LOCATION GRELLTON WI+IL
Established Series
Rev. HFG-AAC
01/2011
GRELLTON SERIES
The Grellton series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in loamy outwash or eolian deposits; in the underlying silty deposits; and, in many pedons, in loamy till on ground moraines. Slope ranges from 0 to 20 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 762 mm (30 inches). Mean annual air temperature is about 9.4 degrees C (49 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Grellton fine sandy loam - on a 5 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of about 305 meters (1,000 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 13 cm (0 to 5 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine fibrous roots; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [13 to23 cm (5 to 9 inches) thick]
BE--13 to 38 cm (5 to 15 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine fibrous roots; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 inches) thick]
Bt1--38 to 58 cm (15 to 23 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. [15 to 23 cm (6 to 9 inches) thick]
2Bt2--58 to 69 cm (23 to 27 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) silt loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
2Bt3--69 to 99 cm (27 to 39 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
2Bt4--99 to 119 cm (39 to 47 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; common faint clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizons ranges from 31 to 89 cm (12 to 35 inches).]
3BC--119 to 140 cm (47 to 55 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; about 5 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches) thick]
3C--140 to 152 cm (55 to 60 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; massive; very friable; about 14 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Columbia County, Wisconsin; about 9 1/2 miles west of Columbus; 2,440 feet north and 500 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 6, T. 10 N., R. 11 E. USGS North Bristol Wis. Quad. Latitude 43 degrees 21 minutes 42 seconds N., Longitude 89 degrees 13 minutes 44 seconds W. NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 81 to 163 cm (32 to 64 inches)
Thickness of the loamy outwash or eolian mantle: 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches)
Depth to till: 102 to more than 203 cm (40 to more than 80 inches)
Depth to carbonates: 102 to 203 cm (40 to 80 inches)
Particle-size control section: averages 18 to 30 percent clay
Mean annual soil temperature: 8.9 to 11.7 degrees C(48 to 53 degrees F)
Rock fragments: absent except in the 3B and 3C horizons in till
Volume of gravel: 2 to 30 percent in the till
Volume of cobbles: 0 to 5 percent in the till
Reaction: naturally moderately acid to neutral in the loamy mantle but ranges to slightly alkaline in the upper part, where the soil is limed; strongly acid to slightly alkaline in the silty deposits; slightly acid to slightly alkaline in the 3B horizon; slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline in the 3C horizon in till
Carbonates: in the 3C horizon
Ap horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 or 4
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy loam
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy loam
E horizon (where present):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam or loam
BE horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam or loam
Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam or sandy clay loam
2Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
2C horizon (where present):
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: silt loam
3Bt or 3BC horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam or the gravelly analogues
Other features:
Some pedons do not have a 3Bt horizon.
3C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, or the gravelly analogues
Other features:
Some pedons do not have a 3C horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bluemont,
Douds,
Kendallville,
Kliever,
Letort,
Lindley,
Mandeville,
Mchenry,
Mifflin,
Nodine,
Norden,
Ott,
Pecatonica,
Plumcreek,
Renova,
Rockbridge,
Theresa,
Westville,
Whalan, and
Wykoff series. Bluemont, Ott, and Whalan soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches). Kendallville, and Theresa soils have carbonates within 102 cm (40 inches). Douds soils have redox features within the series control section. Kliever, Letort and Lindley soils have mean annual soil temperature greater than 11.1 degrees C (52 degrees F). Mandeville soils have and Norden soils have a paralithic contact at a depth of 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches). Pecatonica and Westville soils have hue of 5YR as coatings or in the matrix in some part of the argillic horizon. Plumcreek soils are stratified in the lower part of the series control section. Renova soils have more than 50 percent silt in the upper part of the series control section and less than 50 percent silt in the middle and lower parts. Rockbridge soils have rock fragments in the lower part of the Bt horizon and throughout the 2Bt horizon. Wykoff soils are less than 102 cm (40 inches) deep to the base of soil development and are stratified in the lower part of the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Grellton soils are on ground moraines. Slope ranges from 0 to 20 percent. These soils formed in a mantle of loamy outwash or eolian deposits; in the underlying silty deposits; and, in many places, in till. The origin of the silty deposits is thought to be eolian (loess). Mean annual precipitation ranges from 711 to 838 mm (28 to 33 inches). Mean annual air temperature ranges from 7.8 to 10.0 degrees C (46 to 50 degrees F).
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing
Kidder and
Mchenry soils and the
Friesland and
Plano soils. Kidder and McHenry soils occupy slightly higher positions on landscapes consisting of glacial till with a thin mantle of loess. Friesland and Plano soils have mollic epipedons and occupy similar positions on the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained. The potential for surface runoff ranges from negligible to high. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high to high (4.23 to 14.11 micrometers per second). Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for cropland. Common crops are corn, small grain, and hay. Native vegetation is deciduous forest with elm, ash, and oak predominant.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 95A,and 95B in south-central and southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Columbia County, Wisconsin, 1972.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:Ochric epipedon - 0 to 13 cm (0 to 5 inches) (Ap); Argillic horizon - 38 to 99 cm (15 to 39 inches) (Bt1, 2Bt2, 2Bt3);
There are 1345 acres correlated in Jefferson County, WI with redox features below a depth of 89 cm (35 inches) and 2163 acres correlated in the Winnebago-Boone Counties, IL survey with redox features below 36 inches. A new series is needed
for these moderately well drained Typic Hapludalfs.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.