LOCATION GALVA                   IA+MN

Established Series
Rev. RJK-DJP-AAC
08/2017

GALVA SERIES

The Galva series consists of very deep, well drained soils on uplands and loess covered stream terraces. These soils formed in loess. Slope ranges from 0 to l5 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 8 degrees C (47 degrees F). Mean annual precipitation is about 685 millimeters (27 inches).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Galva silty clay loam, on a convex slope of 4 percent in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 15 centimeters (0 to 6 inches); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silty clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; friable; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--15 to 28 centimeters (6 to 11 inches); about 90 percent very dark brown (10YR 2/2) and about 10 percent very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; moderate fine granular and very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 41 centimeters (10 to 16 inches).]

BA--28 to 43 centimeters (11 to 17 inches); dark brown (10YR 3/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine granular and very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; about half of the peds have very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) coatings on peds; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. [0 to 20 centimeters (0 to 8 inches) thick]

Bw1--43 to 58 centimeters (17 to 23 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak very fine subangular blocky; friable; few very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) coatings on peds; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.

Bw2--58 to 79 centimeters (23 to 31 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak very fine subangular blocky; friable; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.

Bw3--79 to 114 centimeters (31 to 45 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak very fine subangular blocky; friable; few fine distinct gray (10YR 5/1) redoximorphic depletions; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 51 to 114 centimeters (20 to 45 inches).]

BC--114 to 152 centimeters (45 to 60 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak very fine subangular blocky, grading to massive in lower part; friable; few fine calcium carbonate accumulations and few calcium carbonate concretions; few dark oxide stains; few fine distinct gray (10YR 5/1) redoximorphic depletions; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Land Resource Unit (LRU) 107A--Iowa and Minnesota Loess Hills; OBrien County, Iowa; about 1 mile south and 2 miles west of Paullina; about 1,060 feet west and 190 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 18, T. 94 N., R. 41 W.; USGS Paulina topographic quadrangle; lat. 42 degrees 58 minutes 2 seconds N. and long. 95 degrees 43 minutes 37 seconds W., NAD 83; UTM Zone 15T, 277608 easting and 4760797 northing, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to carbonates--81 to 183 centimeters (32 to 72 inches)
Thickness of mollic epipedon--25 to 61 centimeters (10 to 24 inches)
Content of clay in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--27 to 35 percent
Content of sand in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--1 to 6 percent fine sand and sand coarser than fine sand

Ap or A horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--2
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silty clay loam
Clay content--28 to 36 percent
Sand content--1 to 10 percent
Reaction--strongly acid to neutral

AB horizon (if it occurs):
Thickness--0 to 25 centimeters (0 to 10 inches)
Hue--10YR
Value--3
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture--silty clay loam
Clay content--34 to 39 percent
Sand content--1 to 10 percent
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral

BA horizon (where present):
Hue--10YR
Value--3 or 4
Chroma--3
Texture--silty clay loam
Clay content--30 to 39 percent
Sand content--1 to 6 percent
Reaction--slightly acid or neutral

Bw horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--silty clay loam in the upper part and silt loam in the lower part
Clay content--27 to 35 percent
Sand content--1 to 6 percent
Reaction--slightly acid or neutral

Note: few or common grayish redoximorphic depletions are below a depth of 76 centimeters (30 inches)

BC horizon (where present):
Hue--10YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--silty clay loam or silt loam
Clay content--25 to 30 percent
Sand content--1 to 10 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--0 to 25 percent
Reaction--slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

C horizon (where present within the control section):
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--1 to 8
Texture--silt loam
Clay content--20 to 27 percent
Sand content--1 to 10 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Some pedons have gravelly sediments below a depth of 150 centimeters (60 inches)

