LOCATION SWANLAKE MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Calciudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Swanlake loam, on a south-facing, convex slope of 6 percent, in a cultivated field, at an elevation of about 459 m (1,505 feet). (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; about 4 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. [18 to 28 cm (7 to 11 inches thick)]
Bk1--23 to 71 cm (9 to 28 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; many very dark gray (10YR 3/1) worm casts; common light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) lime masses; about 6 percent gravel; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear irregular boundary.
Bk2--71 to 94 cm (28 to 37 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; very friable; about 5 percent gravel; common light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) lime masses; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Bk3--94 to 109 cm (37 to 43 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; about 8 percent gravel; few fine prominent olive (5Y 5/6) Fe concentrations and common coarse prominent olive gray (5Y 5/2) Fe depletions; many soft light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) lime masses; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.[ 15 to 127 cm (Thickness of the Bk horizon is 6 to 50 inches.) ]
C--109 to 152 cm (43 to 60 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) loam; massive; friable; about 5 percent gravel; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and few coarse prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) Fe concentrations; few light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) lime masses; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Cottonwood County, Minnesota; about 1 mile east and 4.5 miles south of Jeffers; located about 762 m (2,500 feet) north and 61 m (200 feet) east of the southwest corner of section 16, T. 106 N., R. 36 W.; USGS Harder Lake topographic quadrangle; lat. 43 degrees 59 minutes 06 seconds N. and long. 95 degrees 10 minutes 47 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is 18 to 36 cm (7 to 14 inches) thick. Carbonates are typically at the surface or are at the surface if the upper 18 cm (7 inches) is mixed. Rock fragments of mixed lithology range from 2 to 10 percent by volume throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, chroma of 1 or 2. It is loam or silt loam. It has 1 to 10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 15 to 30 percent. It is loam or clay loam. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 3 to 6. It is loam or clay loam. The calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 10 to 20 percent. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. It is friable or firm based on the geomorphic surface it occurs on.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Belview series. Belview soils do not have saturation in the lower third of the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Swanlake soils are on convex slopes with gradients of 2 to 6 percent on ground moraines and till plains. They formed in calcareous, loamy till of Late Wisconsinan Age. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 6 to 10 degrees C (43 to 50 degrees F). Mean annual precipitation ranges from 585 to 890 mm (23 to 35 inches). Frost-free period ranges from 155 to 200 days. Elevation ranges from 213 to 479 m (700 to 1,570 feet) above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Annton (P) Amiret, Clarion, Crippin, Delft, Nicollet, Omsrud, Pell Creek (P), Storden, Walnut Grove (P), Webster and Ves series, which are members of a drainage sequence with Swanlake soils. The well drained Annton, Amiret, Clarion, Omsrud and Ves soils are on less convex sideslopes and low rises and knolls. The somewhat poorly drained Crippin, Nicollet, and Walnut Grove soils are on lower lying, less sloping areas. The poorly drained Delft, Pell Creek (P), and Webster soils are on adjacent flats or drainageways. The well drained Storden soils are on the sharply convex knolls and ridges.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained. Surface runoff is low to medium. Saturated hydraulic conductivityis 4.23 to 14.11 micrometers per second (.6 to 2. inches per hour) in the friable till and 1.41 to 4.23 micrometers per second (.6 to 2.0 inches per hour) in the firm till. The apparent seasonal high saturation is as high as 107 centimeters (3.5 feet) at some time from April through June in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used to grow row crops. Corn and soybeans are the principal crops. Native vegetation is tall grass prairie.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA-103. Southwestern and south central Minnesota. The series is extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cottonwood County, Minnesota, 1978.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - zone from surface to a depth of 23 cm (9 inches) (Ap horizon); calcic horizon - the zone from 23 to 94 cm (9 to 37 inches) (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons); udic moisture regime. These soils formerly were included with mapping units of Clarion and Storden soils. The series concept now has soil saturation in the lower third of the series control section on slopes up to 6 percent. A new series called Belview has been established to replace Swanlake soils that do not have saturation in the lower third of the series control section and are on higher slopes.
Currently, a firm clay loam till C horizon is associated with the Gary moraine in Minnesota. A friable loam till C horizon is associated with the Bemis and Altamont moraines in Minnesota. A glacial till study and distribution of similar soils by geomorphic areas in Minnesota is needed to more accurately characterize this series by landform.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation record numbers MN0142-moderate permeability; MN0317-moderately slow permeability. Central File Code Nos. 2103 for some data on the typical pedon and to 2104 and 2105 for data on two additional pedons. Soil Interpretation Record number MN0300.