LOCATION ITHACA                  MI

Established Series
Rev. JEF-WEF-MLK
08/2012

ITHACA SERIES

The Ithaca series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils formed in till on ground moraines and end moraines. Slope ranges from 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 762 mm (30 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 7.8 degrees C (46 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, semiactive, mesic Aquic Glossudalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Ithaca loam, on a 2 percent slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 25 cm (10 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [15 to 28 cm (6 to 11 inches) thick]

B/E--25 to 38 cm (10 to 15 inches); about 70 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) clay loam (Bt); surrounded by or penetrated by tongues of pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam (E); weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; about 1 percent fine gravel; slightly acid; gradual broken boundary. [5 to 20 cm (2 to 8 inches) thick]

Bt--38 to 61 cm (15 to 24 inches); reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; few fine distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron; about 1 percent fine gravel; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [20 to 64 cm (8 to 25 inches) thick]

BC--61 to 152 cm (24 to 60 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; firm; many medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron; common fine light gray (10YR 7/1) lime streaks; about 1 percent fine gravel; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Mason County, Michigan; about 1 mile north of the village of Custer; 2,000 feet east and 2,000 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 9, T. 18 N., R. 16 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the solum: more than 61 cm (24 inches)
Depth to carbonates: 51 to 91 cm (20 to 36 inches)
Particle-size control section: averages 35 to 45 percent clay
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline in the solum
Rock fragment content: 0 to 10 percent above the calcareous material and 2 to 10 percent in the calcareous material

A horizon, where present:
Thickness: less than 15 cm (6 inches)
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or silt loam

Ap horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 or 4, 6 or more dry
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or silt loam

E part of the B/E horizon, or an E horizon, where present:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam
Amount of E material present in the B/E horizon: 50 to 75 percent

An E/B horizon up to 10 cm (4 inches) thick is present in some pedons.

Bt part of the B/E and the Bt horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay
Amount of E material present: 15 to 50 percent

BC horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam, or clay

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ithaca soils are on end moraines and ground moraines of Wisconsinan age. Slope ranges from 0 to 6 percent. The Ithaca soils formed in till. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 711 to 864 mm (28 to 34 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 7.2 to 10.0 degrees C (45 to 50 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arkona and Perrinton soils. Arkona soils are on similar landscape positions and have sandy material overlying the till. The moderately well drained Perrinton soils are in a drainage sequence with the Ithaca soils.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Depth to the top of a seasonal high water table ranges from 15 to 61 cm (0.5 to 2 feet) between October and May in normal years. Potential for surface runoff is medium to high. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high or moderately low. Permeability is moderately slow or slow.

USE AND VEGETATION: About 90 percent of this soil is cultivated or in pasture. The remainder is in woodland. Corn, oats, soybeans, wheat and legume hay are the principal crops. Native vegetation is mixed hardwoods, predominantly sugar maple, American basswood, northern red oak, yellow birch and American beech.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 96, 97, 98, and 99 in the southern half of Lower Michigan. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gratiot County, Michigan, 1975.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 25 cm (10 inches) (Ap horizon).
Glossic horizon: from a depth of 25 to 38 cm (10 to 15 inches) (B/E horizon).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 25 to 61 cm (10 to 24 inches) (B part of B/E horizon and the Bt horizon).
Aquic condition: redoximorphic features in horizons below a depth of 38 cm (15 inches) (Bt, BC horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.