LOCATION LAVELL MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Isotic, frigid Typic Udipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Lavell loamy fine sand on a 3 percent convex slope under a mixed stand of aspen, paper birch, spruce and balsam fir on a glacial lake plain. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A-- 0 to 5 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loamy fine sand, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary (1 to 6 inches thick).
Bw1-- 5 to 18 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) loamy fine sand; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bw2-- 18 to 42 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) fine sand; single grain; loose; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 25 to 45 inches.)
C1-- 42 to 56 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sand; single grain; loose; few medium distinct dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) Fe concentrations; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
C2-- 56 to 70 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand; single grain; loose; few coarse prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) Fe concentrations; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
C3-- 70 to 80 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand; single grain; loose; many coarse prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) Fe concentrations; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: St. Louis County, Minnesota; about 3 miles south of Eveleth; 25 feet north and 2300 feet west of the southeast corner of Section 16, T. 57 N., R. 17 W. USGS Eveleth, Minnesota Quadrangle; latitude 47 degrees 24 minutes 57 seconds N., longitude 92 degrees 30 minutes 15 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The series control section contains up to 3 percent rock fragments. The depth to carbonates is greater than 80 inches. The particle-size control section has less than 25 percent medium sand or coarser.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 to 3. Texture is loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam or loamy very fine sand. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid.
The E horizon (when present) is as much as 5 inches thick.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture is loamy fine sand or fine sand. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The BC horizon (where present) has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture is loamy fine sand or fine sand. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is loamy fine sand or fine sand but thin subhorizons of sand or loamy sand may occur. Some pedons may have suhorizons of loamy very fine sand, fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam below 60 inches. The C typically has distinct to prominent Fe concentrations. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lavell soils are on convex or linear surfaces of glacial lake plains and outwash plains. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. They formed in eolian and/or glaciolacustrine materials. Mean annual air temperature is 38 to 41 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 25 to 28 inches. The frost-free period is 95 to 125 days. Elevation above sea level is 1250 to 1425 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Barber, Cathro, Kapla, Shawano, Wabuse, Westoo and Rifle soils. The poorly drained Wabuse and very poorly drained Kapla soils have loamy strata above 40 inches. The somewhat poorly drained Barber and moderately well drained Westoo soils are on lower positions. The somewhat excessively drained Shawano soils are on higher positions. Cathro and Rifle soils occur on broad flats and in depressions and formed in organic materials.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Runoff is negligible to low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately rapid. Lavell soils have seasonal high saturation at a depth of 3.5 feet at some time from April through May and October through November in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. Some areas are used for hayland or pastureland. Principal trees are aspen, paper birch, balsam fir, white spruce, black spruce, and jack pine. Native vegetation is mixed coniferous and deciduous forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Minnesota, MLRA-88. Small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Louis County, Minnesota 2005.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 5 inches (A horizon); sandy particle-size class between 10 and 40 inches (Bw1 and Bw2).