LOCATION BIWABIK MN
Established Series
CWT-AGG
02/2011
BIWABIK SERIES
The Biwabik series consists of very deep, excessively drained soils formed in glacial outwash on outwash plains, kames and moraines. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is rapid. Slopes range from 0 to 45 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 38 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is about 28 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, isotic, frigid Lamellic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Biwabik sandy loam on a linear slope of 2 percent in a pine forest. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated).
A--0 to 2 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; about 10 percent gravel; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick.)
Bw--2 to 9 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) gravelly sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; about 20 percent gravel; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick.)
E--9 to 32 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly loamy sand with thin strata of loamy sand; single grain; loose; about 25 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (15 to 40 inches thick.)
E and Bt--32 to 64 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly loamy sand (E); single grain; loose; lamellae of brown (7.5YR 4/4) loamy sand (Bt); weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; lamellae are 1/4 to 3/4 inches thick with a combined thickness of about 3 inches; about 20 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (12 to 40 inches thick.)
C--64 to 80 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) coarse sand; single grain; loose; about 10 percent gravel; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: St. Louis County, Minnesota; about 7 miles north of Biwabik; 700 feet north and 1850 feet east of the southwest corner sec. 36, T. 60N., R. 16W. USGS Biwabik NE Quadrangle; latitude 47 degrees 38 minutes 2 seconds N and longitude 92 degrees 19 minutes 5 seconds W. NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to free carbonates is greater than 80 inches. The series control section contains more than 25 percent very coarse, coarse and medium sand. Rock fragment content averages 15 to 35 percent by volume in the series control section, with 15 to 35 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles. The depth to the bottom of the Bw horizon is less than 10 inches. Depth to lamellae is 28 to 50 inches. The base saturation is less than 60 percent in all layers above a depth of 30 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is sandy loam, coarse sandy loam or their gravelly analogues. Rock fragment content ranges from 2 to 25 percent by volume. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid.
Some pedons have an E horizon immediately below the A horizon. It has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture and reaction are similar to the A horizon.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture is sandy loam, coarse sandy loam or their gravelly analogues. Rock fragment content ranges from 2 to 25 percent by volume. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid.
Some pedons have a Bw2 horizon. Texture is loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, sand, coarse sand or their gravelly analogues. Rock fragment content averages 10 to 35 percent by volume.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7 and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture is loamy sand, sand, loamy coarse sand, coarse sand or their gravelly analogues. Rock fragment content averages 10 to 35 percent by volume, but thin subhorizons or strata may contain less than 10 percent or more than 35 percent. Reaction is strongly acid or moderately acid.
The E part of the E and Bt horizon has properties similar to the E horizon above it. The Bt part of the horizon consists of lamellae that are 1/8 to 1 inch in thickness. The combined thickness within a depth of 60 inches is less than 6 inches. It has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture is loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, sandy loam or coarse sandy loam. Reaction of the E and Bt horizon is strongly acid or moderately acid.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 4 to 6. Texture is sand, coarse sand or their gravelly analogues. Rock fragment content averages 10 to 35 percent by volume, with some pedons containing thin subhorizons with as much as 50 percent. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Biwabik soils are on linear or convex surfaces of outwash plains, kames and moraines. Slopes range from 0 to 45 percent. They formed in sandy and gravelly outwash. Mean annual air temperature is 36 to 40 degrees F. and mean annual precipitation is 27 to 30 inches. Frost-free days range from 90 to 120. Elevation above sea level is 1300 to 1900 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Cloquet,
Eaglesnest,
Eveleth ,
Graycalm and
Rollins soils. Somewhat excessively drained Cloquet soils have a loamy mantle greater than 12 inches thick. Moderately well drained Eaglesnest and well drained Eveleth soils formed in glacial till. Somewhat excessively drained Rollins soils contain greater than 35 percent rock fragments in the series control section and have a loamy mantle greater than 10 inches thick. Somewhat excessively drained Graycalm soils contain less than 15 percent rock fragments in the series control section.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Excessively drained. Runoff is negligible to medium. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is 42.34 to 141.14 micrometers per second (6 to 20 inches per hour).
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. Principal trees are jack pine, red pine, aspen, paper birch and red maple. Native vegetation is mixed coniferous and deciduous forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA's-93,57.Northeast Minnesota, Moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Louis County, Minnesota (Virginia subset) 2006.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 2 inches (A horizon); Lamellic subgroup - lamellae with a total thickness of less than 6 inches. 2/11/2011-TYPE LOCATION error was corrected.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record number MN0866.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.