LOCATION PESHEKEE           MI+WI 
Established Series
Rev. KRW-LWB-WEF
12/2006

PESHEKEE SERIES


The Peshekee series consists of shallow, well drained soils formed in aeolian deposits and/or loamy till 10 to 20 inches thick overlying igneous or metamorphic bedrock on rocky knolls, hills, and ridges. Permeability is moderate. Slopes range from 3 to 75 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is about 33 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, semiactive, frigid Lithic Haplorthods

TYPICAL PEDON: Peshekee cobbly silt loam on a 40 percent slope - forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated).

Oe--1 inch to 0; black (10YR 2/1) partially decomposed leaf litter; weak fine granular structure; friable; many roots; about 25 percent cobbles; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)

A--0 to 3 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) cobbly silt loam; moderate fine granular structure; friable; many roots; about 25 percent cobbles; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)

E--3 to 5 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) cobbly silt loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many roots; about 25 percent cobbles; strongly acid; abrupt broken boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)

Bhs--5 to 8 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) cobbly silt loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many roots; about 15 percent cobbles; strongly acid; abrupt broken boundary. (3 to 4 inches thick)

Bs1--8 to 13 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) cobbly silt loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common roots; about 10 percent cobbles and 10 percent gravel; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary.

Bs2--13 to 18 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) cobbly fine sandy loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common roots; about 20 percent cobbles and 15 percent gravel; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bs horizons is 6 to 14 inches.)

2R--18 inches; igneous bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Baraga County, Michigan; about 1.5 miles northwest of Michigamme; 150 feet east and 50 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 13, T. 48 N., R. 31 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock ranges from 10 to 20 inches inches. The texture of the solum is silt loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam or cobbly analogs of these textures. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 15 percent in the solum and from 0 to 20 percent in the substratum. Cobble content ranges from 0 to 35 percent throughout. Stone and boulder content ranges from 0 to 10 percent throughout. Reaction of the solum ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid, and the substratum is medium or slightly acid.

Some pedons have Oa and/or Oe horizons composed of well decomposed or partially decomposed forest litter.

The A horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1 or 2. The E horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2.

The Bhs horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR and chroma of 2 or 3. The Bs horizons have hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 to 6.

Some pedons have 2C horizons with hue of 7.5YR; value of 5, and chroma of 3 to 5. They are gravelly sandy loam or gravelly fine sandy loam.

The underlying bedrock is igneous or metamorphic.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Freda, Hogback and Lyman series in the same family and the Michigamme soils. Freda soils contain shale channers throughout the profile and are underlain by shale or siltstone bedrock. Hogback and Lyman soils are in areas having more precipitation available to the soil moisture control section. Michigamme soils have granitic bedrock at 20 to 40 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Peshekee soils are on rocky knolls, hills, and ridges. Slopes range from 3 to 75 percent. The soils formed in shallow aeolian deposits and/or loamy till overlying igneous or metamorphic bedrock. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 30 to 36 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the moderately well drained Champion, Gogebic, Iron River, and Michigamme soils. Champion, Gogebic, and Iron River soils have fragipans and are greater than 40 inches to bedrock. Michigamme soils have igneous or metamorphic bedrock at 20 to 40 inches. Rock outcrops are commonly associated with Peshekee soils.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow to rapid. Permeability is moderate.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested with balsam fir, sugar maple, white pine, and aspen.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan, including Isle Royale, and possibly northern lake states. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Baraga County, Michigan, 1984.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.