LOCATION MCMILLAN MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, frigid Lamellic Haplorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: McMillan fine sandy loam on a 27 percent slope, in a stand of second growth northern hardwoods. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated).
Oe--0 to 1 inches; partially decomposed organic matter; common fine roots throughout; extremely acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--1 to 4 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) fine sandy loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; many fine to coarse roots throughout; 2 percent gravel; extremely acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
E--4 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine to coarse roots throughout; extremely acid; abrupt broken boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
Bhs--6 to 9 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) very fine sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine to coarse roots throughout; 5 percent gravel; extremely acid; clear irregular boundary. (1 to 8 inches thick)
Bs1--9 to 16 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) very fine sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots throughout; 5 percent gravel; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bs2--16 to 22 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) loamy fine sand; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots throughout; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary. (combined Bs horizons are 6 to 16 inches thick)
Bw--22 to 32 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots throughout; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
E&Bt--32 to 80 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) sand (E) pink (7.5YR 7/3) dry and brown (7.5YR 5/4) loamy sand (Bt) lamellae; lamellae are 1/8 to 1/2 inch thick; massive; friable; few fine roots; 1 percent gravel; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Luce County Michigan, about 1 mile south of the village of McMillan; 1000 feet east and 1250 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 4, T. 45 N., R. 11 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the loamy cap ranges from 12 to 20 inches. Soil with less than 50 percent fine sand or coarser material occurs only in the upper 13 inches of the loamy cap. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 10 percent throughout the profile. Cobble content ranges from 0 to 5 percent throughout the profile.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3, and chroma of 1. It is loamy very fine sand to silt loam. Reaction is extremely acid or very strongly acid.
The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5, chroma of 2. It is loamy very fine sand to silt loam. Reaction is extremely acid or very strongly acid.
The Bhs horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value and chroma of 2 or 3. It is fine sandy loam to silt loam. Reaction is extremely acid or very strongly acid.
The Bs1 horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value of 3 or 4, chroma of 4. It is fine sandy loam to silt loam. Reaction is extremely acid or very strongly acid.
The Bs2 horizon has hue of 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, chroma of 6. It is loamy fine sand or loamy sand. Reaction is extremely acid or very strongly acid.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 6. It is fine sand or sand. Reaction is extremely acid to strongly acid.
The E part of the E&Bt has value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 2 or 3. It is sand or fine sand. The Bt portion has hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. It is loamy sand or loamy fine sand. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid.
Some pedons have a C horizon with hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is stratified coarse sand or sand with loamy sand bands. Reaction is extremely acid to strongly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blue Lake, Islandlake, and Lindquist series. All of these soils have less than 30 percent silt in the surface layer and upper subsoil.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: McMillan soils formed in loamy deposits over sandy glaciofluvial deposits on moraines and outwash plains of Wisconsinan age. Slope gradients range from 0 to 60 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 32 inches and mean annual temperature ranges from 41 to 43 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dawson, Kalkaska, Tawas, and Wallace soils. The very poorly drained Dawson and Tawas soils are in depressions and bogs. The somewhat excessively drained Kalkaska and well drained Wallace soils are on similar landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderate in the upper subsoil and rapid in the lower subsoil and substratum. Runoff is low to high, dependent on slope.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of this soil are forested with some areas used for farming. Tree species include sugar maple, American beech, yellow birch. Agricultural crops include potatoes, hay, and small grains.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Luce County, Michigan, 2005. The source of the name is a small town in Luce County.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from 1 to 4 inches (A horizon); albic horizon - the zone from 4 to 6 inches (E horizon); spodic horizon - the zone from 6 to 22 inches (Bhs and Bs horizons); lamellae - the zone from 32 to 80 inches (E&Bt horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to S01MI-095-003 for NSSL data on the typical pedon.