LOCATION LOUIS MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aquic Argiudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Louis loam, on slight convex rise of 2 percent slopes, in an area of cropland, on glacial lake plains, at an elevation of about 400 meters. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 20 centimeters; black (10YR 2/1) loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) dry; moderate fine and medium granular structure; friable; many fine, medium, and coarse roots; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (18 to 25 centimeters thick)
Bt1--20 to 38 centimeters; brown (10YR 4/3) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine and common medium roots; few faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--38 to 53 centimeters; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and few medium roots; few faint grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon ranges 10 to 51 centimeters)
Bkg--53 to 64 centimeters; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) stratified silt loam to very fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine and medium roots; many white (2.5Y 8/1) carbonate concretions; common medium faint gray (2.5Y 5/1) redoximorphic depletions and common medium prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary.
Bk--64 to 114 centimeters; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) stratified loamy very fine sand to sand; single grain; friable; few fine and medium roots; few white (2.5Y 8/1) carbonate concretions; common medium distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) and common medium faint light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) redoximorphic concentrations; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk horizon ranges 0 to 76 centimeters)
C--114 to 203 centimeters; variegated stratified silt loam to sand; massive and single grain; friable; common medium prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations and common medium faint gray (2.5Y 5/1) redoximorphic depletions; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 88-Northern Minnesota Glacial Lake Basins; St Louis County, Minnesota; about 3 miles west of Meadowlands; located about 500 feet west and 400 feet south of the northeast corner of section 19, T. 53 N., R. 19 W.; USGS Elmer topographic quadrangle; latitude 47 degrees 4 minutes 6 seconds N., and longitude 92 degrees 47 minutes 21 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to carbonates--76 to 127 centimeters
These soils do not have rock fragments
Ap or A horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--2 or 3, 4 or 5 dry
Chroma--1 or 2, 1 or 2 dry
Texture--loam, silt loam, fine sandy loam, or very fine sandy loam
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral
Bt horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--3 to 5
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--loam or clay loam
Reaction--slightly acid to neutral
Bw or Bg horizon where present:
Hue--2.5Y
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture-stratified loam, sandy loam, silt loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sand, coarse sand, fine sand, or loamy very fine sand
Reaction--neutral to moderately alkaline.
Bkg or Bk horizon where present:
Hue---2.5Y
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture--stratified loam, sandy loam, silt loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sand, coarse sand, fine sand, or loamy very fine sand
Reaction--slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
C horizon:
Hue--2.5Y or 5Y
Value-3 or 4
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--stratified loam, sandy loam, silt loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sand, coarse sand, fine sand, or loamy very fine sand
Reaction--slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Gonvick series. Gonvick soils formed in till and have 2 to 8 percent rock fragments in the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material-stratified loamy glaciolacustrine deposits
Landform--convex rises on glacial lake plains
Slope-1 to 3 percent
Elevation--350 to 490 meters above sea level
Mean annual air temperature-3 to 5 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation--635 to 711
Frost free period--95 to 125 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These soils are the
Skunkcreek and
Kapla soils.
These soils formed in the same parent material as the Louis soils and form a hydrosequence with the Louis soils. The poorly drained Skunkcreek soils are on less sloping and lower lying positions on the landscape. The very poorly drained Kapla soils are in drainageways and depressions.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--somewhat poorly drained--these soils have a frequently saturated zone occurring between depths of 0.4 and 0.6 meters during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of the 30 year mean of annual precipitation, this saturation is considered apparent.
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--average is 9.17 micrometers per second, but some layers can be as high as 423.30 micrometers per second.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cropped for hay.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains or Laurentian Upland
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland Province 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; MLRA SSO 10-4 (Duluth, Minnesota).
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Louis County, Minnesota, 2009. The source of the name is part of the county name in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone 20 to 53 centimeters;
Series control section--the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 150 centimeters;
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 20 centimeters;
Argillic horizon--the zone from 20 to 53 centimeters;
Calcic horizon--secondary carbonates--the zone from 53 to 114 centimeters;
Aquic moisture regime
Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, tenth edition, 2006