LOCATION MILL                    OH+PA

Established Series
JRS-STP
01/2016

MILL SERIES


The Mill series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils formed in till on Wisconsinan age plains and moraines. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in the subsoil and moderately low in the substratum. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 1065 mm (42 inches), and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C (48 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, mesic Aeric Epiaquepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Mill silt loam, on a 1 percent slope in a hayfield at an elevation of about 910 ft above msl. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

Ap--0 to 28 cm (0 to 11 in); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate fine and medium granular structure; friable; common very fine and fine roots; common medium distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) irregular shaped masses of iron accumulation throughout; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese oxide concretions throughout; 1 percent rock fragments; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (20 to 28 cm [8 to 11 in] thick)

Bg/E--28 to 48 cm (11 to 19 in); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine and fine roots; many coarse and very coarse light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay depletions on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; many fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; few fine dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) iron-manganese oxide accumulations throughout; 1 percent rock fragments; moderately acid; gradual irregular boundary. (Combined thickness is 8 to 36 cm [3 to 14 in].)

Bw1--48 to 71 cm (19 to 28 in); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; friable; few very fine roots; common prominent gray (10YR 5/1) iron-depleted coats on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; common coarse distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay depletions on vertical faces of peds; common fine dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) slightly hard iron-manganese oxide concretions throughout; many medium black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese oxide accumulations on faces of peds; 4 percent rock fragments; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

Bw2--71 to 86 cm (28 to 34 in); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay loam; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few very fine roots; common prominent gray (10YR 6/1) iron-depleted coats on vertical faces of peds; common medium faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; common medium black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese oxide accumulations on faces of peds; 2 percent rock fragments; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

Bw3--86 to 102 cm (34 to 40 in); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loam; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few very fine roots; common prominent gray (10YR 6/1) iron-depleted coats on vertical faces of peds; common medium faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; common medium black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese oxide accumulations on faces of peds; 4 percent rock fragments; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 46 to 81 cm [18 to 32 in].)

BC--102 to 114 cm (40 to 45 in); reddish brown (5YR 4/4) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few prominent gray (10YR 6/1) iron-depleted coats on vertical faces of peds; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; common medium black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese oxide accumulations throughout; 8 percent rock fragments; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual irregular boundary. (0 to 36 cm [0 to 14 in] thick.)

C1--114 to 145 cm (45 to 57 in); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; massive; friable; few distinct gray (10YR 6/1) iron-depleted coats along vertical cracks; common medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; 8 percent rock fragments; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

C2--145 to 203 cm (57 to 80 in); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; massive; friable; common medium distinct gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions in cracks; few medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; 12 percent rock fragments; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Ashtabula County, Ohio; about 2.3 miles southwest of Griggs Corners, in Jefferson Township, 900 ft east of the intersection of Giddings Road (Township Road 297) and Jones Road (Township Road 294), then 500 feet south, T. 11 N., R. 3 W.; USGS Gageville, OH topographic quadrangle; Latitude 41 degrees, 45 minutes, 31 seconds N. and Longitude 80 degrees, 43 minutes, 45 seconds W., NAD 1983.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum is 102 to 168 cm (40 to 66 in). Depth to carbonates is 76 to 157 cm (30 to 62 in). The particle-size control section averages 18 to 35 percent clay. Rock fragments are mainly sandstone and siltstone with small amounts of limestone and crystalline.

The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5 (6 or 7 dry), and chroma of 1 or 2. Some pedons have an A horizon, 1 to 4 in thick, that has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3 (4 or 5 dry), and chroma of 1 or 2. Structure is weak or moderate, fine to coarse, granular. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 5 percent. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid. Areas that have been limed may range to slightly acid.

The Bg/E horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or is neutral, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 0 to 2. Texture is silt loam or silty clay loam. Structure is weak or moderate, fine or medium, subangular blocky. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 10 percent. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid.

Some pedons have a Bg horizon with hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, chroma of 1 or 2, and common or many redox concentrations with chroma of 3 to 8. Texture is silt loam or silty clay loam. Structure is weak or moderate, fine to coarse, subangular blocky. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 10 percent. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.

The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 8. Faces of peds have chroma of 2 or less. Texture is silt loam, silty clay loam, loam, clay loam or their gravelly or channery analogues. Structure is weak to strong, fine to coarse, subangular or angular blocky, or weak or moderate, medium to very coarse, prismatic parting to subangular or angular blocky. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 25 percent. Reaction is strongly acid to neutral.

The BC horizon has hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, chroma of 1 to 4, and has redox features. Texture is silt loam, silty clay loam, loam, clay loam or their gravelly or channery analogues. Structure is weak or moderate, medium or coarse, subangular blocky. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 30 percent. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline. Some pedons have thin, discontinuous subhorizons of outwash and/or lacustrine deposits in the lower solum or substratum. Some pedons do not have a BC horizon.

The C horizon has hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is silt loam, silty clay loam, loam, clay loam or their gravelly or channery analogues. Rock fragment content ranges from 5 to 30 percent. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Jamestown series. Jamestown soils are formed in alluvium over till and have a densic contact in the substratum.

A soil in a similar family is the Painesville series. Painesville soils are formed in glaciolacustrine sediments over till and average 5 to 18 percent clay in the particle size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Mill soils formed in Wisconsinan age low lime till strongly influenced by clayey shale and siltstone and are on broad flats, drainageways, and depressions on till plains and moraines. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 830 to 1320 mm (33 to 52 in) and the mean annual temperature ranges from about 6 to 11 degrees C (43 to 52 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cambridge, Darien, Gageville, Pierpont, Platea and Venango soils on nearby landscapes. The moderately well drained Pierpont soils and the somewhat poorly drained Darien soils on higher landscape positions are in a drainage sequence with Mill soils. The Cambridge, Platea, and Venango soils have a fragipan and are on higher landscape positions on the till plain. The moderately well drained Gageville soils are on nearby landscapes.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in the subsoil and moderately low in the substratum. Depth to the top of an intermittent perched seasonal high water table is 15 cm ( 6 in) above the surface to 15 cm (6 in) below the surface from October to June in most years. Frequent brief ponding occurs during periods of heavy rainfall and snowmelt.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for woodland, hayland and cropland. Where adequately drained, the principal crops include corn, soybeans, or wheat, and meadow in rotation. Natural vegetation is hardwood forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania. MLRA 139. The series is of moderately large extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ashtabula County, Ohio, 2001.

REMARKS: Soils that were mapped as Sheffield silt loam, classified as Fine-silty, mixed, mesic Typic Fragiaqualfs; Frenchtown silt loam, classified as Fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Typic Fragiaqualfs; and Ilion silt loam, classified as Fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Mollic Ochraqualfs, in the Soil Survey of Ashtabula County published in 1973 were correlated to the Mill series during the modernization project of that survey.

Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
1. Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 0 to 28 cm (0 to 11 in) (Ap horizon).
2. Aquic conditions - begin at the surface.
3. Cambic horizon - from a depth of 28 to 102 cm (11 to 40 in) (Bg/E, Bw1, Bw2 and Bw3 horizons)
The 5YR and 7.5YR matrix hues of the BC and C horizons is generally associated with Keefus Till.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to pedon AB-124 for characterization data on the typical pedon, sample numbers 26759 to 26773 from Ashtabula County, Ohio; samples analyzed by The Ohio State University Soil Characterization Laboratory, Columbus, Ohio.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.