LOCATION BLOWERS                 MN

Established Series
Rev. CTS-TWN-JJB
04/2013

BLOWERS SERIES

The Blowers series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in loamy lodgment till of the Late Wisconsin glaciation. These soils are on convex and linear slopes on backslopes , and rises of drumlins and moraines. Slopes range from 1 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 680 millimeters. Mean annual air temperature is about 5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Oxyaquic Glossudalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Blowers sandy loam, on a convex slope of 2 percent, on a drumlin, at an elevation of about 416 meters, in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 15 centimeters; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) sandy loam; gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; about 10 percent gravel; pH 5.8 (moderately acid); abrupt wavy boundary.

E--15 to 30 centimeters; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak fine platy structure; friable; about 10 percent gravel; pH 6.3 (slightly acid); clear wavy boundary.

E/B--30 to 43 centimeters; about 70 percent dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy loam (E); about 30 percent dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) sandy loam (Bt); moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; about 12 percent gravel; pH 5.8 (moderately acid); clear wavy boundary.

B/E--43 to 69 centimeters; about 70 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy loam (Bt); about 30 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam (E); moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay films in tubular pores, and common faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) clay films on faces of peds; about 13 percent gravel; pH 5.8 (moderately acid); clear wavy boundary.

Bt--69 to 86 centimeters; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; common fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) Fe depletions; moderate coarse platy structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; firm; many distinct very dark brown (10YR 2/2) clay films in tubular pores and common distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay films on faces of peds; about 14 percent gravel; pH 7.0 (neutral); clear wavy boundary.

BC--86 to 102 centimeters; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; moderate medium platy structure; firm; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films in tubular pores; few fine irregularly shaped light gray (10YR 7/2) segregated lime filaments; about 13 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; pH 7.6 (slightly alkaline); abrupt wavy boundary.

Cd--102 to 200 centimeters; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; massive, moderate platy soil fragments; very firm; fine irregularly shaped light gray (10YR 7/2) segregated lime in seams; about 12 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; pH 8.2 (moderately alkaline).

TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 57- Northern Minnesota Gray Drift, Todd County, Minnesota; 42 feet south and 1340 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 32, T. 130 N., R. 34 W., USGS Browerville SW topographic quadrangle, lat. 46 degrees 2 minutes 2.0 seconds north and long. 94 degrees 59 minutes 46.0 seconds west, NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of ochric epipedon -- 8 to 25 centimeters.
Depth to densic contact ranges from 100 to 150 centimeters
The depth to free carbonates ranges from 75 to over 200 centimeters
Clay content in the particle size control section (weighted average) -- 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragment content -- 2 to 15 percent, mixed lithology
Base saturation (by sum of cations)--greater than 60 percent in all parts of the argillic horizon
Some phases have .01 to 3 percent of the surface covered with cobbles or stones

A or Ap horizon
Hue -- 10YR or 2.5Y
Value -- 2 or 3
Chroma -- 1 to 3
Texture -- sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam
Clay Content -- 5 to 15 percent
Sand content--60 to 70 percent
Rock fragment content--2 to 15 percent gravel, cobbles and stones, mixed
lithology
Reaction -- pH 5.1 to 7.3
Thickness -- 8 to 25 centimeters

E, E/B, B/E, EB or BE horizons
Hue -- 10YR or 2.5Y
Value -- 4 to 6
Chroma -- 2 to 4
Texture -- sandy loam or loamy sand
Clay Content -- 5 to 12 percent
Sand content--60 to 73 percent
Rock fragment content -- 2 to 15 percent gravel, and cobbles, mixed lithology
Reaction -- pH 5.1 to 7.3
Combined Thickness -- 28 to 91 centimeters

Bt horizon
Hue -- 10YR or 2.5Y
Value -- 3 to 6
Chroma -- 3 to 6
Texture -- sandy loam with bands of sandy clay loamy
Clay Content -- 8 to 18 percent
Sand content--60 to 75 percent
Rock fragment content--2 to 15 percent gravel, and cobbles, mixed lithology
Reaction -- pH 5.6 to 7.3
Thickness -- 15 to 66 centimeters

