LOCATION YELLOWRIVER        IA
Established Series
Rev. RJV-KMG-TWN
01/2005

YELLOWRIVER SERIES


The Yellowriver series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in 50 to 152 centimeters (20 to 60 inches) of slope alluvium and in the underlying loess. These soils are on base slopes on dissected uplands. Slopes range from 9 to 40 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 8 degrees C (47 degrees F). Mean annual precipitation is about 85 centimeters (33 inches).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Yellowriver silt loam, on a northeast-facing, linear slope of 23 percent, in a pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 13 centimeters (0 to 5 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam (32 percent sand), gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate medium and fine granular structure; friable; common fine and few medium roots; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. [2 to 13 centimeters (1 to 5 inches) thick]

E--13 to 30 centimeters (5 to 12 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam (30 percent sand); weak thin to thick platy structure; friable; few medium and fine roots; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. [13 to 25 centimeters (5 to 10 inches) thick]

BE--30 to 46 centimeters (12 to 18 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam (18 percent sand); weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry silt coats on faces of peds; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. [10 to 20 centimeters (4 to 8 inches) thick]

Bt1--46 to 66 centimeters (18 to 26 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam (13 percent sand); weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; few very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry silt coats on faces of peds; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

2Bt2--66 to 102 centimeters (26 to 40 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam (8 percent sand); moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; few very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry silt coats on faces of peds; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

2Bt3--102 to 122 centimeters (40 to 48 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam (6 percent sand); weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese oxides; neutral; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 61 to 127 centimeters (24 to 50 inches).]

2C--122 to 152 centimeters (48 to 60 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) silt loam (6 percent sand); massive; friable; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese oxides; neutral.

TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 105-Northern Mississippi Valley Loess Hills; Allamakee County, Iowa subset; about 2 miles south of Lansing; about 329 meters (1,080 feet) west and 213 meters (700 feet) north of the southeast corner of section 33, T. 99 N., R. 3 W.; USGS Lansing quadrangle; lat. 43 degrees 20 seconds 34 minutes N. and long. 91 degrees 11 minutes 46 seconds W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of loamy sediments--50 to 152 centimeters (20 to 60 inches)
Clay content of the particle-size control section (weighted average)--18 to 32 percent
Sand content of the particle-size control section (weighted average)--5 to 15 percent
Rock fragment content--0 to 10 percent

A horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--2 or 3
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silt loam or loam
Clay content--15 to 27 percent
Sand content--10 to 50 percent
Reaction--slightly acid to slightly alkaline
Special features--when mixed to a depth of 18 centimeters (7 inches), matrix value is more than 3, moist, more than 5, dry

Ap horizon (when present):
Hue--10YR
Value--4
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture--silt loam or loam
Clay content--15 to 27 percent
Sand content--10 to 50 percent
Reaction--neutral or slightly alkaline

E horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture--silt loam or loam
Clay content--15 to 27 percent
Sand content--10 to 50 percent
Reaction--slightly acid to slightly alkaline

Bt horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 to 6
Texture--silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content--18 to 30 percent
Sand content--10 to 30 percent
Reaction--slightly acid to slightly alkaline

2Bt horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 to 6
Texture--silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content--18 to 32 percent
Sand content--less than 10 percent
Reaction--slightly acid to slightly alkaline

