LOCATION MILLERSBURG MI
Established Series
Rev. THP-JGM-MLK
08/2012
MILLERSBURG SERIES
The Millersburg series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in sandy and loamy till on ground moraines, disintegration moraines, and drumlins. Slope ranges from 0 to 35 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 762 mm (30 inches), and the mean annual temperature is about 5.6 degrees C (42 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, frigid Haplic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Millersburg loamy sand, on a south-facing, convex, 5 percent slope under mixed hardwoods and conifers at an elevation of 274 meters (900 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 5 cm (2 inches); black (7.5YR 2.5/1) loamy sand, black (7.5YR 2.5/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; common fine and very fine and few medium roots; about 1 percent gravel; extremely acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) thick]
E--5 to 13 cm (2 to 5 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/2) sand; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine and very fine, and few medium and coarse roots; about 1 percent gravel; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [5 to 13 cm (2 to 5 inches) thick]
Bw--13 to 25 cm (5 to 10 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) loamy sand; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine and very fine and few medium and coarse roots; about 2 percent gravel; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [10 to 23 cm (4 to 9 inches) thick]
E/B--25 to 46 cm (10 to 18 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand (E), pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) dry; occupies 65 percent of the horizon surrounding reddish brown (5YR 4/4) sandy loam (Bt); moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate very fine subangular blocky; very friable; common fine and very fine roots; clay bridging between sand grains; about 4 percent gravel; very strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. [15 to 38 cm (6 to 15 inches) thick]
B/E--46 to 66 cm (18 to 26 inches); reddish brown (5YR 4/4) sandy loam (Bt); occupies about 75 percent of the horizon surrounded by pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) loamy sand (E); moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; Bt part is firm and E part is friable; many fine roots; clay bridging between sand grains; about 4 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. [10 to 30 cm (4 to 12 inches) thick]
Bt--66 to 86 cm (26 to 34 inches); yellowish red (5YR 4/6) sandy loam; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; clay bridging between sand grains; about 1 percent cobbles and 1 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear broken boundary. [18 to 28 cm (7 to 11 inches) thick]
BC--86 to 109 cm (34 to 43 inches); light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) sandy loam; moderate thick platy structure inherent from deposition; friable; few fine roots; clay films around gravel and clay bridging between sand grains; about 1 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 25 cm (10 inches) thick]
C--109 to 203 cm (43 to 80 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy sand; single grain; loose; few yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sand lenses about 5 cm (2 inches) long and 19 mm (3/4 inch) thick; few fine roots; about 12 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Montmorency County, Michigan; 1,866 feet north and 333 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 2, T. 32 N., R. 2 E., west central part Montmorency Township; USGS Lake Geneva, Michigan 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; lat. 45 degrees 11 minutes 24 seconds N. and long. 84 degrees 8 minutes 44 seconds W., NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to carbonates: 76 to 152 cm (30 to 60 inches)
Thickness of the sand or loamy sand mantle: 28 to 50 cm (11 to 20 inches)
Depth to the glossic horizon: 25 to 51 cm (10 to 20 inches)
Sandy mantle above the glossic horizon (A, E and Bw horizons): contains 2 to 12 percent clay and more than 50 percent sand coarser than very fine sand
Series control section: 0 to 5 percent cobbles and 0 to 14 percent gravel; average 1 to 15 percent total rock fragments
Argillic horizon: averages between 8 to 18 percent clay; individual subhorizons may range up to 22 percent clay
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2, 2.5, or 3
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: sand or loamy sand
Reaction: extremely acid to neutral
E horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sand or loamy sand
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly acid
Bw horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 or 6
Texture: loamy sand or sand
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral
Some pedons have an E' horizon.
E part of the E/B horizon (55 to 75 percent of the horizon):
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sand or loamy sand
Bt part:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: sandy loam
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral
E part of the B/E horizon (15 to 25 percent of the horizon):
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: sand or loamy sand
Bt part:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: sandy loam
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral
Bt horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: sandy loam or loam; some pedons have thin subhorizons of sandy clay loam
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline
BC horizon:
Hue: 5YR
Value: 6
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: sandy loam or loamy sand
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline
C horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: predominantly loamy sand but ranges to sandy loam; lenses of sand or gravely sand occur in some pedons
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Hodenpyl,
Oconto,
Omena, and
Perote series. Hodenpyl, Oconto, Omena, and Perote soils have dominate textures of sandy loam or finer within the upper 50 cm (20 inches) of the profile.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Millersburg soils are on ground moraines, disintegration moraines, and drumlins of Wisconsinan age. Slope gradients are dominantly 2 to 35 percent but range from 0 to 35 percent. Millersburg soils formed in sandy and loamy till. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 711 to 914 mm (28 to 36 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 4.4 to 6.7 degrees C (40 to 44 degrees F). Frost-free period ranges from 80 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blue Lake,
Klacking,
Graycalm,
Rubicon,
Bamfield,
Lupton, and
Tawas soils. The very poorly drained Lupton and Tawas soils occur on lower landscape positions. Blue Lake, Graycalm and Rubicon soils are coarser textured associates while the Bamfield soil is a finer textured associate. Klacking soils have similar textures and have a banded argillic horizon. They occur on similar landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained. Potential for surface runoff is negligible to high, depending on slope gradient. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the soils are in woodland. A small amount is in permanent pasture or idle cropland. Principal tree species include sugar maple, northern red oak, red maple, eastern white pine, red pine, jack pine, quaking aspen and black cherry. In some areas American basswood and American beech are present.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 94A and 96 in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Montmorency County. Michigan, 1992.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 13 cm (5 inches) (A and E horizons).
Albic horizon: from a depth of 5 to 13 cm (2 to 5 inches) (E horizon).
Glossic horizon: from a depth of 25 to 66 cm (10 to 26 inches) (E/B and B/E horizons).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 46 to 86 cm (18 to 34 inches) (Bt part of B/E horizon and Bt horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: For lab data on this pedon see NSSL No. S91MI-119-002.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.