LOCATION WERGELAND MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Calciudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Wergeland loam - on a slope of less than 1 percent in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 23 cm; black (10YR 2/1) loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (18 to 41 cm thick)
AB--23 to 33 cm; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; slight effervescence; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.(0 to 20 cm thick)
Bk--33 to 64 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) loam; light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; weak and moderate very fine subangular blocky structure friable; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 41 cm thick)
Bg1--64 to 76 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; common medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) Fe depletions; weak and medium subangular blocky; friable; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Bg2--76 to 109 cm; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silty clay loam; common medium faint grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) Fe depletions; medium very fine subangular and angular blocky; friable; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Ab--109 to 147 cm; black (10YR 2/1) loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 61 cm thick)
Cg--147 to 203 cm; olive (5Y 5/3) loam; common medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) Fe concentrations; massive; friable; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota; About 792 m (2600 feet ) east and 76 m (250 feet) north of the southwest corner, Sec. 18, T. 114 N., R. 44 W.; USGS Minnesota Porter topographic quadrangle, lat. 44 degrees 40 minutes 31 seconds N., long. 96 degrees 12 minutes 19 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 18 to 41 cm thick. The soil typically is calcareous throughout, but some pedons lack carbonates to a depth of 15 cm. The 25 to 102 cm control section averages 18 to 30 percent clay and 15 to 30 percent fine sand or coarser. Calcium carbonate equivalent of the calcic horizon is from 15 to 30 percent. Some pedons have small amounts of gypsum (CaSo4). Rock fragments are typically lacking in the profile.
The Ap or A horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or is neutral, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 0 or 1. It typically is loam, but in some pedons is clay loam, silty clay loam, or silt loam. It is neutral to moderately alkaline.
The AB horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or is neutral, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 0 or 1. It typically is loam, but in some pedons is clay loam, silty clay loam, or silt loam. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
The Ab horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or is neutral, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 0 or 1. It is silty clay loam, loam, clay loam, or silt loam. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. This horizon is not present in some pedons.
The Bk, Bg or Bw horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 3 to 6 and chroma of 1 to 3. It typically is loam, but in some pedons it is clay loam, silty clay loam, or silt loam pedons. It ranges from slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline.
Some pedons have BC horizons with color and textures of the Bk horizon.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It typically is loam, silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam in some pedons. It ranges from slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline. Some pedons have sandy or gravelly material below a depth of 102 cm.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Seaforth series. Seaforth soils formed entirely in till and have rock fragments in the profile.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wergeland soils are on nearly level lake plains. Surfaces are plane or slightly convex. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. These soils are on slight rises. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 6 to 10 degrees C and mean annual precipitation ranges from 585 to 660 mm.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the, Burr, Du page, and Yellow Medicine series. Burr soils are in slightly lower positions. They are on similar landscapes. The moderately well drained Du page soils have mollic epipedons more than 61 cm thick and are nearer the stream channel. They are on similar landscapes. Yellow Medicine soils have sand and gravel in the underlying material.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Runoff is negligible to low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity, measured in cm per hour, is 1.5 to 5.1 (.6 to 2 inches). Seasonal high saturation is between a depth of 51 to 102 cm during the months of April to June in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in cropland. Main crops are corn, soybeans, small grain, and hay. Native vegetation is mostly big bluestem, Indian grass, little bluestem, prairie dropseed, needlegrass, sideoats grama, sedges, and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA-103. Southwestern Minnesota. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, Minnesota, 2007
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 33 cm (Ap, AB horizon); calcic horizon - the zone of carbonate accumulation from about 33 to 64 cm (Bk horizon); aquic moisture regime.