LOCATION KALKASKA MI

Established Series
Rev. ESG
05/2018

KALKASKA SERIES

The Kalkaska series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in sandy drift on outwash plains, valley trains, moraines, and stream terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 70 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 760 mm, and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, isotic, frigid Typic Haplorthods

TYPICAL PEDON: Kalkaska sand, on a west-facing, 1 percent slope in a forested area at an elevation of 339 meters. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. When described on May 20, 1993, the soil was moist throughout.)

Oi--0 to 2 cm; slightly decomposed forest litter; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 cm thick)

A--2 to 5 cm; black (7.5YR 2.5/1) sand, black (10YR 2/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and few medium and coarse roots; about 5 percent fine gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

E--5 to 13 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/2) sand, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common fine and few medium and coarse roots; about 5 percent fine and medium gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear irregular boundary. (5 to 38 cm thick)

Bhs--13 to 18 cm; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common fine and few medium and coarse roots; about 5 percent fine and medium gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); clear irregular boundary. (3 to 58 cm thick)

Bs1--18 to 56 cm; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; few fine and medium roots; about 5 percent fine and medium gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); clear wavy boundary.

Bs2--56 to 91 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; few fine roots between ortstein columns; columns of weakly cemented, dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) ortstein 8 to 13 cm wide extend through this horizon into the BC horizon; ortstein columns are 48 to 61 cm apart; ortstein occupies 7 percent of the horizon; about 5 percent fine and medium gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.1); gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bs horizons is 0 to 76 cm.)

BC--91 to 130 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; few fine roots between ortstein columns; columns of weakly cemented, dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) ortstein 8 to 13 cm wide extend into this horizon from the Bs2 horizon; ortstein columns are 48 to greater than 100 cm apart; ortstein occupies 11 percent of the horizon; about 5 percent fine and medium gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.5); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 70 cm thick)

C--130 to 205 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sand; single grain; loose; about 5 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.5).

TYPE LOCATION: Kalkaska County, Michigan; about 4 miles northwest of Darragh; 1,900 feet north and 100 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 13, T. 28 N., R. 7 W., Rapid River Township; USGS Westwood, Michigan topographic quadrangle; lat. 44 degrees 49 minutes 13.5 seconds N. and long. 85 degrees 6 minutes 42.0 seconds W., WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Dry in some part of the soil moisture control section in July in normal years; dry throughout the soil moisture control section in August in normal years.
Thickness of the solum: 61 to 140 cm.
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel and 0 to 3 percent cobbles throughout.
Surface fragments: 0 to 0.1 percent stones covering the surface.

Oi, Oe, or Oa horizon, where present
Hue: 5YR to 10YR, or is neutral
Value: 2, 2.5, or 3
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: slightly, moderately, or highly decomposed organic material
Reaction (pH): 3.5 to 5.0

A horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 2, 2.5, or 3
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: sand or loamy sand
Reaction (pH): 3.5 to 6.0

Ap horizon, where present
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 or 4
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: sand or loamy sand
Reaction (pH): 3.5 to 6.0
Thickness: 5 to 16 cm

E horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: sand or loamy sand
Reaction (pH): 3.5 to 6.0

Some pedons have an AE or A/E horizon.

Bhs horizon
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 2.5 or 3
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: most commonly sand, but the range includes loamy sand
Ortstein content: 0 to 45 percent
Reaction (pH): 3.5 to 5.9

Bs horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: sand
Ortstein content: 0 to 45 percent
Reaction (pH): 4.5 to 6.5

BC horizon
Hue: most commonly 7.5YR or 10YR, but the range includes 5YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: sand
Ortstein content: 0 to 45 percent.
Reaction (pH): 4.5 to 6.5

C horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: sand
Reaction (pH): 4.5 to 6.5

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Adams, Cusino, Duxbury, Fishcreek (T), Liminga, Pence, and Stutts series. Adams, Duxbury, and Fishcreek soils are moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during the month of August. Cusino soils average more than 10 percent gravel in the lower part of the series control section. Liminga soils have more than 50 percent fine sand in the sand fraction throughout the series control section. Pence soils have a loamy mantle 25 to 50 centimeters thick and average more than 10 percent gravel in the lower part of the series control section. Stutts soils have a combined content of silt plus clay greater than 15 percent in the upper part of the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kalkaska soils are on outwash plains, valley trains, moraines, and stream terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 70 percent. Kalkaska soils formed in sandy drift. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 680 to 920 mm. Mean annual temperature ranges from 5 to 9 degrees C. Frost-free period is 90 to 160 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Au Gres, Deford, East Lake, Halfaday, Roscommon, and Rubicon soils. The moderately well drained Halfaday, somewhat poorly drained Au Gres, and poorly and very poorly drained Deford soils form a common drainage sequence with the Kalkaska soils. The somewhat excessively drained East Lake and poorly and very poorly drained Roscommon soils are common associates on outwash plains. The East Lake soils are on similar landform positions, have more than 10 percent gravel in the lower part of the series control section and have moist colors of value or chroma greater than 3 in the upper part of the spodic horizon. Roscommon soils are in depressions and do not have a spodic horizon. The excessively drained Rubicon soils are common associates on moraines. Rubicon soils are on similar landform positions and have moist colors of value or chroma greater than 3 in the upper part of the spodic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to medium depending on slope gradient. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high.

USE AND VEGETATION: The majority of this soil is forested. Some areas are idle cropland or in pasture. A small portion of this soil is cultivated with small grains, hay, and potatoes being the principle crops. Native vegetation is intermixed hardwoods and conifers, predominantly sugar maple, American beech, red pine, quaking aspen, bigtooth aspen, and eastern white pine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 93B, 94A, 94B, 94C, and 96 in the northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and northern Wisconsin. The type location is in MLRA 94A. These soils are extensive, with about 982,000 acres of the series mapped.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kalkaska County, Michigan, 1927.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 13 cm (Oi, A, and E horizons).
Albic horizon: from a depth of 5 to 13 cm (E horizon).
Spodic horizon: from a depth of 13 to 18 cm (Bhs horizon).

Burned and severely burned phases are recognized.

This series was named the State Soil of Michigan in 1991.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data from the typical pedon 94P0092, samples 94P00694-94P00700 from Kalkaska County, Michigan, and similar soils is available through the National Cooperative Soil Survey Soil Characterization Database: http://ncsslabdatamart.sc.egov.usda.gov/

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.