LOCATION ONOTA MI+WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haplorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Onota sandy loam - on a southeast-facing convex slope of 5 percent in a forested area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 3 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sandy loam; weak medium granular structure; friable; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
E--3 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; about 2 percent gravel; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 12 inches thick)
Bhs--7 to 10 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; about 2 percent gravel; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)
Bs--10 to 24 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; about 2 percent gravel; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
Bs2--24 to 28 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) loamy sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; about 2 percent gravel; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
IICr--28 to 31 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) soft weathered and fractured sandstone bedrock; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
IIR--31 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) sandstone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Alger County, Michigan; 500 feet south and 200 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 10, T. 47 N., R. 18 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 to 4 and chroma of 1. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy sand or the gravelly analogues of these textures. Reaction is very strongly acid to strongly acid.
The E horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or the gravelly analogues of these textures. Reaction is very strongly acid to strongly acid.
The Bhs horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value and chroma of 2 or 3. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or the gravelly analogues of these textures. Reaction is very strongly acid to strongly acid.
The Bs horizons have hues of 5YR or 7.5YR, value and chroma of 3 or 4. Value and chroma of 3 do not occur together. They are fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy sand, or the gravelly analogues of these textures. Some pedons have 10 to 20 percent of moderately cemented orstein. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Cr horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2 to 4. Reaction is very strongly acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bangor, Berkshire, Chatham, Groveton, Loon, Oconto, Pence, Rixon, and Vassar series in the same family. All of these lack a lithic contact within 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Onota soils are on ground moraines and glacial lake benches underlain by sandstone at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Slope gradients typically are from 2 to 6 percent but range from 0 to 35 percent. The climate is continental. The mean annaul precipitation ranges from 26 to 33 inches. And the mean annual air temperature ranges from about 41 to 44 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Deerton and Munising soils are the principal well drained associates while the somewhat poorly drained Kawbawgam soil is a common wet associate. Deerton soils are sandy. Munising soils are more than 40 inches deep and have a fragipan. Kawbawgam soils have mottled B horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well or moderately well drained. Surface runoff is slow to moderate. Permeability above the sandstone is moderate or moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Large areas of this soil are forested. The principal tree species is sugar maple, with varying amounts of yellow birch, hemlock, and aspen. Cleared acreage is used for general farming. Grass-legume hay, potatoes, and strawberries are common crops.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Predominantly northern Upper Peninsula of Michigan along Lake Superior from approximately Munising westward. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Alger County, Michigan, 1929.