LOCATION BEARPEN WI+IA
Established Series
Rev. TAM-HFG-PMW
01/2011
BEARPEN SERIES
The Bearpen series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils formed in silty alluvium or a combination of silty alluvium and loess, and in the underlying stratified mostly silty and loamy slackwater deposits which have thin strata of sandy alluvium. Permeability is moderate. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 775 millimeters. Mean annual air temperature is about 9 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Argiudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Bearpen silt loam - on a linear 1 percent slope in cropland at an elevation of about 241 meters. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 20 centimeters; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
A--20 to 46 centimeters; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt--46 to 76 centimeters; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; few faint brown (10YR 5/3) clay films on faces of peds and in pores and few distinct pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt coats on faces of some peds; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation and few prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btg--76 to 104 centimeters; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine roots; few faint brown (10YR 5/3) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
2Bt--104 to 127 centimeters; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam with strata of yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) fine sand and sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; breaks to weak thick plates along depositional strata; few faint brown (10YR 5/3) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; many fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
2C1--127 to 145 centimeters; brown (10YR 5/3) and reddish brown (5YR 4/4) silty clay loam with strata of strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sand; massive; friable; breaks to weak thick plates along depositional strata; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
2C2--145 to 152 centimeters; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam with strata of silt loam and fine sand; massive; friable; breaks to weak thick plates along depositional strata; common fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulations; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 105-Northern Mississippi Valley Loess Hills, Pepin County, Wisconsin; located about 3 miles east of Stockholm; 150 feet north and 665 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 9, T. 23 N., R. 15 W. USGS Pepin topographic quadrangle; latitude 44 degrees, 28', 56" N.; longitude 92 degrees, 11', 55" W. NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to stratified deposits--152 to 203 centimeters
Depth of the mollic epipedon--25 to 49 centimeters.
Depth to carbonates--152 to more than 203 centimeters
Content of clay in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--18 to 27 percent
Content of fine sand or sand coarser than fine sand in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--less than 15 percent, total sand content from 3 to 30
Rock fragment content--0 percent
The Ap or A horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--2 or 3
Chroma--1 to 3
Reaction--naturally strongly acid to slightly acid but can range to neutral in the upper part, in areas where the soil is limed.
E horizon (when present):
Hue--7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value of 4 or 5
Chroma--3
Texture--silt loam.
Bt horizon:
Hue--7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--silt loam or silty clay loam
Reaction--naturally strongly acid to slightly acid but can range to neutral in the upper part, in areas where the soil is limed.
Btg horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value of 4 to 6
Chroma--1 or 2; where it occurs immediately below the mollic epipedon, the Btg horizon has chroma of 2 in at least the upper 15 centimeters
Texture--silt loam or silty clay loam
Reaction--strongly acid to slightly acid
2Bt or 2Btg horizon:
Hue--5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--2 to 4
Texture--stratified with individual strata mostly silt loam, silty clay loam, loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam with thin (<3") strata of coarser texture; content of fine sand or coarser averages from 15 to 60 percent in the stratified 2Bt horizon
Reaction--strongly acid to neutral.
2C or 2Cg horizon:
Hue--5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value--4 to 7
Chroma--2 to 8
Texture--stratified with textures like the 2Bt horizon described above; clay content averages from 10 to 18 percent in the stratified deposits
Reaction--strongly acid to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Arrowsmith,
Brenton,
Edwardsville,
Elburn,
Grundelein,
Hacreek,
Harco,
Higginsville,
Keller,
Lafayette,
Lawndale,
Lisbon,
Lismod,
Loran,
Mundelein,
Muscatune,
Nira,
Raub,
Rooks,
Rowley, and
Shannondale series.
Arrowsmith--have a calcic horizon within a depth of 64 to 102 centimeters
Brenton, Frankenmuth, Lafayette, Lisbon, Mundelein, and Raub--all have a horizon with more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser within a depth of 102 centimeters.
Elburn--have an apparent water table, do not have stratification within 152 centimeters and have free carbonates in the lower part of the series control section
Edwardsville--have a mean annual soil temperature greater than 10 degrees C and more than 18 percent clay in the lower part of the series control section
Grundelein--have more than 15 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the series control section
Hacreek, Keller, Lawndale, Nevin, and Shannondale--all have clay content of 27 percent or more in the particle-size control section
Harco and Rooks--have free carbonates within 102 centimeters
Higginsville, Muscatune and Nira--have less than 5 percent sand throughout the series control section
Lismod--have carbonates at depths less than 102 centimeters
Loran--have a paralithic contact at 102 to 152 centimeters
Rowley--are fine or medium sand in the lower part of the series control section
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material--silty alluvium or a combination of silty alluvium and loess, over the underlying stratified mostly silty and loamy slackwater deposits that have thin strata of sandy alluvium
Landscapes--valleys
Landform--stream terraces
Slope--0 to 3 percent
Elevation183 to 300 meters
Mean annual air temperature8 to 11 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation760 to 970 millimeters
Frost-free period--135 to 160 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Ella and
Plumcreek series near the original Type Location.
Ella--are on higher locations on terrace treads, are moderately well drained and have a frequently saturated zone which occurs at a depth of about 1 meter during October to June in normal years and is considered perched
Plumcreek--are on higher terrace risers, are well drained, and the depth to the stratified deposits ranges from 50 to 102 centimeters.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--somewhat poorly drained; aquic conditions occur for some time in most years (or artificial drainage) within 41 centimeters or directly below the mollic epipedon in one or more horizons with a total thickness of 15 centimeters or more that have a moist color value of 4 or more and redox depletions with a chroma of 2 or less. Redox accumulations occur throughout the soil below the mollic epipedon.
Floodingnone to rare for very brief periods.
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--4.23-14.11 micrometers per second (moderate) throughout
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for cropland. Corn, soybeans, small grain, and hay are the principal crops. Native vegetation is deciduous forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic division--Interior Plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic sections--Wisconsin driftless section,
MLRAs--Northern Mississippi Valley Loess Hills (105)
LRR M; West-central Wisconsin and northeast Iowa
Extentsmall
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pepin County, Wisconsin, 1998. Source of the name is Bearpen Coulee in Pepin County.
REMARKS: Prior to 1995, Bearpen soils were mapped with the Curran series in Pepin County and other SSAs in Wisconsin.
The mollic epipedon is considered to be the result of deposition of dark sediments rather than the result of prairie grasses. These soils developed under woodland vegetation prior to the post-settlement deposition.
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - 0 to 46 centimeters (Ap, A); argillic horizon - 46 to 127 centimeters (Bt1, Bt2g, 2Bt3); aquic feature - aquic conditions directly below the mollic epipedon in a horizon 15 centimeters or more thick that has value moist of 4 or more and redox depletions with chroma of 2 or less. 1/19/2011-TYPE LOCATION error was corrected.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record - WI0587
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.