LOCATION WAUCONDA IL+WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Udollic Endoaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Wauconda silt loam on a west-facing slope of 1 percent in a cultivated field at an elevation of 237 meters (778 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 inches); black (10YR 2/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak medium granular; friable; common very fine roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary. [15 to 23 cm (6 to 9 inches) thick]
E--23 to 36 cm (9 to 14 inches); dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) silt loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium granular; friable; common very fine roots; few distinct black (10YR 2/1) organic coatings on faces of peds; neutral; clear smooth boundary. [5 to 15 cm (2 to 6 inches) thick]
Bt1--36 to 58 cm (14 to 23 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; friable; common very fine roots; common distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organo-clay films and dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; common fine and medium distinct olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) and few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--58 to 76 cm (23 to 30 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) silt loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; friable; few very fine roots; few distinct olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; common fine black (2.5Y 2/1) very weakly cemented iron and manganese oxide concretions throughout; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; common fine and medium faint light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 36 to 81 cm (14 to 32 inches).]
2BC--76 to 97 cm (30 to 38 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) stratified sandy loam and silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine distinct black (2.5Y 2.5/1) masses of iron and manganese accumulation in the matrix; common fine distinct light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 10 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. [15 to 51 cm (6 to 20 inches) thick]
2C1--97 to 104 cm (38 to 41 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) loamy coarse sand; single grain; loose; 13 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
2C2--104 to 152 cm (41 to 60 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) stratified silt loam and sandy loam; firm; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; common medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; strongly effervescent; 2 percent gravel; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Illinois; about 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) south of Millburn, 805 meters (2,640 feet) west and 543 meters (1,780 feet) north of the southeast corner of sec. 13, T. 45 N., R. 10 E.; USGS Antioch topographic quadrangle; lat. 42 degrees 22 minutes 34 seconds N. and long. 88 degrees 00 minutes 55 seconds W., NAD 27; UTM Zone 16, 416407E, 4692038N, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to the base of soil development ranges from 61 to 114 cm (24 to 45 inches). Depth to carbonates is typically 64 to 89 cm (25 to 35 inches), but it ranges from 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches). The depth to horizons averaging more than 15 percent sand ranges from 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches). The particle-size control section averages 27 to 35 percent clay.
The Ap or A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silt loam. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silt loam. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. Hue tends to become more yellow as depth increases. Redoximorphic features have chroma of 1 to 8. Texture is silty clay loam or silt loam. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.
The 2Bt, 2BCt, or 2BC horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 6. Redoximorphic features have chroma of 1 to 8. Texture is silt loam, loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam. The horizon is commonly stratified and sometimes contains strata of loamy sand or loamy fine sand. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline.
The 2C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 to 8. It is silt loam, sandy loam, loam, or loamy sand (including coarse, fine, or very fine analogs where appropriate) and is commonly stratified. Coarse fragments average less than 15 percent. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Atterberry, Bethalto, Canoe, Curran, Emery, Franklin, Koszta, Millbrook, Mulvey, and Virgil soils. Atterberry, Canoe, Curran, Koszta, and Virgil soils are greater than 102 cm (40 inches) to horizons averaging more than 15 percent sand. Bethalto, Emery, Franklin, and Millbrook soils do not contain carbonates at depths less than 102 cm (40 inches). Mulvey soils contain greater than 15 percent coarse fragments in the lower part of the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Wauconda soils are on lake plains or outwash plains of Wisconsin age. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. The soils formed in 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches) of silty material and in the underlying stratified calcareous outwash. Climate is continental. Summer is hot and winter is cold. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 7 to 11 degrees C (45 to 52 degrees F.), mean annual precipitation ranges from 740 to 1020 mm (29 to 40 inches), frost free days range from 140 to 180 days, and elevation ranges from 183 to 311 meters (600 to 1,020 feet) above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aptakisic, Grays, Mundelein, and Pella soils. Aptakisic and Mundelein soils are on similar landforms. Aptakisic soils have lighter colored surface layers and Mundelein soils have a mollic epipedon. The moderately well drained Gray soils are on higher positions on the landform. The poorly drained Pella soils are in lower lying drainageways.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. An apparent seasonal high water table is at a depth of 15 to 61 cm (0.5 foot to 2 feet) at some time during the spring in normal years. The potential for surface runoff is low to medium. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high or high (4.23 to 14.11 micrometers per second). Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used to grow corn, soybeans, and small grain. Native vegetation was probably mixed hardwood trees and prairie grass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Illinois, southeastern Wisconsin, and probably northern Indiana. The known extent is small in MLRAs 95B, 105, and 110.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County, Illinois, 1960.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 36 cm (14 inches) (Ap and E horizons);albic horizon - the zone from 23 to 36 cm (9 to 14 inches) (E horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from 36 to 76 cm (14 to 30 inches) (Bt1 and Bt2 horizon); lithologic discontinuity - the contact between the Bt2 and 2BC horizons at 76 cm (30 inches).