LOCATION LITTLEFORK              MN

Established Series
CJS-MPD-KDS
12/2010

LITTLEFORK SERIES

The Littlefork series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in loamy alluvial deposits overlying sandy alluvial deposits. These soils are on stream terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 600 millimeters. Mean annual air temperature is about 4 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Oxyaquic Glossudalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Littlefork silt loam, on a slightly convex slope of 3 percent, in a hay field, on a stream terrace, at an elevation of about 370 meters. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 centimeters; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 23 centimeters thick)

B/E--20 to 40 centimeters; 80 percent brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam (Bt); moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; penetrated by tongues of brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry (E); weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 30 centimeters thick)

Bt1--40 to 54 centimeters; brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam; strong medium angular blocky structure; friable; many continuous faint brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--54 to 74 centimeters; brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few discontinuous faint brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 10 to 40 centimeters)

C1--74 to 91 centimeters; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) very fine sandy loam; massive; friable; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.

C2--91 to 116 centimeters; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) loamy very fine sand; massive; friable; few fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the C horizons is 0 to 50 centimeters)

2C3--116 to 136 centimeters; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) fine sand; single grain; loose; few fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

2C4--136 to 203 centimeters; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) fine sand; single grain; loose; few fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations and few fine distinct gray (2.5Y 5/1) redoximorphic depletions; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 88-Northern Minnesota Glacial Lake Basins; Koochiching County, Minnesota; about 1/2 mile east of Littlefork; 500 feet north and 800 feet east of the southwest corner of section 10, T. 68 N., R. 25 W.; USGS Littlefork, Minnesota topographic quadrangle; lat. 48 degrees 23 minutes 21 seconds N., and long. 93 degrees 32 minutes 28 seconds W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to carbonates--35 to 91 centimeters
These soils do not have rock fragments
The lower third of the series control section has more than 50 percent fine sand

Ap or A horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--4, 6 dry
Chroma--2 or 3, 2 dry
Texture--silty clay loam, silt loam, loam or very fine sandy loam
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral
Some pedons have a thin O horizon
Some pedons have E horizons

B part of B/E horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 or 4
E part of B/E:
Hue--10YR
Value--5 or 6, 6 or 7 dry
Chroma--2 or 3, 2 dry
Texture--silt loam, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral

Bt horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--silty clay loam or silt loam
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral
Few too many faint or distinct clay films

C horizon: (where present)
Hue--2.5Y or 10YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 or 4 upper part, 2 or 3 lower part
Texture--stratified very fine sandy loam, loamy very fine sand, loam, silt loam or silty clay loam
Reaction--slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

2C horizon:
Hue--2.5YR or 10YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--2 to 4
Texture--fine sand or loamy fine sand
Reaction--slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Crystal Lake, Gichigami, Ribriver and Spencer series.
Crystal Lake and Spencer soils--do not have secondary carbonates within the series control section
Gichigami soils--formed in till and contain rock fragments within the series control section
Ribriver soils--in the lower third of the series control section have less than 50 percent fine sands

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--loamy alluvial deposits overlying sandy alluvial deposits
Landform--stream terraces
Slope--0 to 8 percent
Elevation--300 to 500 meters above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--4 to 6 degrees C.
Mean annual precipitation--500 to 700 millimeters
Frost free period--90 to 120 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Lindford soil. Lindford soils are somewhat poorly drained and are on less sloping or lower lying positions on the landscape.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage classmoderately well drained--these soils have a frequently saturated zone occurring between depths of 91 and 102 centimeters during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of the 30 year mean annual precipitation, this saturation is considered apparent
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--0.42 to 14.1 micrometers per second in the upper part and 42.34 to 141.14 micrometers per second in the lower part.
Floodingnot flooded to occasionally flooded for a brief duration from snow melt events

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cropped for hay.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains or Laurentian Upland
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland or Superior Upland
MLRA--Northern Minnesota Glacial Lake Basins (88)
LRR--K; Northern Minnesota
Extent--small

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Koochiching County, Minnesota, 2010.

REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 40 to 74 centimeters
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Orchric epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 20 centimeters
Glossic horizon--the zone from 20 to 40 centimeters
Argillic horizon--the zone from 40 to 74 centimeters
Oxyaquic subgroupsaturation within 100 centimeters of the mineral soil surface in normal years

Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, tenth edition, 2006

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.