LOCATION BROWNSTONE WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Typic Haplorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Brownstone very cobbly sand, very stony - on a convex 4 percent east-facing slope in a forested area at an elevation of about 715 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oa--0 to 2 inches; black (5YR 2.5/1) highly decomposed plant material; about 30 percent fiber and less than 5 percent rubbed; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium and common coarse roots; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary . (0 to 3 inches thick)
E--2 to 12 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) very cobbly sand, pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine and medium and common coarse roots; colors described are those of uncoated sand grains; 20 percent gravel, 29 percent cobbles, and about 10 percent stones; extremely acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bhs--12 to 15 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) extremely gravelly coarse sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine and common medium and coarse roots; 35 percent gravel, 19 percent cobbles, and about 10 percent stones; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. (1 to 8 inches thick)
Bs--15 to 23 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) extremely cobbly sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine and few medium roots; 32 percent gravel, 29 percent cobbles, and about 10 percent stones; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
BC--23 to 33 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) extremely cobbly coarse sand; single grain; loose; few fine and medium roots; 17 percent gravel, 33 percent cobbles, and about 10 percent stones; extremely acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
2R--33 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) sandstone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Bayfield County, Wisconsin; about 6.5 miles north and 7 miles east of Cornucopia; 330 feet north and 1500 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 35, T. 52 N., R. 5 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: (Unless otherwise stated, depth and thickness are measured from the top of the mineral soil.) Thickness of the solum and depth to hard sandstone bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Rock fragments are predominantly sandstone with some igneous and metamorphic. Volume of rock fragments averages 35 percent or more in the particle-size control section, but is less than 35 percent in individual subhorizons in some pedons. Volume of gravel or channers ranges from 5 to 40 percent throughout. Volume of cobbles or flagstones ranges from 10 to 40 percent throughout. Volume of stones ranges from 0 to 10 percent throughout. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to slightly acid throughout.
The O horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR, or is neutral in hue. Value is 2 to 3 and chroma is 0 to 2. The O horizon is a mat of partially decomposed forest litter.
Some pedons have an A horizon with hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value of 2 to 3; and chroma of 1 or 2. It is the gravelly, very gravelly, or extremely gravelly analogs or it is the cobbly, very cobbly, or extremely cobbly analogs of sand, loamy sand, coarse sand, or loamy coarse sand.
The E horizon has value of 4 or 5; and chroma of 2 or 3. Colors of 4/3 or 5/3 have value dry of 7 or more or are the color of the uncoated sand grains. Texture is like the A horizon described above.
The Bhs horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, and value and chroma of 2 or 3. It has texture like the A horizon described above. Some pedons have up to 50 percent ortstein in the Bhs.
The Bs horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR and value of 3 or 4. It has texture like the A horizon described above. Some pedons have up to 50 percent ortstein in the Bs.
The BC or Bw horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4. It has texture like the A horizon described above.
The 2R horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR and value of 4 or 5.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Grotto, Guardlake, Marblemount, Teneriffe, Traunik, and Waiska series. None of these soils have a lithic contact with sandstone bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Marblemount soils have a paralithic contact with weathered granite at 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Brownstone soils are on sandstone bedrock controlled glaciated uplands along Lake Superior. Slope gradients range from 0 to 15 percent. These soils formed in sandy-skeletal beach deposits or residuum from sandstone, or both. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 33 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 39 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period ranges from about 90 to 120 days. Elevation ranges from 600 to 1000 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Abbaye, Deerton, Lapoin, Morganlake, Odanah, and Redrim soils. The moderately well drained Abbaye and Lapoin soils are in landscape positions similar to those of Brownstone soils where there is 20 to 40 inches of loamy till (Abbaye) or clayey till (Lapoin) over the bedrock. The somewhat excessively drained Deerton soils are on similar landscape positions where the sandy mantle has less than 35 percent rock fragments. The moderately well drained Morganlake soils are nearby in similar landscape positions where there is a 20 to 40 inch thick sandy mantle over loamy till. The moderately well drained Odanah soils are nearby in similar landscape positions where there is very deep clayey till. The excessively drained Redrim soils are nearby where the soil is less than 20 inches thick to sandstone.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained. Surface runoff is slow. Permeability is rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used primarily for woodland. Native vegetation is mixed deciduous and coniferous forest. Most areas are in second growth forest with red maple, paper birch, yellow birch, quaking aspen, balsam fir, and eastern hemlock the common species.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Wisconsin along Lake Superior. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota; MLRA SSO 10-4 (Duluth, Minnesota).
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bayfield County, Wisconsin, 2004. Brownstone was the trade name of the sandstone when it was quarried and used for building stone at the turn of the century.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - 2 to 12 inches (E); albic horizon - 2 to 12 inches (E); spodic horizon - 12 to 23 inches (Bhs); lithic contact - hard sandstone at 33 inches (2R).
Only series status, responsibility, and scriveners errors changed - 3/09.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record - WI0515. Refer to soil survey sample number S90WI-007-037 for NSSL data on the typical pedon.