LOCATION ELLWOOD WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, frigid Oxyaquic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Ellwood silt loam - on a convex, north-facing 4 percent slope in a hay field at an elevation of about 1315 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) silt loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and few medium and coarse roots; 8 percent gravel; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
B/E--8 to 15 inches; 80 percent dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) clay loam (Bt); moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; firm; many faint reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; penetrated by reddish brown (5YR 4/3) silt loam (E), pink (5YR 7/3) dry; moderate medium platy structure; friable; common fine and few medium and coarse roots; few fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; few black (N 2.5/0) masses of iron-manganese oxides throughout; about 3 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Glossic horizon is 2 to 20 inches thick)
Bt1--15 to 25 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; firm; common fine and few medium and coarse roots; many faint reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; few black (N 2.5/0) masses of iron-manganese oxides throughout; about 2 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--25 to 35 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and very fine angular blocky; firm; many faint reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds and in some pores; few black (N 2.5/0) masses of iron-manganese oxides throughout; about 2 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 10 to 30 inches.)
Btk1--35 to 42 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and very fine angular blocky; firm; common faint reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few black (N 2.5/0) masses of iron-manganese oxides throughout; few reddish brown (5YR 5/4) calcium carbonate accumulations as mycelial masses; about 2 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
Btk2--42 to 51 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and very fine angular blocky; firm; common faint reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of some peds and in some pores; few black (N 2.5/0) masses of iron-manganese oxides throughout; common reddish brown (5YR 5/4) calcium carbonate accumulations as mycelial masses; about 11 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
Btk3--51 to 80 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) silty clay loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium and coarse angular blocky; firm; common faint reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of some peds and in some pores; few black (N 2.5/0) masses of iron and manganese accumulation throughout; common reddish brown (5YR 5/4) calcium carbonate accumulations as mycelial masses; about 5 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline. (Combined thickness of the Btk horizon is 24 to more than 45 inches.)
TYPE LOCATION: Florence County, Wisconsin; about 6 miles west of Aurora; 1,290 feet west and 1,500 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 3, T. 38 N., R. 18 E.; USGS Iron Mountain SW, WI-MI Quad. Latitude 45 degrees 47 minutes 43 seconds N. Longitude 88 degrees 13 minutes 27 seconds W. NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to carbonates ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 40 to more than 80 inches. The particle-size control section averages from 27 to 35 percent clay and less than 45 percent total sand. Volume of gravel ranges from 0 to 15 percent and volume of cobbles ranges from 0 to 5 percent throughout the pedon. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to neutral in the upper part of the solum and from slightly acid to moderately alkaline in the lower part. Redox accumulations are below the surface horizon but within 40 inches. Saturation occurs within 40 inches for 1 month or more per year in most years.
The Ap horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value of 3 or 4; and chroma of 2 or 3. Uncultivated pedons have an A horizon with hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR or is neutral; value of 2 or 3; and chroma of 0 to 3. Texture of the Ap or A horizon is silt loam.
Some pedons have an E horizon with hue of 5YR, 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 silt loam or loam.
Ellwood soils have a glossic horizon (E/B or B/E horizon, or both). The E part has color and texture like the E horizon above. The Bt part has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR and value of 3 or 4. Typically texture is clay loam or silty clay loam, but individual subhorizons in some pedons are loam, silt loam, silty clay, or clay.
The Bt and Btk horizons have color and texture like the Bt part described above.
Some pedons have a Bk or C horizon with color and texture like the Bt part described above.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Durkeelake (T), Keshena, Parmalee (T), Perecheney, and Woodman series. A related soil is the Crossett series. Durkeelake and Perecheney soils have a sandy mantle in the upper part of the series control section. Keshena soils are more than 40 inches deep to carbonates. Parmalee soils are less than 40 inches deep to the base of the argillic horizon. Woodman soils have lamellae in the lower part of the series control section. Crossett soils have redox depletions with chroma of 2 or less and aquic conditions in the upper 10 inches of the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ellwood soils are on moraines. Slopes range from 1 to 15 percent. Ellwood soils formed in loamy calcareous till. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 33 inches. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 39 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period ranges from about 90 to 120 days. Elevation ranges from 700 feet to 1700 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Crossett, Iosco, Menominee, Morganlake, Padus, Stambaugh, Vanzile, and Worcester series. The somewhat poorly drained Crossett soils are on slightly lower landscape positions than Ellwood soils and form a drainage sequence with them. The well drained Menominee soils, the moderately well drained Morganlake soils, and the somewhat poorly drained Iosco soils form a drainage sequence in nearby areas where there is a 20 to 40 inch thick sandy mantle. The well drained Padus and Stambaugh soils, the moderately well drained Vanzile soils, and the somewhat poorly drained Worcester soils are on nearby outwash areas.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. The potential for surface runoff is medium or high. Permeability is moderately slow. 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: Many areas of Ellwood soils are used for cropland. Common crops are corn, small grain, and hay. Some areas are used for pastureland and some are used for woodland. Native vegetation is mixed deciduous and coniferous forest. Common trees are sugar maple, red maple, yellow birch, American basswood, eastern hemlock, white spruce, white birch, quaking aspen, and balsam fir.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Wisconsin. The Ellwood series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Florence County, Wisconsin, 1995.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - 0 to 8 inches (Ap); glossic horizon - 8 to 15 inches (B/E); argillic horizon - 8 to 80 inches (B/E, Btl, Bt2, Btkl, Btk2, Btk3); oxyaquic feature - redox accumulations and saturation below the surface horizon but within 40 inches for 1 month or more per year in most years.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to soil survey sample number S90WI-037-001 for NSSL data on typical pedon.