LOCATION CHATHAM MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, frigid Typic Haplorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Chatham fine sandy loam - on a convex slope of 4 percent in a cultivated field. (Colors for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) fine sandy loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak medium granular structure; friable; mildly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
E--6 to 9 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; mildly alkaline; abrupt broken boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bhs--9 to 13 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) fine sandy loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; mildly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bs1--13 to 16 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) sandy loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; mildly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
Bs2--16 to 23 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; about 15 percent dolomitic sandstone and limestone fragments showing a high degree of weathering; mildly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
2C--23 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) very gravelly loamy sand; single grain; loose; 25 percent pebbles; 25 percent stones, cobbles, and flagstones of partially weathered dolomitic sandstone and limestone; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Alger County, Michigan; about 1 1/2 miles northwest of Chatham; in the SW 1/4, SE 1/4, NE 1/4, sec. 29, T. 46 N., R. 21 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 20 to 40 inches, but is typically 20 to 30 inches. The solum ranges from slightly acid to mildly alkaline. Volume of pebbles in the solum ranges from 0 to 10 percent. Volume of pebbles in the 2C horizon ranges from 20 to 35 percent and volume of coarse fragments larger than 3 inches range from 20 to 60 percent. The coarse fragments are dominantly dolomitic sandstone and limestone containing glauconite.
The Ap horizon or A horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value of 2 or 3; and chroma of 1 or 2.
The E horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 or 2.
The Bhs horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR and value and chroma of 2 to 4. The A, E, and Bhs horizons are dominantly fine sandy loam, but the range includes loam and sandy loam.
The Bs1 horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. The Bs2 horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. The Bs horizons are sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam or gravelly sandy loam.
The 2C horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value of 3 to 5; and chroma of 3 to 6. It is gravelly loamy sand, gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly loamy sand, or very gravelly sandy loam. Pockets of gravel are common in some areas.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bangor, Becket, Berkshire, Caribou, Groveton, Macomber, Marlow, Onota, and Tunbridge series in the same family and the Kiva, Longrie, Munising, and Trenary series. Bangor, Becket, Berkshire, Onota, Macomber, Marlow, Munising, and Tunbridge soils have more acid sola and C horizons. In addition, Onota and Macomber soils are underlain by bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches; and Munising soils have fragipans. Caribou soils are more acid in the upper solum. Groveton soils have less than 10 percent coarse fragments in the lower part of the control section. Kiva soils have thinner sola. Longrie soils are underlain by bedrock at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Chatham soils are on ground and end moraines of Wisconsinan age. Slope gradients are dominantly 0 to 15 percent, with some steep slopes up to 35 percent along glacial drainageways. Chatham soils formed in loamy deposits overlying gravelly loamy sand or cobbly loamy sand. Mean annual temperatures range from 41 to 44 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 26 to 33 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Trenary, Longrie, Sundell, Nahma, Summerville, Ensign, and Ruse soils. The well drained Trenary soils are on adjacent uplands. Nearby in some places are the well drained Longrie, somewhat poorly drained Sundell, and poorly drained Nahma soils where limestone is at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. In other places, the Summerville, Ensign, and Ruse soils are nearby where the limestone is at a depth of 10 to 20 inches. The soils underlain by limestone are on benches in adjacent glacial drainageways.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained and moderately well drained. Surface runoff is slow to medium. Permeability is moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: The larger percentage of Chatham soils is used for woodland. Northern hardwoods are dominant. The smaller percentage is used for general farming, or is idle. Small grain and hay are the major crops.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Alger County, Michigan, 1929.
REMARKS: The high reaction of the B horizon raises some doubt as to the designation of this horizon as a spodic horizon. Laboratory data is needed to confirm the placement.