Some pedons have loamy glacial till below a depth of 150 centimeters (60 inches)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Annieville, Biggsville, Dinsmore, Exira, Keg, Marshall, Monona, Northboro, Ponca, Port Byron, Raddle, Salix, and Truman series.
Annieville--have a sand content of more than 10 percent in the lower part of the series control section
Biggsville--average less than 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section
Dinsmore--have a sand content of more than 10 percent in the lower part of the series control section
Exira--have relict redoximorphic features within a depth of 76 centimeters (30 inches)
Keg--have a sand content of more than 10 percent in the lower part of the series control section
Marshall--do not have carbonates within a depth of 183 centimeters (72 inches)
Monona--average less than 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section
Northboro--have a cambic horizon with matrix color hues redder than 10YR
Ponca--have a mollic epipedon less than 18 centimeters (7 inches) thick
Port Byron--average less than 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section
Raddle--average less than 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section
Salix--have a sand content of more than 10 percent in the lower part of the series control section
Truman--averages more than 6 percent fine sand or coarser sand in the particle-size control section

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--loess
Landform--uplands and loess covered stream terraces
Slopes--0 to 15 percent
Elevation--366 to 457 meters (1,200 to 1,500 feet) above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--8 to 9 degrees C (46 to 48 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation--66 to 71 centimeters (26 to 28 inches)
Frost-free period--145 to 175 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Afton, Marcus, Primghar, and Sac soils.
Afton--are at lower elevations in drainageways and have mollic epipedons that are 61 to 81 centimeters (24 to 32 inches) thick
Marcus--are at lower elevations in swales or at higher elevations on upland flats and have a saturated zone within a depth of 0.3 meters (1 foot) during the wettest period of most years
Primghar--are at lower elevations in swales or at higher elevations on upland flats and have a saturated zone within depths of 0.3 to 1 meters (1 to 3.5 feet) during the wettest period of most years
Sac--are on landform positions similar to those of the Galva soils and have glacial till within a depth of 102 centimeters (40 inches)

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class--well drained--a saturated zone does not occur within a depth of 1.8 meters (6 feet) during April to June in most years
Saturate hydraulic conductivity--0.10 to 10 micrometers per second
Surface runoff potential--negligible to medium

USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas are cultivated. The principal crops are corn, soybeans, small grains, and legume hay. The native vegetation is big bluestem, little bluestem, indiangrass, switchgrass, and other grasses of the tall grass prairie.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic section(s)--Western lake section and Dissected till plains
MLRA--Iowa and Minnesota Loess Hills (107); LRU--Till Plains (102B)
LRR M; northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota
Extent--large

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clay County, Iowa, 1970.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 25 to 100 centimeters (10 to 40 inches) (A, BA, Bw1, Bw2, and Bw3 horizons).
Series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 150 centimeters (0 to 60 inches) (Ap, A, BA, Bw1, Bw2, Bw3, and BC horizons).
Mollic epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 43 centimeters (0 to 17 inches) (Ap, A, and BA horizons).
Cambic horizon--the zone from a depth of 43 to 152 centimeters (17 to 60 inches) (Bw1, Bw2, Bw3, and BC horizons).
Udic moisture regime.

Cation-exchange class is inferred from lab data for similar soils in the surrounding area.

Taxonomy version-- Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Published data are available for the Galva series. See Foth, H. D. and Riecken, F. F., 1954. The Galva and Moody Series of Northwestern Iowa, Soil Survey Soc. Amer. Proc. 18; 206-211.
Further lab characterization data can be found from the Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln Nebraska: 84IA0350011, 84IA0350012, 84IA1670011, 84IA1670012, 84IA1670013, 84IA1670014, 84IA1670021, 84IA1670022, 85IA0350013, 85IA0350014, 85IA1610011, 85IA1610012, 85IA1610013, 85IA1610014, 85IA1670031, 85IA1670032, 85IA1670033, 85IA1670034, 85IA1670035, 85IA1670036, 87IA1670051, 87IA1670052, 87IA1670053, 87IA1670061, 87IA1670062, 96IA193011; Iowa State University 1968IA161002.

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.