LOCATION ESAU                    MI

Established Series
Rev. LWB-WEF
08/2012

ESAU SERIES

The Esau series consists of deep and very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils formed in extremely gravelly sand or extremely flaggy sand on low beach ridges, swales, old shoals and outwash plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 762 mm (30 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 6.1 degrees C (43 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Aquic Udorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Esau flaggy sandy loam, on a nearly level forested area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 10 cm (4 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) flaggy sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; many fine roots; about 15 percent flagstones; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. [8 to 13 cm (3 to 5 inches) thick]

Bw--10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) extremely flaggy sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; about 45 percent flagstones and 35 percent channers and coarse gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 inches) thick]

C1--25 to 96 cm (10 to 38 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) extremely flaggy sand; single grain; loose; few fine roots; common fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions throughout; about 45 percent flagstones and 35 percent channers and coarse gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 76 cm (30 inches) thick]

C2--96 to 152 cm (38 to 60 inches); brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) extremely flaggy sand; single grain; loose; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron throughout; about 60 percent flagstones and 20 percent channers; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Presque Isle County, Michigan; about 4 miles northeast of Posen; 1600 feet south and 1000 feet east of the northwest corner, sec. 29, T. 34 N., R. 7 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the solum: 18 to 25 cm (7 to 10 inches)

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: flaggy sandy loam, very flaggy sandy loam, very gravelly sandy loam, or extremely gravelly sandy loam
Rock fragment content: 15 to 80 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline

Bw horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 3 to 5
Texture: extremely flaggy sandy loam, extremely flaggy fine sandy loam, or extremely gravelly coarse sand
Rock fragment content: 15 to 80 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

2C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: very gravelly coarse sand, extremely flaggy sand, or extremely gravelly sand
Rock fragment content: 45 to 90 percent

Limestone bedrock is below 102 cm (40 inches) in some pedons. A thin layer of flaggy sandy loam is often above the bedrock.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Esau soils are on low beach ridges, swales, old shoals, and outwash plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 711 to 787 mm (28 to 31 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 5.6 to 6.7 degrees C (42 to 44 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alpena, Detour, Ensign, Hessel, and Wheatley series. Alpena soils are excessively drained and are on higher landscape positions. Detour soils are finer textured throughout. Ensign soils are underlain by limestone bedrock at depths of 25 to 50 cm (10 to 20 inches). Detour and Ensign soils are on similar landscape positions. Hessel and Wheatley soils are poorly drained or very poorly drained and are on slightly lower landscape positions.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Depth to the top of an apparent seasonal high water table ranges from 15 to 46 cm (0.5 to 1.5 feet) between November and May in normal years. Potential for surface runoff is negligible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is very high. Permeability is very rapid.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used as woodland and recreation land. Quaking aspen, balsam fir, northern white cedar, red maple, paper birch, white spruce, and black ash are the principal tree species.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 94B and 94C in the northeastern part of the lower peninsula and eastern upper peninsula of Michigan within a few miles of Lakes Michigan and Huron. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Presque Isle County, Michigan, 1989.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 10 cm (4 inches) (A horizon).
Aquic conditions: redoximorphic features present in horizons below a depth of 25 cm (10 inches).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record No.: MI0565.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.