LOCATION WITBECK MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, semiactive, nonacid, frigid Histic Humaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Witbeck muck, very stony - on a 1 percent slope in a forested area.
Oa--0 to 6 inches; black (5YR 2/1) muck, weak medium granular structure; very friable; many roots; about 5 percent cobbles; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
A--6 to 10 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate medium and coarse granular structure; very friable; many roots; about 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
Bg--10 to 22 inches; gray (5Y 5/1) fine sandy loam; few medium distinct olive (5Y 5/3) and common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; weak fine subangular blocky structure; firm; few roots; about 10 percent gravel and 4 percent cobbles; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
Cg1--22 to 30 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) very fine sandy loam; many fine and medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and common medium prominent dark brown (10YR 3/3) masses of iron accumulation; massive; firm; about 10 percent gravel and 4 percent cobbles; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 13 inches)
Cg2--30 to 39 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam; many medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; massive; firm; about 10 percent gravel and 4 percent cobbles; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
Cg3--39 to 60 inches; dark gray (N 4/0) gravelly fine sandy loam; few fine distinct olive (5Y 4/4) mottles; massive; friable; about 20 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Baraga County, Michigan; about 6 miles west of Nestoria and 1/2 mile south of US-41; 2,375 feet south and 1,300 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 7, T. 48 N. R. 32 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 18 to 24 inches. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid in the upper part of the pedon and from strongly acid to slightly acid in the lower part. Volume of gravel ranges from 0 to 10 percent in the surface horizons and from 0 to 35 percent in the B and C horizons. Volume of cobbles ranges from 5 to 15 percent in the surface horizons and from 0 to 15 percent in the B and C horizons. Stones and boulders range from 0 to 15 percent in the O, E, and B horizons and from 0 to 5 percent in the BC and C horizon.
The O horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR, or is neutral; value of 2 or 3; and chroma of 0 to 2.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y; value of 2 to 4: and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silt loam, mucky silt loam, or their cobbly analogs. Some pedons have an E horizon.
The B horizon has hue of 7.5YR,10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, or is neutral; value of 3 to 5; and chroma of 1 to 4. It is fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, silt loam or the gravelly analogs of these textures. Some pedons have Bw or BC horizons.
The C horizons have hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, or is neutral; value of 3 to 5; and chroma of 1 to 4. They are fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy sand loamy fine sand, loam, silt loam or the gravelly analogs of these textures. Sandy substratum phases are recognized.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Nahma, Peacham Sago and Waucedah series in the same family. Nahma soils are underlain by limestone bedrock within a depth of 40 inches. Peacham soils have formed in dense basal till and have Cd horizons within 40 inches. Sago soils have free carbonates within 40 inches. Waucedah soils do not have coarse fragments in the soil and formed in alluvial deposits.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Witbeck soils occupy nearly level or depressional areas on ground moraines and end moraines. Slope gradients range from 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in loamy glacial till. Mean annual temperature is estimated to range from 41 to 43 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 31 to 36 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Witbeck soils form a drainage sequence with the moderately well drained and well drained Champion soils and somewhat poorly drained Net soils. Tacoosh soils are in associated depressional areas.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained or very poorly drained. The depth to the seasonal high water table ranges from .5 foot above the surface to 1 foot below the surface from November to June. Runoff is slow to ponded. Permeability is moderate or moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Forested with red maple, aspen, black spruce, white spruce, balsam fir, black ash, and yellow birch.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northern Wisconsin. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Marquette County, Michigan, 1984.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: histic epipedon - the zone from the surface to 6 inches (Oa horizon); it is assumed that the surface layer, when mixed to 25 cm., meets the minimum requirements for organic carbon; aquic soil moisture regime; cambic horizon - the zone from 10 to 22 inches (Bg horizon); aquic soil moisture regime.