LOCATION KELTNER IL+MN WI

Established Series
Rev. BWR-JWS -SLE
01/2011

KELTNER SERIES

The Keltner series consists of deep, moderately well drained soils on unglaciated hillside benches and rounded ridge tops. These soils formed in loess and the underlying residuum weathered from shale. The mean annual precipitation is about 890 mm (35 inches), and the mean annual temperature is about 8.3 degrees C (47 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Oxyaquic Argiudolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Keltner silt loam on a west-facing 4 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of 277 meters (907 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches); black (10YR 2/1) silt loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; light gray (10YR 7/2) dry silt coatings on faces of peds; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--20 to 33 cm (8 to 13 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; friable; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. [combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 61 cm (10 to 24 inches).]

Bt1--33 to 51 cm (13 to 20 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; firm; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--51 to 69 cm (20 to 27 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; many medium distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) and few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron in the matrix; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bt3--69 to 97 cm (27 to 38 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; many dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) concretions of iron and manganese oxides; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron and grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 38 to 89 cm (15 to 35 inches).]

2Bt4--97 to 104 cm (38 to 41 inches); mixed light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4), greenish gray (5G 6/1), and yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) clay; moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; very firm; few faint olive gray (5Y 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. [5 to 31 cm (2 to 12 inches) thick]

2Cr--104 to 152 cm (41 to 60 inches); mixed olive (5Y 5/3), greenish gray (5BG 6/1), and yellowish brown (10YR 5/8), thinly bedded clayey shale containing many fragments of limestone in discontinuous layers ranging from 1 to 3 inches in thickness; horizontal cleavage planes with light greenish gray (5G 7/1) fillings and coats; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Stephenson County, Illinois; about 2.5 miles south of Bolton; 380 feet east and 240 feet north of the center of sec. 32, T. 26 N., R. 7 E.; USGS Shannon topographic quadrangle; lat. 42 degrees 12 minutes 23 seconds N. and long. 89 degrees 42 minutes 59 seconds W., NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 25 to 61 cm (10 to 24 inches)
Thickness of the loess: 76 to 127 cm (30 to 50 inches)
Depth to the paralithic contact of clayey calcareous shale bedrock: 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches)
Depth to carbonates: below 102 cm (40 inches) in some pedons
Average content of clay in the particle-size control section: between 27 and 35 percent

Ap and/or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: typically silt loam, some severely eroded pedons are silty clay loam.
Reaction: neutral to moderately acid

Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 to 6 in the upper part and chroma of 2 to 4 in the lower part.
Texture: silty clay loam
Content of clay: averages 27 to 35 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately acid in individual subhorizons, but is moderately acid in one or more subhorizons in all pedons.

2Bt horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y, 5Y or 10YR,
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma; 2 to 6 and is mottled.
Texture: silty clay loam, silty clay or clay
Content of clay: averages 38 to 50 percent
Consistence: firm or very firm
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

2Cr horizon:
Hue: 5Y, 5GY, 5G, 5BG, 2.5Y, 10YR or N (neutral)
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 0 to 4 in the matrix, but extends to 8 in individual shale layers.
Texture: partly consolidated shale with the fine earth fraction having texture of clay or silty clay
Reaction: moderately alkaline or slightly alkaline
Other features:
The 2Cr horizon is considered to be a paralithic contact.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Assumption, Aviston, Barrington, Blackberry, Buckhart, Catlin, Clare, Dana, Danabrook, Geryune, Graymont, Harrison, Saybrook, and Totanang series. None of the competing series have a paralithic or lithic contact within a depth of 152 cm (60 inches). In addition, Assumption, Catlin, Dana, and Saybrook soils formed in loess and the underlying till and contain less clay in the lower part of the series control section. Barrington soils formed in loess and the underlying loamy outwash and contain less clay in the lower part of the series control section. Harrison soils formed in loess and the underlying loamy sediments at the surface of Illinoian till that contains a strongly weathered paleosol and have less clay in the lower part of the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Keltner soils are on unglaciated hillside benches and rounded ridge tops. Slopes range from 0 to 30 percent. Keltner soils formed in 30 to 50 inches of loess and the underlying residuum weathered from calcareous clayey shale. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 7.2 to 11.1 degrees C (45 to 52 degrees F). Mean annual precipitation ranges from 813 to 914 mm (32 to 36 inches).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Calamine, Loran, Massbach, Schapville, and Tama soils. Calamine soils are poorly drained, dominated by grayer colors and are on nearly level parts of the broader ridges. Loran soils are somewhat poorly drained and are on similar landscape positions. Massbach soils do not have a mollic epipedon and are on similar landscape positions. Schapville soils have shale bedrock within 102 cm (40 inches) and are on similar landscape positions. Tama soils are well drained, do not have shale bedrock within 152 cm (60 inches), and are on upper side slopes or ridge tops above Keltner soils.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Low to very high runoff. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high to high (4.23 to 14.11 micrometers per second) in the loess and moderately low to moderately high (0.42 to 1.41 micrometers per second) in the residuum. Permeability is moderate in the loess and slow in the residuum. The depth to the top of the perched seasonal high water table ranges from 61 to 91 cm (2 to 3 feet) during February to June in normal years.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated. Corn, soybeans, small grain, and meadow are the principal crops. Native vegetation is prairie grass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Illinois, southeastern Minnesota, and southwestern Wisconsin; LRR?s K and M, MLRAs 95B, 105, 108. These soils are of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lafayette County, Wisconsin, 1964.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 33 cm (0 to 13 inches) (Ap and A horizons);
Argillic horizon - from 33 to 104 cm (13 to 41 inches) (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, and 2Bt4 horizons);
Paralithic contact with shale at a depth of 104 cm (41 inches).

Cation exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.