquic subgroup - saturated above a depth of 40 inches.
This soil was formerly recognized as a moderately well drained phase of the Eveleth series.
Placement is tentative. These soils may classify as Spodosols if the chemical requirement is met. Albic horizons are in less than 50 percent of all pedons based on field documentation. Lab data will be obtained in the future.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record number MN0812.