LOCATION GRAVELTON IN

Established Series
Rev. FF-TRZ-DAG
09/2012

GRAVELTON SERIES

The Gravelton series consists of very deep, very poorly drained soils on flood plains. They formed in loamy sediments underlain by stratified sandy and gravelly alluvium. They are moderately deep to the underlying sandy or gravelly material. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 914 mm (36 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 10.0 degrees C (50 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Fluvaquentic Endoaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Gravelton loam, frequently flooded, on a nearly level slope in a woodland at an elevation of 236 meters (776 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 28 cm (11 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; many very fine and fine roots throughout; many very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores with moderate continuity; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [25 to 46 cm (10 to 18 inches) thick]

Bg--28 to 41 cm (11 to 16 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many very fine and fine roots throughout; many very coarse interstitial and tubular pores with moderate continuity; common fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common medium faint dark gray (10YR 4/1) iron depletions in the matrix; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 25 cm (10 inches) thick]

2C1--41 to 58 cm (16 to 23 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) sand; single grain; loose; many coarse prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 25 cm (10 inches) thick]

2C2--58 to 91 cm (23 to 36 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sand; single grain; loose; many medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 10 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

3C3--91 to 122 cm (36 to 48 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; many medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 25 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

3Cg--122 to 203 cm (48 to 80 inches); gray (10YR 5/1) very gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; 40 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Elkhart County, Indiana; in the southwest part of Goshen, about 1/2 mile west of Indiana 15 and just north of Indiana 119, in Shanklin Park; 450 feet south and 2,000 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 16, T. 36 N., R. 6 E.; USGS Goshen IN topographic quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees 34 minutes 45 seconds N. and long. 85 degrees 50 minutes 27 seconds W., NAD 27; UTM Zone 16, 596630 easting and 4603708 northing, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the loamy sediments: 36 to 61 cm (14 to 24 inches)
Depth to carbonates: 36 to 61 cm (14 to 24 inches)

Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 2, 2.5, or 3
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loam or loamy sand
Rock fragment content: 0 to 8 percent gravel
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

Bg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Rock fragment content: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline

2C or 2Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: sand or coarse sand, or their gravelly analogues
Rock fragment content: 0 to 34 percent gravel
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

3C or 3Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: very gravelly coarse sand or gravelly coarse sand
Rock fragment content: 15 to 50 percent gravel
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blackloup, Erber, and Prochaska series. Blackloup and Erber soils are in areas that receive less than 813 mm (32 inches) of mean annual precipitation. Prochaska soils have less than 15 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gravelton soils are on low lying flood-plain steps and oxbows on flood plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Gravelton soils formed in loamy alluvium underlain by stratified sandy and gravelly alluvium. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 812 to 1067 mm (32 to 42 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 10.0 to 11.1 degrees C (50 to 52 degrees F). Frost-free period is 130 to 180 days. Elevation is 177 to 466 meters (580 to 1,530 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Abscota, Adrian, and Waterford soils. The moderately well drained Abscota soils are on natural levees. The very poorly drained Adrian soils are in slightly lower lying areas in back swamps and have an organic surface layer. The somewhat poorly drained Waterford soils are on slightly higher lying flood-plain steps.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Very poorly drained. Depth to the top of an apparent seasonal high water table ranges from 15 to 61 cm (0.5 foot to 2 feet) above the surface for some time in normal years. Potential for surface runoff is negligible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high. Permeability is moderately rapid in the solum and rapid or very rapid in the underlying material.

USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are mostly used for pasture or woodland. Some areas are used to grow corn and soybeans. Native vegetation is deciduous forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 98 and 111C in northern Indiana. The series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kosciusko County, Indiana, 1985.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 28 cm 11 inches (A horizon).
Aquic conditions: redoximorphic features present in all horizons below the mollic epipedon.

NASIS Data Mapunit ID 124274 represents the typical pedon.
NASIS Data Mapunit ID 124273 represents Gravelton loam, 0 to 1 percent slopes, occasionally flooded, brief duration.

Drained and undrained phases are recognized.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab characterization data is available for the old typical pedon from Kosciusko County (KO8103) from the Purdue University Soil Characterization Lab. Lab characterization data is available for the typical pedon (S95IN-039-3) from the National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE. Transect data is on file for the typical pedon (T93IN-039-233) at the MLRA project office, Plymouth, Indiana. Transect shows 60 percent Gravelton and 40 percent Prochaska soils.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.