LOCATION GICHIGAMI WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Oxyaquic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Gichigami silt loam, on a convex, northeast facing, 2 percent slope, in an area of mixed conifer and northern hardwoods, at an elevation of about 810 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) silt loam, reddish gray (5YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; friable; many fine and medium and few coarse roots; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
E--2 to 7 inches; dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) silt loam, pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine and medium and few coarse roots; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
E/B--7 to 13 inches; 60 percent dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) silt loam (E), pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) dry; weak medium platy structure; friable; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; extends as tongues into or surrounds remnants of reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) silty clay loam (Bt); moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine and medium and few coarse roots; common faint reddish brown (2.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary (Glossic horizon - 2 to 25 inches thick)
Bt1--13 to 20 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) silty clay loam; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; firm; common fine and few medium roots between peds; common faint reddish brown (2.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds and in root channels; few prominent black (5YR 2.5/1) organic coatings in root channels; about 1 percent gravel; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--20 to 29 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) silty clay loam; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; firm; common fine and few medium roots between peds; common faint reddish brown (2.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds and in root channels; common prominent black (5YR 2.5/1) organic coatings in root channels; about 1 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon ranges from 12 to 30 inches.)
Btk1--29 to 47 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) silty clay loam; strong coarse prismatic structure; firm; tends to break to weak thick plates along depositional strata; few fine and medium roots between peds; common faint reddish brown (2.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds and in root channels; common prominent black (5YR 2.5/1) organic coatings in root channels; common medium irregular distinct light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/4) and prominent pink (5YR 7/4) soft masses of calcium carbonate; slightly effervescent (about 3 percent calcium carbonate); about 1 percent gravel; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Btk2--47 to 62 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure; firm; tends to break to weak thick plates along depositional strata; few roots between peds; few faint reddish brown (2.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds and in root channels; common prominent gray (5Y 5/1) coatings of calcium carbonate on faces of peds; few prominent black (5YR 2.5/1) organic coatings in root channels; common medium and coarse irregular distinct light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/4) and prominent pink (5YR 7/4) soft masses of calcium carbonate; few thin (< 1 inch) reddish brown (5YR 4/4) remnant discontinuous disoriented varves of silt loam and silty clay loam; violently effervescent (about 12 percent calcium carbonate); about 1 percent gravel; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btk horizon ranges from 10 to 40 inches.)
BC--62 to 80 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) silty clay loam; weak coarse prismatic structure; firm; few fine roots between peds; common fine and medium irregular distinct light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/4) and prominent pink (5YR 7/4) soft masses of calcium carbonate; few very fine and fine irregular prominent reddish black (2.5YR 2.5/1) soft masses of iron-manganese oxides; few thin (< 1 inch) reddish brown (5YR 4/4) remnant discontinuous, disoriented varves of silt loam and silt; strongly effervescent (about 10 percent calcium carbonate); about 4 percent gravel; moderately alkaline. (0 to 25 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Ashland County, Wisconsin; about 1 mile north and 3 miles southeast of New Odanah; 2200 feet south and 2550 feet east of the northwest corner of section 15, T. 47 N., R. 2 W.; USGS Cedar, WI topographic quadrangle; lat. 46 degrees 33 minutes 08 seconds N. and long. 90 degrees 36 minutes 10 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 40 to more than 60 inches. Depth to free carbonates ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The weighted average clay content of the particle size control section ranges from 22 to 35 percent and the weighted average content of fine sand or coarser is less than 15 percent. Volume of gravel ranges from 0 to 10 percent throughout. Volume of cobble ranges from 0 to 2 percent throughout. Mudflow lenses or remnant discontinuous disoriented varves occur in individual horizons in many pedons. Redox accumulations occur in the glossic horizon and, in some pedons, in the upper part of the argillic horizon (Bt). Saturation occurs in these horizons at some time in most years.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value of 2 or 3; and chroma of 1 to 3. Cultivated pedons have an Ap horizon with hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value of 3 or 4 and chroma of 2 or 3. Reaction naturally ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid but ranges to neutral, where the soil is limed.
The E horizon has 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. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral.
Gichigami soils have a glossic horizon (E/B or B/E horizon, or both). The E part has color like the E horizon described above. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. The Bt part has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 4 to 6. It is silt loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to neutral.
The Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value and chroma of 3 or 4. It is typically silty clay loam or clay loam but, in some pedons, it is silt loam. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
The Btk horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 3 to 5. It is typically silty clay loam or clay loam but, in some pedons, it is silt loam. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
The BC horizon has hue to 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 3 or 4. It is typically silty clay loam or clay loam but, in some pedons, it is silt loam. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Some pedons have a C horizon with color, texture and reaction like the BC horizon described above.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Crystal Lake, Kneff, Oronto, and Spencer series. Crystal Lake and Spencer soils do not have have free carbonates in the series control section. Spencer soils have more than 45 percent sand, both in the lower part of the series control section. Kneff and Crystal Lake soils are stratified in the lower part of the series control section. Oronto soils have aquic conditions.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gichigami soils are on knolls and side slopes on till plains. Slope gradients range from 0 to 6 percent. These soils formed in silty and loamy till. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 33 inches. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 36 to 43 degrees F. The frost-free period ranges from about 90 to 120 days. Elevation ranges from 600 to 1200 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bohemian, Brimley, Bruce, Denomie and Oronto soils. The well drained Bohemian soils, the somewhat poorly drained Brimley soils, and the poorly drained Bruce soils form a drainage sequence in nearby areas where the soil formed in stratified lacustrine deposits. The well drained Denomie soils and the somewhat poorly drained Oronto soils form a drainage sequence with Gichigami soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Runoff is low or medium. Permeability is moderately slow or moderate. Gichigami soils have a perched seasonal high water table at a depth of 1.0 to 2.5 feet for 1 month or more per year at some time during the period September to June in 6 or more out of 10 years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for woodland. Some areas are used for cropland and pastureland. Oats, bromegrass, timothy, alfalfa, trefoil, and red clover are the principle crops. Many areas which were formerly cropland are now idle and are reverting to natural vegetation. Native vegetation is mixed deciduous and coniferous forest. Common trees are red maple, balsam fir, white spruce, white pine, quaking aspen and paper birch. Common understory species are American hazel, redosier dogwood, black snakeroot, big leaf aster, wild sarsaparilla, and bracken fern.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Wisconsin along Lake Superior (MLRA K-92). This series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota; MLRA SSO 10-4 (Duluth, Minnesota).
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Iron County, Wisconsin, 2006. Source of the name is the Native American Chippewa term for Lake Superior.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include: ochric epipedon - 0 to 7 inches (A,E); albic horizon - 2 to 7 inches (E); glossic horizon - 7 to 13 inches (E/B); argillic horizon - 13 to 62 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Btk1, Btk2); oxyaquic feature - redox features and saturation within 40 inches at some time in most years.
Only series status, responsibility, and scrivener's errors changed - 3/09.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record - WI0574