LOCATION ELRICK IAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Elrick sandy loam, with about 1 percent slope on a nearly level flood plain - cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sandy loam (about 15 percent clay), dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common very fine roots; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--10 to 14 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) sandy loam (about 16 percent clay), brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; few very fine roots; few fine dark oxides; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 10 to 20 inches.)
Bw1--14 to 19 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam (about 15 percent clay); weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; few very fine roots; few fine dark oxides; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--19 to 28 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam (about 13 percent clay); weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few very fine roots; few fine dark oxides; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 10 to 20 inches.)
C1--28 to 34 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam (about 9 percent clay); single grained; very friable; few fine roots; few fine dark oxides; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
C2--34 to 40 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) loamy sand; single grained; loose; medium acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
C3--40 to 60 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sand; single grained; loose; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Louisa County, Iowa; about 4 miles south and 5 miles east of Grandview; 42 feet north and 2,400 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 8, T. 74 N., R. 2 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Carbonates are not present in the solum and typically are lacking to depths of several feet. Depth to loamy sand or sand ranges from 24 to 36 inches. Reaction in the solum ranges from strongly acid to neutral in the most acid part. The control section averages about 8 to 14 percent clay and 65 to 80 percent total sand. The sand fraction is more than 50 percent medium sand or coarser. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 5 percent by volume. The gravel typically is less than 1 cm in diameter.
The Ap or A horizon ranges from black (10YR 2/1) to dark brown (10YR 3/3). It is sandy loam or loam.
The Bw horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It typically is sandy loam but some pedons are loamy sand in the lower part. A BC horizon is in some pedons.
The C horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 3 through 6. It is loamy sand, sand, or coarse sand but typically has thin layers of sandy loam or loam in the upper part.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Becker, Bertram, Bolan, Carmi, Dickinson, Etter, Flagler, Lowlein, Olin, Ridgeport, and Zenor soils in the same family and the Landes soils and Fruitfield soils. The Becker soils have thicker mollic epipedons and lack hues of 7.5YR or redder in the B and C horizons. Bertram soils have limestone bedrock within 40 inches. Bolan soils typically contain less sand in the upper part of the profile, have a higher average clay content in the control section, and lack hues of 7.5YR or redder. In addition, the sand is mostly fine or very fine in size. Carmi soils have more gravel in the lower part of the solum and substratum. Dickinson soils contain less medium and coarse sand in the solum and typically lack hues of 7.5YR. Etter soils have sandstone bedrock within 40 inches. Flagler, Ridgeport, and Zenor soils contain more gravel in the lower part of the B horizon and in the C horizon. Lowlein soils have 2C horizons with free carbonates. Olin soils have loam 2B and 2C horizons. Landes soils contain less medium and coarse sand and typically are shallower to carbonates. The Fruitfield soils have more sand and less clay in the solum.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Elrick soils typically are on nearly level floodplains which are subject to flooding unless protected by levees. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in loamy alluvium and sandy alluvium containing more than 65 percent sand. The sand is dominantly medium sand or coarser in size. Mean annual temperature is about 47 to 54 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is about 31 to 34 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Fruitfield and Toolesboro soils. The Fruitfield soils are on slightly higher areas of the floodplain, are excessively drained, and contain less clay. The Toolesboro soils are on slightly lower areas on the floodplain, are somewhat poorly drained or poorly drained, and have gray mottles in the upper part of the B horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is moderately rapid in the solum and very rapid in the underlying coarse textured material.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils commonly are irrigated and cropped to corn, soybeans, potatoes, tomatoes, and melons. Native vegetation was grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mississippi River bottom lands in southeastern Iowa and possibly adjoining states. They are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Louisa County, Iowa, 1984.