LOCATION FLINTSTEEL MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Oxyaquic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Flintsteel loam, on a 2 percent slope in a forested area at an elevation of 275 meters. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 2 centimeters; slightly decomposed leaves and twigs; very strongly acid (pH 4.5).
A--2 to 13 centimeters; black (5YR 2.5/1) loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many very fine to coarse roots; about 3 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 13 centimeters thick)
E--13 to 23 centimeters; reddish gray (5YR 5/2) loam; gray (7.5YR 6/1) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many very fine to coarse roots; about 2 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.6), clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 centimeters thick)
Bw--23 to 30 centimeters; brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine to medium roots; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; about 6 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 25 centimeters thick)
E/B--30 to 41 centimeters; 60 percent light brown (7.5YR 6/3) and 40 percent reddish brown (5YR 5/4) loam; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) dry; weak medium prismatic parting to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common very fine to medium roots; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; about 3 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.9), clear wavy boundary.
B/E--41 to 56 centimeters; 75 percent reddish brown (5YR 5/4) and 25 percent light brown (7.5YR 6/3) loam; moderate medium prismatic parting to weak thick platy structure; firm; common fine roots; few discontinuous faint reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; common medium faint yellowish red (5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; about 9 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2), clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the E/B and B/E horizons is 13 to 26 centimeters)
Bt--56 to 91 centimeters; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) silt loam; moderate coarse prismatic parting to weak thick platy structure; firm; common fine roots; common discontinuous faint reddish brown (5YR4/4) clay films on faces of peds; about 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5), gradual wavy boundary. (25 to 122 centimeters thick)
BCd--91 to 122 centimeters; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) silt loam; moderate very coarse prismatic parting to moderate thick platy structure; firm; few fine roots; common discontinuous faint reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; about 10 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3), gradual wavy boundary. (31 to 76 centimeters thick)
Cd--122 to 203 centimeters; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) silt loam; moderate very coarse prismatic parting to moderate very thick platy structure; firm; few fine roots; about 3 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA 92) Superior Lake Plain, Ontonagon County Michigan Subset; about 9 miles south of the village of Ontonagon; 2100 feet east and 1600 feet south of the northwest corner of Section 8, T50N, R40W, USGS Oak Bluff, MI, topographic quadrangle; lat. 46 degrees 44 minutes 50 seconds N. and long. 89 degrees 20 minutes 8 seconds W., NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to carbonates - 76 to more than 152 centimeters
Depth to densic layer (physically root restrictive) - 64 to 102 centimeters
Gravel content - 0 to 10 percent throughout
Cobble content - 0 to 5 percent throughout
Reaction (A, E, Bw, E/B, and B/E horizons) - very strongly acid to slightly acid (pH 4.5 to 6.5)
Reaction (Bt, BCd, and Cd horizons) - neutral to strongly alkaline (pH 6.6 to 9.0)
A horizon
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 2.5 or 3
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam or silt loam
E horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam, silt loam or fine sandy loam
Bw horizon
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, silt loam or loam
E part of the E/B and B/E horizons
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: loam, silt loam or fine sandy loam
B part of the E/B and B/E horizons
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: loam, silt loam or fine sandy loam
Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 3 or 4
Texture: silt loam, loam or clay loam
BCd horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 3 or 4
Texture: loam or silt loam
Cd horizon (when present)
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 3 or 4
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: loam or silt loam
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brandstad,
Culver,
Daybrook,
Dinham,
Flambeau,
Hiles,
Loyal and,
Nashwauk soils.
Branstad - have 10YR and 2.5Y hues in the E, E/B, B/E, Bt, Btk, and C horizons
Culver formed in a mantle of eolian or water-laid sediments 10 to 51 centimeters thick over loamy till
Daybrook formed in a mantle of outwash 61 to 102 centimeters thick over loamy till, and have 10YR and 2.5Y hues in the 2E/B, 2B/E, and 2BCd horizons.
Dinham - formed in a mantle of outwash 51 to 102 centimeters thick over loamy till
Flambeau do not have carbonates from 76 to 152 centimeters nor the neutral to strongly alkaline reactions in Bt and C horizons
Hiles - have paralithic contact at 51 to 102 centimeters
Loyal - formed in loess or silty alluvium 30 to 91 centimeters thick over loamy till, and do not have carbonates from 76 to 152 centimeters nor the neutral to strongly alkaline reactions in Bt and C horizons
Nashwauk - have 10YR and 2.5Y hues in the Bt and BCd horizons
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material loamy basal till derived from local siltstone and sandstone bedrock
Landform - ground moraines
Geomorphic component - interfluves and side slopes
Slope - 1 to 30 percent
Mean annual precipitation - 790 to 860 millimeters
Mean annual air temperature - 4 to 7 degrees C.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Belding,
Big Iron,
Gull Point,
Loggerhead and
Watton soils.
Members of the typical drainage sequence (catena) include Big Iron and Watton.
Belding - are on slightly lower landscape positions and in the Alfic Epiaquods Subgroup
Big Iron - are on lower landscape positions and in the Aquic Glossudalfs Subgroup
Gull Point - are in drainageways and in the Typic Argiaquolls Subgroup
Loggerhead - are on similar landscape positions but are in the Alfic Oxyaquic Haplorthods Subgroup
Watton - are on steeper landscape positions and in the Haplic Glossudalfs Subgroup
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage - a perched seasonal zone of water saturation from 30 to 107 centimeters exists from November to May (moderately well drained)
Surface runoff - low to high depending on the slope
Saturated hydraulic conductivity - moderate (A, E, Bw, E/B, and B/E horizons), moderately slow (Bt horizon), and very slow (BCd and Cd horizons).
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. The major species are sugar maple, red maple, green ash, quaking aspen, large tooth aspen, eastern hemlock, basswood, yellow birch, and balsam fir. Some areas are used for pasture and hay production or are idle.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division
--Laurentian Upland
Physiographic Province
--Superior Upland
Land Resource Region
--Northern Lake States Forest and Forage region (LRR K)
Major Land Resource Area
--Superior Lake Plain (MLRA 92)
--Superior Stony and Rocky Loamy Plains and Hills, Eastern Part (MLRA 93B)
The series is extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Major Land Resource Area 92 Superior Lake Plain; Ontonagon County Michigan Subset, January 2007. Proposed: Ontonagon County, Michigan, 2001. The source of the name is the Flintsteel River in Ontonagon, County.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in the typical pedon include:
Ochric epipedon 0 to 23 centimeters (Oi, A and E horizons)
Albic horizon - 13 to 23 centimeters (E horizon)
Glossic horizon - 30 to 56 centimeters (E/B and B/E horizons)
Argillic horizon - 41 to 91 centimeters (the B part of the B/E, and the Bt horizons)
Densic layer contact - 91 centimeters
Oxyaquic feature - redox concentrations and soil saturation above 100 centimeters
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to lab sample number S99MI-131-021 for Primary Characterization Data from NSSL, Lincoln, NE.