LOCATION EAUCLAIRE WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, frigid Alfic Oxyaquic Haplorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Eauclaire loamy sand on a convex, northeast facing 4 percent slope in a hardwood forest at an elevation of 1,080 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oe--0 to 1 inch; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) mucky peat (hemic material which is a mat of partially decomposed forest litter); about 50 percent fiber and 25 percent rubbed; weak thin platy structure; non-sticky; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)
A--1 to 2 inches; black (10YR 2/1) loamy sand, gray (10YR 5/1) and grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many very fine to coarse roots; about 10 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
E--2 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; many very fine to coarse roots; about 8 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
Bs--4 to 12 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) loamy sand; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; many very fine to coarse roots; about 8 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 21 inches thick)
Bw1--12 to 24 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; common very fine to coarse roots; about 8 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--24 to 34 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; common very fine to coarse roots; common medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and many coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; about 10 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons ranges from 13 to 26 inches)
2Bt1--34 to 39 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) gravelly sandy loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; few very fine to coarse roots; common distinct dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; many coarse distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; and many coarse prominent light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) masses of iron depletion; about 15 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
2Bt2-39 to 66 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) sandy loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; firm; few fine and medium roots; common distinct reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; common coarse prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation and light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) masses of iron depletion; about 10 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizons is 20 to 35 inches)
2C--66 to 80 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/8) sandy loam, massive; firm; about 10 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Wisconsin; about 5 miles north and 2 miles west of Tioga; 400 feet north and 2000 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 4, T. 26 N., R. 4 W.; USGS Mead Lake West, WI quad.; lat. 44 degrees, 45', 26" N., long. 90 degrees, 52', 22" W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: (Unless otherwise indicated, thickness and depth are measured from the top of the mineral soil.) Thickness of the sandy mantle and depth to the argillic horizon in till range from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 45 to 80 inches. Volume of gravel ranges from 0 to 20 percent in the sandy mantle and from 3 to 20 percent in the loamy till. Cobble content ranges from 0 to 5 percent throughout the pedon. Reaction typically ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid throughout the solum but ranges to neutral in the upper part, where the soil is limed. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral in the substratum. Redox accumulations are below the spodic horizon and within 40 inches and redox depletions are in the upper part of the till in many pedons. Saturation occurs within 40 inches at some time in most years.
The O horizon has hue of 10YR or is neutral in hue. Value is 2 or 3 and chroma is 1 or 2. The O horizon is a mat of partially decomposed forest litter.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR or is neutral in hue. Value is 2 or 3 and chroma is 0 to 2. Cultivated pedons have an Ap horizon with hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 or 3.
The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 or 3. Colors of 4/3 or 5/3 have value dry of 7 or more. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand or the gravelly analogs. The E horizon is present in 50 percent or more of uncultivated pedons.
The Bs horizon has hue of 5YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 6 or hue of 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 4. It is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or the gravelly analogs.
The Bw horizon has value and chroma of 4 to 6. It is sand, fine sand, loamy sand or the gravelly analogs.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, loam, or the gravelly analogs. The argillic horizon averages less than 18 percent clay.
The 2C horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 8. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or the gravelly analogs.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Similar soils are the Menominee and Morganlake series. Menominee soils are Alfic Haplorthods. Morganlake soils have sandy over loamy particle-size.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Eauclaire soils are on remnants of moraines on summits and shoulders of dissected sandstone uplands. Slopes range from 1 to 6 percent. These soils formed in sandy outwash and the underlying loamy till. 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 120 to 135 days. Elevation ranges from 800 to 1950 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Near the type location, these are the Fairchild, Fallcreek, Flambeau, Humbird and Ludington soils. The somewhat poorly drained Fairchild soils and the moderately well drained Ludington soils form a drainage sequence nearby where the till is absent and the soil is moderately deep to interbedded sandstone and shale. The somewhat poorly drained Fallcreek soils and the moderately well drained Flambeau soils form a drainage sequence on nearby ground moraines where the sandy mantle is absent and the till has more clay and less sand. The moderately well drained Humbird soil is nearby where the sandy mantle and the till are absent and the soil is moderately deep to interbedded sandstone and shale.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Surface runoff is slow. Permeability is rapid in the sandy mantle and moderately slow or moderate in the till. These soils have a perched seasonal high water table at a depth of 1.5 to 3.5 feet for 1 month or more per year at some time during the period October to May in 6 or more out of 10 years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for woodland. Common trees are northern red oak and northern pin oak with some white oak, paper birch, and quaking aspen. Some ares are used for cropland or pastureland. Common crops are corn, small grain, and hay.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central Wisconsin. The series is of small extent. MLRA 90
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota.
SERIES PROPOSED: Clark County, Wisconsin, 1993. The name is from neighboring Eau Claire County.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - 1 to 4 inches (A, E); albic horizon - 2 to 4 inches (E); spodic horizon - 4 to 12 inches (Bs); argillic horizon - 34 to 66 inches (2Bt1, 2Bt2); oxyaquic feature - redox acumulations and saturation below the spodic horizon and within 40 inches for 1 month or more per year in most years..
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record - WI0529.