LOCATION CHESTONIA               MI

Established Series
Rev. DEB-NWS
08/2012

CHESTONIA SERIES

The Chestonia series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils formed on outcroppings of clayey shale on till plains. Slope ranges from 3 to 40 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 762 mm (30 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 6.7 degrees C (44 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, semiactive, nonacid, frigid Aeric Epiaquepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Chestonia silty clay loam, on a north-facing, 16 percent slope in a forested area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 10 cm (4 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam; strong fine subangular blocky structure; firm; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. [8 to 13 cm (3 to 5 inches) thick]

Bg1--10 to 23 cm (4 to 9 inches); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silty clay loam; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very firm; common distinct medium light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) masses of oxidized iron; 10 percent shale fragments; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. [8 to 15 cm (3 to 6 inches) thick]

Bg2--23 to 41 cm (9 to 16 inches); 50 percent dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) and 50 percent light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam; massive; firm; 10 percent shale fragments; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. [13 to 46 cm (5 to 18 inches) thick]

Cg--41 to 152 cm (16 to 60 inches); gray (5Y 5/1) channery silty clay; massive; very firm; common coarse prominent light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) masses of oxidized iron; 25 percent shale fragments; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Antrim County, Michigan; about 680 feet west and 400 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 11, T. 31 N., R. 7 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the solum: 30 to 61 cm (12 to 24 inches)
Shale fragments: common throughout the profile and are strongly weathered

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silty clay loam, clay loam, silt loam, loam or fine sandy loam
Rock fragment content: 5 to 14 percent shale fragments
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral

Bg horizon, upper part:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam
Rock fragment content: 5 to 14 percent shale fragments
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral

Bg horizon, lower part:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silty clay loam, clay loam or silty clay
Rock fragment content: 5 to 14 percent shale fragments
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral

Cg horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, or the channery analogs of these textures
Rock fragment content: 10 to 35 percent shale fragments
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline and is slightly effervescent in some pedons

COMPETING SERIES: This is the only series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Chestonia soils are on till plains. Slope ranges from 3 to 40 percent. The Chestonia soils formed on outcroppings of a clayey shale formation that occurs within sandy moraines. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 737 to 864 mm (29 to 34 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 5.0 to 7.8 degrees C (41 to 46 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The well drained Montcalm and Leelanau soils and the well drained or moderately well drained Emmet soils are the most common associates on the moraines.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is very high. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is low. Permeability is very slow.

USE AND VEGETATION: Nearly all of this soil is in forest. Elm, red maple, sugar maple, white cedar, hemlock, aspen and paper birch are common tree species.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 94A and 96 in northwestern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. This series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Antrim County, Michigan, 1976.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 10 cm (4 inches) (A horizon).
Cambic horizon: from a depth of 10 to 41 cm (4 to 16 inches) (Bg horizon).
Aquic conditions: matrix colors with chroma of 1 or 2 and redox concentrations present in all horizons below the ochric epipedon.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.