LOCATION LACHINE MI

Established Series
Rev. BEF-TEW-MLK
08/2012

LACHINE SERIES

The Lachine series consists of shallow, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in loamy till underlain by karst limestone on ground moraines and glacial lake benches. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 737 mm (29 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 6.7 degrees C (44 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Hapludolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Lachine loam, on a 1 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of 236 meters (775 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 23 cm (9 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; friable; many very fine and fine roots; about 5 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. [18 to 25 cm (7 to 10 inches) thick]

Bw--23 to 33 cm (9 to 13 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots throughout; common fine continuous vesicular pores; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; common fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; about 5 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. [8 to 38 cm (3 to 15 inches) thick]

CB--33 to 41 cm (13 to 16 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly fine sandy loam; massive; firm; few fine roots; common fine continuous vesicular pores; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; common fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; about 20 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. [0 to 10 cm (4 inches) thick]

2R--41 to 66 cm (16 to 26 inches); gray (10YR 5/1) fractured karst limestone; fractures are 2.5 to 10 cm (1 to 4 inches) wide spaced about 61 cm (24 inches) apart, occupying about 8 percent of the horizon, filled with brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam; effervescent.

TYPE LOCATION: Alpena County, Michigan; 7 miles north and 3 miles west of Alpena; about 2,600 feet north and 750 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 18, T. 32 N., R. 8 E.; USGS Long Lake West topographic quadrangle; lat. 45 degrees 10 minutes 4 seconds N. and long. 83 degrees 30 minutes 41 seconds W., NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the cambic horizon: 25 to 50 cm (10 to 20 inches)
Depth to a lithic contact: 25 to 50 cm (10 to 20 inches)
Rock fragment content: 5 to 35 percent throughout

Ap horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: loam or flaggy loam
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

A horizon, where present:
Thickness: typically more than 18 cm (7 inches)
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 2 or 2.5
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam or flaggy loam
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

Bw horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: loam, flaggy loam, flaggy sandy loam, or flaggy very fine sandy loam
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

CB, BC or C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam, or the gravelly or flaggy analogues of these textures
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Potagannissing and Yellowbank series. Potagannissing soils are less than 25 cm (inches) to a lithic contact. Yellowbank soils do not have rock fragments of limestone lithology.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lachine soils are on concave or plane slopes and depressions on ground moraines and glacial lake benches that are underlain by karst limestone. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. The Lachine soils formed in loamy till 25 to 50 cm (10 to 20 inches) thick over karst limestone. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 686 to 813 mm (27 to 32 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 6.1 to 7.2 degrees C (43 to 45 degrees F). Frost-free period ranges from 100 to 150 days. Elevation is 183 to 244 meters (600 to 800 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chippeny, Elcajon, Namur, and Summerville soils. Chippeny soils are very poorly drained and are in depressions. Elcajon soils are in the same position and where the depth to a lithic contact is between 50 and 102 cm (20 and 40 inches). Namur soils are where the depth to a lithic contact is less than 25 cm (10 inches). Summerville soils do not have redoximorphic features.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Potential for surface runoff is negligible to low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in the solum and very high in the fractured limestone. Permeability is moderate in the solum and very rapid in the fractured limestone.

USE AND VEGETATION: Much of this soil in association with well drained areas has been cleared and is used for general farming. Native vegetation is commonly mixed trees consisting mainly of sugar maple, balsam fir and American basswood.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 94C in the northeastern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan. The series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Alpena County, Michigan, 1997.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 23 cm (9 inches) (Ap horizon).
Cambic horizon: from a depth of 23 to 33 cm (9 to 13 inches) (Bw horizon).
Aquic conditions: iron depletions present in the Bw and CB horizons between depths of 23 to 41 cm (9 to 16 inches).
Lithic contact: at 41 cm (16 inches) (top of the 2R layer).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record No.: MI1003

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.