LOCATION CORLISS                 MN+MI

Established Series
Rev. DLA-AGG-KDS
10/2011

CORLISS SERIES


The Corliss Series consists of very deep, excessively drained soils that formed in sandy or gravelly outwash or glacio-fluvial sediments. These soils are on outwash plains, eskers, glacial beach ridges, valley trains, stream terraces, and glacial moraines. Permeability is rapid or very rapid. Slopes range from 0 to 60 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 42 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is about 24 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, frigid Typic Udipsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Corliss loamy sand, on a south-facing slope of 10 percent, in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 7 inches; black (10YR 2/1) loamy sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; about 2 percent gravel; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)

Bw--7 to 28 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) coarse sand; single grain; loose; about 13 percent gravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 28 inches thick)

C--28 to 80 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; about 32 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Otter Tail County, Minnesota; about 2 miles north of Perham; about 1,650 feet north and 1,625 feet west of the southeast corner of section 4, T. 136 N., R. 39 W.; Perham quadrangle; lat. 46 degrees 37 minutes 11 seconds N and long. 95 degrees 36 minutes 08 seconds W., NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to free carbonates is 0 to 40 inches. The series control section averages 10 to 35 percent rock fragments, by volume, more than 25 percent medium sand or coarser and less than 50 percent fine sand. Some subhorizons have more than 35 percent rock fragments. The rock fragments are of mixed lithology and typically 2 to 40 mm in size. The soil moisture control section is not dry for 20 to 35 consecutive days during the 120 days following the summer solstice in most years.

The A or the Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1 to 3. Texture is loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, sand, or coarse sand. Reaction is slightly acid to slightly alkaline. Some pedons have a thin AB, AC, or E horizon.

The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, coarse sand, sand, or their gravelly analogues. Very gravelly analogues are in subhorizons. Reaction is slightly acid to slightly alkaline.

The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2 to 6. Texture is coarse sand, sand, or their gravelly analogues. Very gravelly analogues are in subhorizons. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Abbeylake, Cantlin, Champlain (T), Claire, Feldtman(T), Fernlake(T), Friendship, Grayling, Mahtomedi, Menagha, Nymore, Omega, Plainbo, Sartell, Serden, Shawano, and Sunday soils. Abbeylake, Cantlin, Sartell, Serden, and Shawano soils average less than 10 percent rock fragments in the series control section. Claire soils are dry for more than 35 consecutive days during the 120 days following the summer solstice in most years. Friendship soils have high chroma mottles within 40 inches. Champlain, Feldtman, Fernlake, Friendship, Grayling, Mahtomedi, Menagha, Nymore, Omega, Sartell, Shawano, and Sunday soils do not have free carbonates within a depth of 40 inches. In addition, Mahtomedi and Omega soils have hues of 7.5YR or redder. Plainbo soils have bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Sartell, Serden and Shawano soils have more than 50 percent fine sand in the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Corliss soils are on outwash plains, eskers, moraines, beach ridges, stream terraces, and valley trains with slopes of 0 to 60 percent. They formed in sandy and gravelly outwash materials or glacio-fluvial sediments. These sediments are of Late Wisconsin age. The mean annual temperature ranges from 38 to 45 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 20 to 30 inches. Frost-free days range from 90 to 145. Elevation above sea level ranges from 800 to 1600 feet.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are commonly Clontarf, Eagleview, Forada, Leafriver, and Sandberg soils. Clontarf soils are moderately well drained and are in nearby concave swales and on lower lying slightly concave flats. The poorly and very poorly drained Forada soils and the very poorly drained Leafriver soils are in the lowest part of the landscape. Eagleview soils have similar landscape positions and have thin Bt horizons in the subsoil. Sandberg soils are in slightly concave or foot slope positions on the landscape and have mollic epipedons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained. Surface runoff is negligible to low. Permeability is rapid or very rapid.

USE AND VEGETATION: Less sloping areas of these soils are used for cropland, while more sloping areas are woodland or pastureland. Some of the cropland is irrigated. Native vegetation is grass, brush, oak openings, and barrens.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central and northwestern Minnesota. This soil is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Becker County, Minnesota, 1994.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon: Ochric epipedon - surface to a depth of 7 inches; sandy family - less than 35 percent rock fragments by volume and 85 percent or more sand.

Slope range expanded and typographical error corrected. 10/2011, PMW.

ADDITIONAL DATA: See Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station CFC No. 4371 for laboratory analysis of the typical pedon. Soil Interpretation Record number MN0604.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.