LOCATION BIGGSVILLE IL

Established Series
SLE-JWH-AAC
01/2011

BIGGSVILLE SERIES

The Biggsville series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in loess on ridgetops, side slopes and swales on uplands. Slope ranges from 0 to 10 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 10.6 degrees C (51 degrees F). Mean annual precipitation is about 965 mm (38 inches).

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

TYPICAL PEDON: Biggsville silt loam on a slope of 1 percent in a cultivated field at an elevation of 192 meters (630 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; friable; common fine roots; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.

AB--20 to 41 cm (8 to 16 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) and brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; friable; few fine roots; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 51 cm (10 to 20 inches).]

Bw1--41 to 81 cm (16 to 32 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; friable; few fine roots; few faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) organic coatings on faces of peds; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.

Bw2--81 to 119 cm (32 to 47 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam; moderate medium prismatic structure; friable; common medium distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron within peds; common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions within peds; few fine black (7.5YR 2/1) stains (iron-manganese oxides); slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Cg--119 to 203 cm (47 to 80 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2), brown (7.5YR 4/4), and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam; massive; friable; few fine black (7.5YR 2/1) stains (iron-manganese oxides); slightly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Rock Island County, Illinois; about 1 mile west of Hillsdale; 1,520 feet west and 200 feet south of northeast corner, sec. 30, T. 19 N., R. 3 E.; USGS Hillsdale quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 36 minutes 40 seconds N. and longitude 90 degrees 12 minutes 00 seconds W., NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the cambic horizon: greater than 107 cm (42 inches)
Cambic horizon: less than 5 percent sand, less than 27 percent clay
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 25 to 51 cm (10 to 20 inches)

Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3 (4 or 5 dry)
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silt loam
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline, depending upon past liming practices

Bw and/or BC horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: silt loam
Clay content: typically averages 20 to 24 percent, ranges from 18 to 27 percent clay
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
Redoximorphic features: B horizon usually free of iron depletions to 76 cm (30 inches) or more

C horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: silt loam
reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Annieville, Dinsmore, Exira, Galva, Keg, Marshall, Monona, Northboro, Ponca, Port Byron, Raddle, Salix, and Truman series. Annieville soils formed in 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches) of loess over glacial till. Dinsmore soils formed in 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches) of loess and the underlying glacial till. Exira soils contain gray relict redoximorphic features above 102 cm (40 inches). Galva soils average 27 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Keg soils formed in silty alluvium on flood plains and have carbonates above 30 inches. Marshall soils average 27 to 34 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Monona soils do not have zones within 152 cm (60 inches) that are frequently saturated for periods longer than one month. Northboro soils average more than 10 percent sand in the lower part of the control section. Ponca soils have carbonates from 36 to 61 cm (14 to 24 inches). Port Byron soils do not have redoximorphic features in the middle part of the control section. Raddle soils have an irregular decrease in clay and average more than 10 percent sand in the middle and lower parts of the control section. Salix soils formed in silty alluvium on flood plains and have carbonates within 76 cm (30 inches). Truman soils have calcium carbonate equivalent range of 5 to 15 percent in the lower part of the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Biggsville soils are on ridgetops, side slopes and swales on uplands. Slope gradients are 0 to 10 percent. Biggsville soils formed in thick coarse textured loess. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 8.3 to 12.2 (47 to 54 degrees F). Mean annual precipitation ranges from 914 to 1016 mm (36 to 40 inches).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Joy, Mt. Carroll, Port Byron and Seaton soils. All these soils are on similar landforms. Joy soils have redoximorphic features throughout the lower part of the series control section. Mt. Carroll soils have an argillic horizon. Port Byron soils do not have redoximorphic features in the middle part of the series control section. Seaton soils do not have a mollic epipedon and have an argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: The soil moisture wet is within a depth of 4 to 6 feet from December through June in most years. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high to high (4.23 to 14.11 micrometers per second). Permeability is moderate. Runoff is low or medium.

USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are cultivated. Corn, soybeans, and small grains are the principal crops. Native vegetation is prairie grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: LRR M, MLRAs 95B, 108A,108B, and 115C in west-central and northwestern Illinois and possibly surrounding states. The series is of minor extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bureau County, Illinois, 1996.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: particle-size control section - the zone from 25 to 102 cm (10 to 40 inches); series control section - the zone from 0 to 152 cm (0 to 60 inches); mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to 41 cm (16 inches) (Ap and AB horizons); cambic horizon - the zone from 41 to 119 cm (16 to 47 inches) (Bw horizons). Udic moisture regime. Cation exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area. Taxonomic Version: Second Edition, 1999.

These soils were previously correlated as the Port Byron series, moderately wet phase.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.