Some pedons have a BC or Btk horizon

BCdk and Cd horizon
Hue -- 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 5 or 6
Chroma -- 3 to 5
Texture -- sandy loam with subhorizons of loamy sand in some pedons
Clay Content -- 4 to 15 percent
Rock fragment content -- 2 to 15 percent gravel, and cobbles, mixed lithology
Reaction -- pH 6.6 to 8.4
Moist bulk density -- 1.8 to 2.0 gm/cc (considered to be a densic contact)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Aftad, Freeon, Frogcreek, Milaca, Neopit, Sconsin and Scott Lake series.
Aftad -- do not have a densic contact within the series control section
Freeon -- have a 30 - 92 centimeter silty mantle
Frogcreek - have a 30 - 92 centimeter silty mantle
Milaca -- have no free carbonates within the series control section
Neopit -- do not have a densic contact within the series control section
Sconsin -- have on average more than 90 percent sand in the lower part of the series control section
Scott Lake -- have on average more than 90 percent sand in the lower part of the series control section

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--loamy lodgment till of the Wadena Lobe of the Late Wisconsinan glaciation
Landform-- nearly level to slightly convex slopes on backslopes of drumlins and moraines
Slope -- 1 to 5 percent
Elevation-- 180 to 620 meters above sea level
Mean annual air temperature-- 3 to 8 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation-- 600 to 750 millimeters
Frost-free period-- 120 to 180 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Becida, Paddock, Rockwood, and Runeberg soils.
Becida -- are on lower (toeslope) slightly concave positions that have less gradient and are poorly drained
Paddock -- are on lower (footslope) plane or slightly concave positions that have less gradient and are somewhat poorly drained
Rockwood -- are on higher (shoulder and summit) convex positions positions that have higher gradient and are well drained
Runeberg -- are on depressions that have less slope gradient and are very poorly drained.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class -- moderately well drained - a zone of saturation is found between depths of 50 to 100 centimeters in the wettest months of normal years
Saturated hydraulic conductivity -- 4.2 to 42.3 micrometers per second (moderately high to high) in the upper part and less than .42 micrometers per second (moderately low to very low) in the lower part

USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas are cultivated or used for growing pasture. The principal crops are corn, soybeans, dry edible beans, small grains, and hay. Native vegetation is deciduous forest and mixed deciduous-coniferous forest. Dominant trees are basswood, elm, oak, aspen, birch, white spruce, red pine, jack pine, and white pine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division -- Interior Plains
Physiographic Province -- Central Lowland
Physiographic section -- Western lake section
LRR -- K (Northern Lake States Forest and Forage Region)
MLRA -- Northern Minnesota Gray Drift (57), Central Minnesota Sandy Outwash (91A)
State -- Minnesota
Extent -- large
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Todd County, Minnesota, 1985.
REMARKS:
Particle-size control section -- the zone from a depth of 43 to 89 centimeters;
Series control section -- the zone from the surface to a depth of 127 centimeters

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
ochric epipedon -- the zone from the surface to a depth of 43 centimeters (the Ap, E, E/B horizons);
albic horizon -- the zone from 15 to 20 centimeters (E horizon);
glossic horizon -- the zone from 30 to 67 centimeters (E/B and B/E horizons);
argillic horizon -- the zone from 17 to 34 inches (BE and Bt horizons);
aquic conditions -- Fe depletions in lower part of the argillic horizon (Bt);
densic contact -- the zone beginning at 127 centimeters (Cd horizon).

MLRA SSO Responsible: 10-FER (Fergus Falls, Minnesota)

Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, eleventh edition, 2010.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Pedon 57MN1985-1MN153OSD is the type location.
Laboratory data--NASIS Pedon 1978MN153-016 (2661) from the University of Minnesota.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.