LOCATION MAHALASVILLE IN+OH WI

Established Series
Rev. WDH-MLW-TJE
11/2021

MAHALASVILLE SERIES

The Mahalasville series consists of very deep, poorly drained and very poorly drained soils that formed in loess or other silty material and in the underlying loamy and sandy outwash. The Mahalasville soils are on outwash plains, lake plains, till plains, and deltas. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 965 mm (38 inches), and mean annual air temperature is about 10 degrees C (50 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Argiaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Mahalasville silty clay loam, on a level slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of about 265 meters (870 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 18 cm (0 to 7 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--18 to 30 cm (7 to 12 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 53 cm (10 to 21 inches).]

Btg1--30 to 46 cm (12 to 18 inches); gray (5Y 5/1) silty clay loam; moderate fine angular blocky structure; firm; faint very dark brown (10YR 2/2) clay films on faces of peds; common fine prominent reddish brown (5YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.

Btg2--46 to 99 cm (18 to 39 inches); gray (5Y 5/1) silty clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; firm; faint and distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Btg horizon is 38 to 89 cm (15 to 35 inches).]

2BCg--99 to 112 cm (39 to 44 inches); gray (N 6/) loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; about 1 percent rock fragments; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. [8 to 30 cm (3 to 12 inches) thick]

2Cg--112 to 152 cm (44 to 60 inches); gray (N 6/) stratified silt loam and sand; massive; friable; common coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; about 10 percent rock fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Madison County, Indiana; about 2 miles northwest of Summitville; 2,000 feet west and 325 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 7, T. 22 N., R. 8 E.; USGS Alexandria, Indiana topographic quadrangle; lat. 40 degrees 22 minutes 42.7 seconds N. and long. 85 degrees 39 minutes 44.1 seconds W., NAD 27; UTM Zone 16, 613558 easting and 4470632 northing, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the loess or other silty material: 61 to 102 cm (24 to 40 inches)
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 25 to 53 cm (10 to 21 inches), and extends into the upper part of the B horizon in some pedons
Thickness of the solum: 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches)

Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silty clay loam or silt loam
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral

Btg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y, or is neutral
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: silty clay loam or silt loam
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral

2Btg horizon, where present:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y, or is neutral
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: silty clay loam, clay loam, loam, or silt loam
Sand content: 15 to 50 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral

Some pedons have a 2Btg horizon instead of a 2BCg horizon.

2BCg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y, or is neutral
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: loam, sandy loam, or silt loam
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline

2Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y, or is neutral
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: stratified sand, sandy loam, silt loam, or loam, but may have thin strata of the gravelly analogs of these textures
Sand content: 20 to 90 percent
Rock fragment content: averages 0 to 10 percent gravel
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline; carbonates are present

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cald, Cyclone, Gabriel, Luray, Mahalaland, Ragsdale, and Treaty series. Cald and Gabriel soils have a mollic epipedon that is thicker than 53 cm (21 inches). Cyclone and Treaty soils are not stratified in the lower part of the series control section with sandy or loamy textures. Luray soils do not have textures with more than 20 percent sand except as thin strata in the lower part of the series control section. Mahalaland soils average more than 10 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the series control section. Ragsdale soils have less than 15 percent sand in the lower part of the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Mahalasville soils are in depressions on outwash plains, lake plains, till plains, and deltas. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in 61 to 102 cm (24 to 40 inches) of loess or other silty material and in the underlying loamy and sandy outwash. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 813 to 1118 mm (32 to 44 inches). Mean annual air temperature ranges from 9 to 12 degrees C (49 to 53 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brenton, Camden, Celina, Crosby, Fincastle, Martinsville, Miami, Proctor, Starks, and Whitaker soils. Mahalasville soils are in a drainage sequence with the well drained Camden, Martinsville, and Proctor soils that are on the higher landform positions; and the somewhat poorly drained Brenton, Starks, and Whitaker soils that are on slightly higher positions. Mahalasville soils also occur in depressions near the till derived, moderately well drained Celina and Miami soils, and the somewhat poorly drained Crosby and Fincastle soils, which are on higher landform positions.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained and very poorly drained. In drained areas, the depth to the top of an intermittent apparent high water table ranges from 15 cm (0.5 foot) above the surface to 15 cm (0.5 foot) below the surface during the winter and spring in normal years. The potential for surface runoff is negligible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in the solum and moderately high or high in the substratum. Permeability is moderate in the solum, and moderate or moderately rapid in the substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most of these soils are cultivated. Alfalfa, clover, corn, soybeans, and wheat are the principal crops. Native vegetation is forest of ash, elm, and maple, with areas of swamp grasses prominent in many places.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin; MLRAs 95B, 111A, 111B, 111C, 111D ,and 121. The type location is in MLRA 111B. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Morgan County, Indiana, 1937.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 30 cm (Ap, A horizons).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 30 to 99 cm (Btg1, Btg2 horizons).
Aquic conditions: redoximorphic features in all horizons below the mollic epipedon.

Gravelly substratum, limestone substratum, shale substratum and till substratum phases have been recognized and may become new series as subset soil surveys with these phases are updated.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.