LOCATION MAXCREEK MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Maxcreek silty clay loam, on a linear slope of less than 1 percent, in a cultivated field, at an elevation of about 1,220 feet above sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 20 centimeters; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (17 to 25 centimeters thick)
A1--20 to 33 centimeters; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 20 centimeters thick)
AB--33 to 53 centimeters; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; few black (10YR 2/1) and dark gray (10YR 4/1) organic stains on surfaces along root channels; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 25 centimeters thick)
Bg1--53 to 76 centimeters; dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) silty clay loam; weak fine and medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; friable; few fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (14 to 46 centimeters thick)
2Bg2--76 to 104 centimeters; olive gray (5Y 4/2) loam; weak fine and medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; friable; common medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; about 5 percent rock fragments; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 30 centimeters thick)
2Cg--104 to 160 centimeters; olive gray (5Y 5/2) loam; weak fine and medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; friable; many medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; about 5 percent rock fragments; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 103 Central Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies; Freeborn County, Minnesota subset, about 16 miles east and 3 miles south of Albert Lea; located about 2,450 feet south and 1,500 feet east of the northwest corner of section 24, T. 102 N., R. 19 W.; USGS London topographic quadrangle; lat. 43 degrees 37 minutes 26 seconds N. and long. 93 degrees 03 minutes 49 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon thickness--40 to 60 centimeters
Depth to glacial till--65 to 102 centimeters
Depth to carbonates--65 to 124 centimeters
Content of clay in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--24 to 32 percent
Content of sand in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--5 to 15 percent, fine sand and sand coarser than fine sand
Special feature--some pedons have a thin stone line, 2 to 13 centimeters thick with up to 10 percent rock fragments at the base of the silty or loamy sediments
Ap and A horizon:
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y or is neutral
Value--2 or 3
Chroma--0 or 1
Texture--silty clay loam
Clay content--28 to 32 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Rock fragment content--0 to 2 percent, mixed lithology
Reaction--slightly acid or neutral
The maximum content of clay is in the A horizon and it decreases gradually with depth
Bg horizon:
Hue--10YR to 5Y
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silty clay loam or silt loam
Clay content--25 to 32 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Rock fragment content--0 to 2 percent, mixed lithology
Reaction--slightly acid or neutral
2Bg or 2BCg horizons (when present):
Hue--10YR to 5Y
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--loam or clay loam
Clay content--18 to 30 percent
Sand content--30 to 45 percent
Rock fragment content--2 to 15 percent, mixed lithology
Reaction--neutral or slightly alkaline
Some pedons have thin strata, up to 10 centimeters thick, of sandy loam at the base of the silty or loamy sediments
2Cg horizon:
Hue--2.5Y or 5Y
Value--5 or 6
Chroma--2 to 4
Texture--loam, sandy clay loam or sandy loam
Clay content--18 to 27 percent
Sand content--45 to 70 percent
Rock fragment content--2 to 15 percent, mixed lithology
Calcium carbonate equivalent--8 to 15 percent
Reaction--neutral to slightly alkaline
Moist bulk density--1.5 to 1.7 gm/cc
Higher chroma is only in the lower part of this horizon
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Chalmers,
Chetomba,
Dolbee,
Drummer,
Dunham,
Elpaso,
Elvira,
Garwin,
Gillett Grove,
Hartsburg,
Madelia,
Marcus,
Mascoutah,
Maxfield,
Maxmore,
Ossian,
Patton,
Pella,
Rushmore,
Sable, and
Wacousta series.
Chalmers--are in areas that have a mean annual air temperature range of 10 to 17 degrees C and a mean annual precipitation range of 810 to 970 millimeters
Chetomba--have a sand content of less than 15 percent in the upper two thirds of the series control section
Dolbee--do not have rock fragments in the series control section
Drummer--are stratified with a sand content of 15 to 80 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Dunham--have a sand content of 75 to 98 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Elpaso--have a sand content of 2 to 45 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Elvira--does not have rock fragments in the series control section
Garwin--have a sand content of less than 15 percent in the lower third of the control section
Gillett Grove--have a moist bulk density range of 1.6 to 1.8 g/cc in the lower third of the series control section
Hartsburg--have a sand content of less than 30 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Madelia--have a sand content of less than 15 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Marcus--have a sand content of less than 15 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Mascoutah--have a sand content of less than 7 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Maxfield--have a moist bulk density of more than 1.75 gm/cc in the lower third of the series control section
Maxmore--have a moist bulk density of more than 1.75 gm/cc in the lower third of the series control section
Ossian--have a sand content of 0 to 15 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Patton--are stratified with a sand content of 7 to 25 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Pella--have carbonates within a depth of 100 centimeters and are stratified in the lower third of the series control section
Rushmore--have a sand content of 15 to 35 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Sable--have a sand content of less than 8 percent in the lower third of the control section
Wacousta--have carbonates within a depth of 50 centimeters
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--65 to 102 centimeters of loess or silty sediments and the underlying calcareous, loamy glacial till, sediments are Late Wisconsinan in age
Landform--linear or concave slopes on ground moraines
Slope--0 to 2 percent
Elevation--305 to 396 meters above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--7 to 11 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation--700 to 820 millimeters
Frost-free period--130 to 180 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are
Blooming,
Canisteo,
Merton,
Moland, and
Newry soils.
Blooming--are at higher landscape positions on convex slopes and have a frequently saturated zone at a depth of 1 meter in normal years
Canisteo--are at slightly lower landscape positions on linear or concave slopes and have carbonates within a depth of 50 centimeters
Merton--are at slightly higher landscape positions on linear or slightly convex slopes and have a frequently saturated zone at a depth of 0.45 meter in normal years
Moland--are at higher landscape positions on convex slopes and do not have a frequently saturated zone at a depth of 1 meter in normal years
Newry--are at slightly higher landscape positions on linear or slightly convex slopes and have a frequently saturated zone at a depth of 0.75 meter in normal years.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--poorly and very poorly drained--these soils are frequently saturated at the soil surface during the wettest portions of normal years
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--4.23 to 14.11 micrometers per second (moderately high)
Surface runoff potential--negligible to low
USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas are cultivated. The principal crops are corn and soybeans. The native vegetation is big bluestem, western wheatgrass, sedges, blue grama and other species of the tall grass prairie that are tolerant of excessive wetness.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic sections--Western lake section and Dissected till plains
MLRAs--Central Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies (103) and Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies (104)
LRR M; southeastern Minnesota and possibly northeastern Iowa
Extent--moderate
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Steele County, Minnesota, 1971.
REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 25 to 100 centimeters (A1, AB, Bg1, and 2Bg2 horizons);
series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 0 to 150 centimeters (Ap, A1, AB, Bg1, 2Bg2, and 2Cg horizons).
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
mollic epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 0 to 53 centimeters (Ap, A1, and AB horizons);
cambic horizon--the zone from a depth of 53 to 104 centimeters (Bg1 and 2Bg2 horizons);
aquic moisture regime--matrix chroma of 2 or less with redoximorphic concentrations;
Cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.
Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, ninth edition, 2003.