LOCATION KEEWATIN MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aquic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Keewatin loam on a linear slope of 3 percent in an aspen forest. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak medium granular structure; very friable; many very fine to medium roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
E1--4 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; very friable; many very fine to medium roots; few medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) Fe concentrations throughout; 2 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
E2--8 to 12 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak thin platy; friable; common very fine to medium roots; common rounded vrey dark brown (10YR 3/3) worm casts; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) Fe concentrations and common medium faint gray (10YR 6/1) Fe depletions throughout; 2 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizons is 4 to 14 inches)
Ex--12 to 17 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam; weak medium angular blocky structure; very firm; common very fine to medium roots; common medium vesicular pores; common medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) Fe concentrations and common medium faint gray (10YR 6/1) Fe depletions; 2 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
B/E--17 to 34 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam (Bt horizon - 80 percent) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam (E horizon - 20 percent); moderate coarse angular blocky structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; few discontinuous brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; few fine rounded black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; common coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) Fe concentrations and common medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) Fe depletions between peds; 5 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. (4 to 20 inches thick)
Bt--34 to 58 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate thin platy; very firm; many faint discontinuous brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; few distinct patchy gray (10YR 5/1) silt coats on faces of peds; common fine rounded black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) Fe concentrations and few medium distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) Fe depletions between peds; 10-25 mm wide tongues of B/E occur every 12 to 24 inches; 8 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 45 inches thick)
BCd--58 to 80 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam; moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate thin platy; very firm; few fine rounded black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) Fe concentrations and few medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) Fe depletions throughout; 5 to 15 mm tongues of B/E material occur between peds; 5 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: St. Louis County, Minnesota; about 9 miles north of Hibbing; 2250 feet west and 850 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 26, T. 59 N., R. 21 W.; USGS Dewey Lake Quadrangle; latitude 47 degrees 34 minutes 15 seconds N., and longitude 92 degrees 57 minutes 52 seconds W., NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to free carbonates ranges is greater than 50 inches. Depth to dense till is 40 to 60 inches. Content of rock fragments, principally granitic, ranges from 1 to 15 percent throughout the profile. Most pedons have some stones and boulders on the surface.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 to 3. It is silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam. It is very strongly acid to slightly acid. Some pedons have an Ap horizon as much as 10 inches thick; dry value is 5 or greater.
The E horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 to 3 or value of 4, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silt loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam. It is very strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Ex horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 to 7 and chroma of 1 to 3. It is silt loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, sandy loam or loam. It is strongly acid to slightly acid. Bulk density ranges from 1.75 to 1.95 gm/cc.
The B/E and/or E/B has colors and textures are similar to the E and Bt horizons, respectively. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam, or silty clay loam. Some pedons have isolated large eluvial tongues penetrating deeply into this horizon. It is strongly acid to slightly acid.
Some pedons have a BC horizons.
The BCd horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is fine sandy loam, loam, clay loam, silty clay loam or sandy clay loam. It is slightly acid to moderately alkaline. It averages 20 to 35 percent clay and 45 to 65 percent sand. The bulk density ranges from 1.75 to 1.95 gm/cc.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alstad , Kert, Meadland, Milladore, Nary, Point, Rietbrock and Withee series. Alstad, Meadland, Milladore, Nary and Point soils do not have Ex horizons or dense till within the series control section. Kert soils have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Withee soils have a loess mantle of silt loam or loam and do not have Ex horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Keewatin soils are on glacial till plains, moraines and drumlins. They formed in dense, loamy till. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual air temperature is 36 to 40 degrees F., Memean annual precipitation rangeis from 24 to 28 inches and the. frost-free season is 90 to 125 days. Elevation above sea level is from 1200 to 1610 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Balkan(T), Cathro, Daybrook(T), Greatscott(T), Greenwood, Nashwauk, and Shenango(T). The well drained Greatscott, moderately well drained Nashwauk and the poorly and very poorly drained Balkan soils form a hydrosequence with Keewatin soils. The moderately well drained Daybrook and somewhat poorly drained Shenango soils have a mantle of sandy outwash. The very poorly drained Cathro and Greenwood soils are in depressions and formed mostly in organic material.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is very slow. Perched seasonal high saturation is as high as .5 to 1.5 feet at some time from April through June and October through November in years of normal precipitation.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. Some areas are cleared for production of hay, pasture, and small grain. Common trees are aspen, paper birch, red maple, balsam fir, white pine and white spruce.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 57. North-central Minnesota. Moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Itasca County, Minnesota, 1982.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are: ochric epipedon - the one from 0 to 8 inches (A and E1 horizons); albic horizon - the zone from 4 to 17 inches (E1, E2, and Ex horizons); glossic horizon - the zone from 17 to 34 inches (B/E horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from 17 to 58 inches (B/E and Bt horizons); aquic subgroup - Fe depletions in the upper part of the argillic horizon.. Densic contact at 58 inches. The Ex horizon exhibits fragipan characteristics and may fit the proposed fragalbic horizon. (See Correspondence file: 430-11 SOI - Classification - Fragipans, dated 1993).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to MAES Central File Code No. 2459, 2216, 1982, 2639, and 2989 for data from the representative pedon. (Data from Lab. Nos. 3534 and 3535 should exchange order to obtain correct horizon sequence.)
Soil Interpretation Record number is MN0333.