LOCATION MERIDIAN WI+MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Mollic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Meridian silt loam - on a plane 1 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of about 805 feet. (Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine and very fine roots; about 1 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 15 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine and fine roots; few faint brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; about 1 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--15 to 22 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine and fine roots; common faint brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; about 1 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt3--22 to 28 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine and fine roots; many distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; about 1 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt4--28 to 32 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) sandy loam; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; many distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; about 3 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon ranges from 16 to 34 inches.)
2BC--32 to 41 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) loamy coarse sand; single grain; loose; about 3 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (7 to 30 inches thick)
2C1--41 to 50 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sand; single grain; loose; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary.
2C2--50 to 72 inches; multicolored coarse sand; single grain; loose; about 3 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Pepin County, Wisconsin; about 1.5 miles south of Eau Galle; 150 feet north and 2300 feet east from the southwest corner of sec. 6, T. 25 N., R. 13 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the loamy alluvium and depth to sandy outwash ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 20 to 45 inches. The weighted average clay content in the upper part of the particle-size control section ranges from 18 to 27 percent. Volume of gravel ranges from 0 to 15 percent in the loamy alluvium and from 0 to 35 percent in the sandy outwash. Volume of cobbles ranges from 0 to 5 percent throughout the pedon. Reaction naturally ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid throughout the solum but ranges to neutral in the surface layer and upper subsoil, where the soil is limed.
The Ap horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 to 3. Typically, it is silt loam or loam. Less typically it is sandy loam or fine sandy loam. Uncultivated pedons have an A horizon with color and texture like the Ap horizon. A horizons less than 7 inches thick have colors like the Ap horizon after mixing to 7 inches.
Some pedons have an E horizon with hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. Typically, it is silt loam or loam but in some pedons it is sandy loam or fine sandy loam.
Some pedons have a BE horizon with hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4 . It is silt loam or loam.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. It typically is loam, silt loam, or sandy clay loam but includes subhorizons of sandy loam.
Some pedons have a 2Bt horizon with hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. It is sand, loamy sand, coarse sand, loamy coarse sand, or the gravelly analogs.
The 2BC horizon has color and texture like the 2Bt horizon described above.
The 2C horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 6 or it is multicolored. It is sand, coarse sand, or the gravelly analogs. The reaction is typically strongly acid to slightly acid. However, in MLRA-104 and the western part of MLRA-105, the reaction is slighlty acid to slightly alkaline with small amounts of calcium carbonate allowed in the range.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Gardenvale, Menomin(T), Merimod, Merit and Sattre series. Gardenvale soils have siliceous sand and a paralithic contact in the lower part of the series control section. Menomin soils have redox features and an apparent water table in the lower part of the series control section. Merit soils have siliceous sand in the lower part of the series control section. Sattre soils have lamellae (E&Bt horizon) in the lower part of the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Meridian soils are on lake terraces and outwash terraces of valley rains. Slope gradients range from 0 to 20 percent. These soils formed primarily in loamy alluvium overlying sandy outwash. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 33 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 46 to 51 degrees F. The frost free period ranges from about 135 to 160 days. Elevation ranges from 600 to 1000 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dakota, Lows, Menomin(T), Rusktown(T), and Shiffer soils. Dakota soils are on landscape positions similar to those of Meridian soils where the dark colored surface layer is thicker. The poorly drained Lows soils , the somewhat poorly drained Shiffer soils, and the moderately well drained Menomin soils form a drainage sequence with Meridian soils. The moderately well drained Rusktown soils are in slightly lower landscape positions where there is more sand and less clay in the soil
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow to rapid. Permeability is moderate in the loamy alluvium and rapid or very rapid in the sandy outwash.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Meridian soils are used for cropland. Common crops are corn, small grain, and hay. Some small areas remain in pastureland or woodland. A few small areas remain in native vegetation which is a mixture of deciduous trees and prairie grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern and west-central Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota. Meridian soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Richland County, Wisconsin, 1956.
REMARKS: Prior to 1969 the concept of Meridian covered two textural families. The coarser part is now part of the Billett series.
The concept of having free carbonates was added to allow use in other parts of MLRA-104 and 105.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon too dark for the Typic subgroup - 0 to 9 inches (Ap); argillic horizon - 9 to 32 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4).
NSSL data indicates that Meridian soil have base saturation of 50 percent or more (by NH4OAc) in all horizons between the upper boundary of the argillic and a depth of 125 cm. However, it is suspected that the very low CEC in the sandy outwash results in drastic changes in base sat. with the addition of a few bases from fertilization in cropland areas. These soils may classify as Ultic subgroup in their natural state.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record - WI0248.