LOCATION CHOCOLAY MI
Established Series
TGB-BVS-LMC
06/2011
CHOCOLAY SERIES
The Chocolay series consists of moderately deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in loamy till overlying sandstone. These soils are on sandstone benches. Permeability is moderate in the solum and moderately slow in the sandstone bedrock. Slopes range from 1 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 31 inches. Mean annual temperature about 43 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Oxyaquic Haplorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Chocolay very cobbly fine sandy loam, very stony, on a 3 percent slope in a forested area at an elevation of 771 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. When described on August 19, 1993, the soil was moist throughout).
Oa--0 to 2 inches; black (N 2.5/0) well decomposed forest litter; moderate very fine granular structure; very friable; many very fine to coarse roots; about 15 percent stones; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
A--2 to 3 inches; black (10YR 2/1) very cobbly fine sandy loam, gray (5YR 5/1) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; many very fine to coarse roots; about 25 percent cobbles, 18 percent gravel, and 15 percent stones; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
E--3 to 8 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) very cobbly fine sandy loam, pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many very fine to coarse roots; about 25 percent cobbles, 18 percent gravel, and 15 percent stones; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bhs--8 to 14 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) very cobbly fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many very fine to coarse roots; about 25 percent cobbles, 18 percent gravel, and 15 percent stones; strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bs--14 to 27 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) very gravelly sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine to medium roots; few medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulations; about 30 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (12 to 22 inches thick)
2R--27 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/3) sandstone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Marquette County, Michigan; about 10 miles southeast of the village of Harvey; 100 feet south and 1,200 feet east of the northwest corner of Sec. 34, T. 47 N., R. 23 W.; USGS Skandia topographic quadrangle, Latitude 46 degrees 26 minutes 4 seconds, Longitude 87 degrees 10 minutes 29 seconds.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Unless otherwise stated, depth ranges in this paragraph are measured from the top of the mineral surface to the designated depth. Depth to bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches from the mineral surface. Gravel content ranges from 15 to 40 percent, cobble content ranges from 15 to 40 percent, and stone content ranges from 5 to 20 percent. Total volume of rock fragments averages 35 to 60 percent in the particle-size and series control section. The coarse fragments are dominantly sandstone. Mean annual soil temperature is 41 to 45 degrees F.
The O horizon has hue of 10YR or is neutral, value of 2, and has a chroma of 0 or 1.
The A horizon, not in all pedons, has hue of 10YR, value of 2, and chroma of 1. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid. It is dominantly very cobbly fine sandy loam, but the range includes very cobbly sandy loam, or the very gravelly analogues of these textures.
The E horizon has a hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5 moist or 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is very cobbly or very gravelly, fine sandy loam or sandy loam. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid.
The Bhs horizon has hue of 5YR, value of 3, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is very cobbly or very gravelly, fine sandy loam or sandy loam. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid.
The Bs horizon has hue of 5YR, value and chroma of 3 or 4. Value and chroma of 3 do not occur together. It is very cobbly or very gravelly, fine sandy loam or sandy loam. Some pedons contain thin layers of very gravelly coarse sand above the sandstone bedrock. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid.
A Cr horizon, 1 to 5 inches thick, is present in some pedons. It is dominantly weathered from sandstone but some pedons contain layers of shale.
COMPETING SERIES: There are none. The closely related
Cozy soils have less active clay mineralogy in the particle size control section, lack a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches and have carbonates at depths of 12 to 24 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Chocolay soils are on bedrock benches near Lake Superior. Slopes range from 1 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 610 to 1,000 feet. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 32 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 40 to 44 degrees F. The frost free period is 100 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Jacobsville,
Zeba,
Munising,
Yalmer and
Waiska soils are common associates. The moderately well drained Munising and Yalmer soils are on similar landscape positions and are greater than 60 inches to sandstone. The excessively drained Waiska soils are on slightly higher landscape positions, are sandy-skeletal, and are also greater than 60 inches to sandstone. The somewhat poorly drained Zeba and the very poorly drained Jacobsville soils have fewer coarse fragments and occur in drainageways and depressions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. The soil has a seasonal high water table that is perched above the sandstone 1 to 1.5 feet below the surface for short time periods from October to May. Permeability is moderate. Surface runoff is negligible to medium, dependent on slope.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of this soil are forested. Native vegetation is primarily mixed northern hardwoods with sugar maple being the dominant species. Significant amounts of quaking aspen, red maple and balsam fir are present depending on past management. Common ground plants in undisturbed areas include spinulose shield fern, oak fern, American starflower, solomon's seal, twisted stalk, and wild lily-of-the-valley.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western and Central Upper Peninsula of Michigan,. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Marquette County Michigan, 1998. Source of name is a river in Marquette County.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Albic horizon - 3 to 8 inches (E horizon)
Spodic horizon - 8 to 27 inches (Bhs, Bs horizons)
Oxyaquic subgroup - the soil is saturated with water from 20 to 27 inches for 1 month or more per year in 6 or more out of 10 years
Particle-size control section - 10 to 27 inches.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.