LOCATION BALMLAKE MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Balmlake fine sandy loam with a convex slope of 3 percent on a glacial outwash plain under a mixed forest of deciduous and coniferous trees. (All colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 3 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) fine sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; about 1 percent gravel; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
E--3 to 11 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak thin platy structure; very friable; about 1 percent gravel; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
Bt--11 to 24 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; about 1 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 26 inches thick)
2C--24 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) stratified fine sand, very fine sand, and silt; massive; very friable; about 3 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Beltrami County, Minnesota; about 4 miles north and 1 1/4 miles west of Debs; about 1200 feet west and 150 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 29, T. 150 N., R. 35 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to free carbonates range from 14 to 55 inches. The rock fragment content is 3 percent or less.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 1 to 3. Some pedons have an Ap horizon. Its dry value is greater than 5.5. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy fine sand or loamy very fine sand. It is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is very fine sand, loamy fine sand or fine sandy loam. It is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam. Some pedons have thin subhorizons of silty clay loam or clay loam. It is moderately acid or slightly acid. It has 8 to 18 percent clay and 40 to 60 percent fine sand or coarser.
Some pedons have a BC or 2BC horizon.
The 2C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is stratified with bands of fine sand, sand, loamy fine sand, silt, silt loam, or very fine sand. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bergkeller, Bootlake, Cunard, Emmet, Flak, Grytal, Heyder, Milaca, Millward, Nadeau, Oconto, Omena, Sanburn, and Sugarbush series. Bergkeller, Heyder, Sanburn, and Sugarbush soils have more than 60 percent fine sand and coarser in the argillic horizon. Cunard, Flak, Milaca, Nadeau, Oconto, Omena, and Sanburn soils have argillic horizons that are 7.5YR or redder. In addition, Cunard has bedrock at 20 to 40 inches. Emmet soils have series control sections with reactions 6.6, neutral, or greater. Grytal soils have saturation in the lower third of the series control section. Millward soils do not have free carbonates in the lower third of the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Balmlake soils have convex and plane slopes on glacial outwash plains and terraces. Slope gradient ranges from 1 to 30 percent. They formed in stratified sandy, loamy, and silty sediments greater than 60 inches thick. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 36 to 45 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 20 to 24 inches. Frost free days range from 90 to 140 days. The elevation above sea level is 1000 to 1400 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Debs, Morph, and Rosy series. Debs soils are in similar positions but are fine silty. Morph and Rosy are down drainage associates. Morph soils are poorly drained and Rosy soils are moderately well drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Surface runoff is slow to rapid. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. Common trees are sugar maple, white oak, quaking aspen, paper birch, red pine, and jack pine. Some areas are used for hay, pasture, small grain, and corn production.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Minnesota. Moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Beltrami County, Minnesota, 1991.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized are: ochric epipedon - zone from surface of soil to a depth of 11 inches (A & E horizons); argillic horizon - 11 to 24 inches (Bt); udic features; udic moisture regime.