2C horizon:
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--4 to 6
Texture--silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content--20 to 30 percent
Sand content--less than 10 percent
Reaction--slightly acid to slightly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Baraboo, Bertrand, Blackhammer, Camden, Dodge, Dubuque, Fayette, Flagg, Greenridge, Hackers, Jackson, Jemerson, Knowles, La Farge, Lambeau, Lomira, Martinsburg, Menfro, Middletown, Navlys, Palermo, Palsgrove, Pepin, Piscasaw, Ridgway, Rozetta, Ruma, Rush, Russell, Seaton, St. Charles, Stookey, Sylvan, and Thebes series.
Baraboo--have a lithic contact of quartzite within a depth of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Bertrand--have a sand content of more than 85 percent with 0 to 5 percent rock fragments in the lower third of the series control section
Blackhammer--have a rock fragment content, mostly chert and sandstone, of 5 to 35 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Camden--have a sand content of 15 to 65 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Dodge--have carbonates within depths 76 to 102 centimeters (30 to 40 inches)
Dubuque--have a lithic contact of dolomitic limestone within a depth of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Fayette--have a sand content of less than 10 percent in the upper third of the series control section
Flagg--have matrix hues of 2.5YR, 5YR, or 7.5YR and have a sand content of more than 15 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Greenridge--have matrix hues of 5Y, 5YG, 10GY, or 5G in the lower third of the series control section
Hackers--have matrix hues of 2.5YR or 5YR and have stratified layers in the lower third of the series control section
Jackson--have stratified layers with a sand content of more than 80 percent in the lower third of the series control section and have a frequently saturated zone within depths of 1 to 1.8 meters (3.5 to 6 feet) in normal years
Jemerson--have a sand content of less than 10 percent in the upper third of the series control section
Knowles--have a lithic contact of dolomitic limestone within a depth of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
La Farge--have a paralithic contact of glauconitic sandstone within a depth of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Lambeau--have a sand content of more than 20 percent in the lower third of the series control section and have a paralithic contact of siliceous sandstone within depths of 114 to 203 centimeters (45 to 80 inches)
Lomira--have carbonates within a depth of 50 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Martinsburg--have a sand content of less than 15 percent in the upper third of the series control section and have eluvial horizons 30 to 50 centimeters (12 to 20 inches) thick
Menfro--have a sand content of less than 15 percent in the upper third of the series control section and are in areas that have a mean annual air temperature range of 12 to 15 degrees C (54 to 59 degrees F)
Middletown--have a sand content of more than 80 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Navlys--have carbonates within depths of 56 to 102 centimeters (22 to 40 inches) and have a frequently saturated zone within depths of 1.2 to 1.8 meters (4 to 6 feet) in normal years
Palermo--have ochric epipedons 8 to 15 centimeters (3 to 6 inches) thick and are in areas that have a mean annual air temperature range of 12 to 13 degrees C (53 to 55 degrees F) and have a mean annual precipitation range of 91 to 97 centimeters (36 to 38 inches)
Palsgrove--have a lithic contact of dolomitic limestone within depths of 102 to 152 centimeters (40 to 60 inches)
Pepin--have a lithic contact of dolomitic limestone within depths of 114 to 203 centimeters (45 to 80 inches)
Piscasaw--have carbonates within a depth of 91 to 152 centimeters (36 to 60 inches) and have a sand content of 35 to 55 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Ridgway--have a sand content of more than 60 percent with lamellae in the lower third of the series control section
Rozetta--have a sand content of less than 15 percent in the upper third of the series control section and have a frequently saturated zone within depths of 1.2 to 1.8 meters (4 to 6 feet) in normal years
Ruma--have a sand content of 7 to 15 percent in the lower third of the series control section and are in areas that have mean annual air temperature range of 12 to 14 degrees C (54 to 57 degrees F) and have a mean annual precipitation range of 91 to 102 centimeters (36 to 40 inches)
Rush--have a rock fragment content of 15 to 75 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Russell--have a carbonates within a depth of 102 to 152 centimeters (40 to 60 inches)
Seaton--have a sand content of less than 15 percent in the upper third of the series control section and have a clay content of 18 to 24 percent in the particle-size control section
St. Charles--have stratified layers with a clay content of 10 to 25 percent and a sand content of 20 to 60 percent the lower third of the series control section
Stookey--have a sand content of less than 15 percent in the upper third of the series control section and are in areas that have a mean annual air temperature range of 12 to 14 degrees C (54 to 57 degrees F) and have a mean annual precipitation range of 91 to 112 centimeters (36 to 44 inches)
Sylvan--have carbonates within depths of 56 to 102 centimeters (22 to 40 inches)
Thebes--have a sand content of more than 50 percent in the lower third of the series control section

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--50 to 152 centimeters (20 to 60 inches) of slope alluvium and in the underlying loess
Landform--base slopes on dissected uplands
Slopes--9 to 40 percent
Elevation--213 to 427 meters (700 to 1,400 feet) above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--7 to 10 degrees C (45 to 50 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation--74 to 97 centimeters (29 to 38 inches)
Frost-free period--145 to 160 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arenzville, Lacrescent, Village, and Volney soils.
Arenzville--are at lower elevations and have buried horizons within depths of 50 to 152 centimeters (20 to 60 inches)
Lacrescent--are at higher elevations on side slopes and have a rock fragment content of 35 to 70 percent in the particle-size control section
Village--are at higher elevations on ridgetops and side slopes and have a clay content of 35 to 70 percent clay in the lower third of the series control section
Volney--are at lower elevations on flood plains and on alluvial fans and have a rock fragment content of 15 to 90 percent

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--well drained--a frequently saturated zone does not occur within a depth of 1.8 meters (6 feet) in normal years
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--moderately high to high
Surface runoff potential--medium to high, depending on slope

USE AND VEGETATION:
The more gently sloping areas are cultivated. The principal crops are corn, small grain, and legume hay. The more steeply sloping areas are pastured. The native vegetation is deciduous trees.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic division--Interior plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic section--Wisconsin driftless section
MLRA-Northern Mississippi Valley Loess Hills (105)
LRR M; northeastern Iowa
Extent--moderate

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Allamakee County, Iowa, 1992

REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 45 to 95 centimeters (18 to 38 inches) (Bt1 and 2Bt2 horizons);
series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 150 centimeters (59 inches) (A, E, BE, Bt1, 2Bt2, 2Bt3, and 2C horizons).

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
ochric epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 46 centimeters (18 inches) (A, E, and BE horizons);
argillic horizon--the zone from a depth of 46 to 122 centimeters (18 to 48 inches) (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons);
udic moisture regime.

Cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.

Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, ninth edition, 2003.

In previous surveys, these soils have been mapped as Fayette, valleys.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.