LOCATION APPLERIVER ILEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Appleriver silt loam, on a gently sloping convex shoulder slope, in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 25 centimeters (0 to 10 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate very fine granular structure; friable; many fine roots; common pale brown (10YR 6/3) peds mixed in lower part; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [15 to 25 centimeters (6 to 10 inches) thick]
E--25 to 36 centimeters (10 to 14 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam; moderate medium platy structure; friable; many fine roots; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. [8 to 15 centimeters (3 to 6 inches) thick]
BE--36 to 48 centimeters (14 to 19 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; moderate medium platy structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; friable; many fine roots; common faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt coatings on faces of peds; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. [0 to 15 centimeters (0 to 6 inches) thick]
Bt1--48 to 66 centimeters (19 to 26 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine subangular blocky and angular blocky; friable; common fine roots; many faint brown (10YR 4/3) clay films and many faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt coatings on faces of peds; few distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--66 to 86 centimeters (26 to 34 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; common fine roots; many distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 20 to 104 centimeters (8 to 41 inches).]
2Bt3--86 to 112 centimeters (34 to 44 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) silty clay; weak coarse prismatic structure; firm; few very fine roots; few distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; common medium and fine iron and manganese accumulations; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; about 2 percent rock fragments dominantly chert; band of reddish brown (5YR 4/4) material at 97 to 102 centimeters (38 to 40 inches); moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.
2Bt4--112 to 147 centimeters (44 to 58 inches); light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) silty clay; weak coarse prismatic structure; firm; few very fine roots; common distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) clay films on faces of peds; common fine iron and manganese accumulations; few medium prominent greenish gray (5G 6/1) iron depletions in the matrix; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 25 to 75 centimeters (10 to 30 inches).]
2Cr--147 centimeters (58 to 60 inches); variegated light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2), yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), and greenish gray (5G 6/1) silty clay shale; massive; very firm; many fine lime concretions; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 105; Jo Daviess County, Illinois; about 348 meters (1,140 feet) east and 750 meters (2,460 feet) north of the southwest corner of section 27, T. 29 N., R. 4 E.; USGS Elizabeth NE quadrangle; lat. 42 degrees 28 minutes 49 seconds N. and long. 90 degrees 2 minutes 32 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to bedrock ranges from 102 to 152 centimeters (40 to 60 inches). The thickness of the loess ranges from 75 to 127 centimeters (30 to 50 inches). Content of clay in the particle-size control section (weighted average) is 28 to 35 percent. Content of sand in the particle-size control section (weighted average) is less than 10 percent
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 and chroma of 2 or 3. It is silt loam. Clay content ranges from 22 to 27 percent. Sand content is less than 10 percent. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2 to 4. Clay content ranges from 22 to 27 percent. Sand content is less than 10 percent. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
The BE horizon has characteristics similar to the E horizon and the Bt horizon.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. Average clay content ranges from 28 to 35 percent. Sand content is less than 10 percent. Individual subhorizons have clay content as low as 22 percent or as high as 37 percent. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to moderately acid.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 4. Average clay content ranges from 37 to 45 percent. Average sand content ranges from 5 to 20 percent. Individual subhorizons have clay content as high as 50 percent. Rock fragment content ranges from 1 to 15 percent. Rock fragments are dominantly gravel size chert and shale. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly alkaline.
The 2Cr horizon has colors similar to those defined for the 2Bt horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blair, Bunkum, Fishhook, Freeburg, Geff, Glenford, Muren, Reesville, Sugarvalley, Torox, and Xenia series. These soils do not have a lithic or paralithic contact within a depth of 150 centimeters (60 inches).
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Appleriver soils formed in 75 to 127 centimeters (30 to 50 inches) of loess and in residuum from calcareous shale. Appleriver soils are on treads and risers of structural benches and rounded ridges on uplands. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 7 to 11 degrees C (45 to 52 degrees F). Mean annual precipitation ranges from 81 to 91 centimeters (32 to 36 inches).
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Derinda, Eleroy, Fayette, Massbach, and Rozetta soils. These soils are better drained than the Appleriver soils and are generally in more sloping or more dissected landforms. Also, the Massbach soils have a darker surface layer.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained--a saturated zone occurs within depths of 0.45 to 0.9 meters (1.5 to 3 feet) during the wettest portions of normal years and is considered perched. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in the loess and low in the residuum. The potential for surface runoff is negligible or low.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated. The principle crops are corn, soybeans, small grain, and meadow. Native vegetation is hardwood deciduous trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic section--Wisconsin driftless section and Till Plains
MLRA(s)--Northern Mississippi Valley Loess Hills (105) and Northern Illinois and Indiana Heavy Till Plain (110)
LRR M; Northern Illinois
Extent--small
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jo Daviess County, Illinois, 1991.
REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 48 to 98 centimeters (19 to 39 inches) (Bt1, Bt2, and 2Bt3 horizons);
series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 150 centimeters 0 to 59 inches) (Ap, E, Bt1, Bt2, 2Bt3, 2Bt4, and 2Cr horizons).
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
ochric epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 36 centimeters (0 to 14 inches) (Ap and E horizons);
albic horizon--the zone from a depth of 25 to 36 centimeters (10 to 14 inches) (E horizon);
argillic horizon--the zone from a depth of 48 to 147 centimeters (19 to 58 inches) (Bt1, Bt2, 2Bt3, and 2Bt4 horizons);
paralithic contact at a depth of 147 centimeters (58 inches) (2Cr horizon);
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.