LOCATION MENOMINEE               MI+WI

Established Series
Rev. NWS-WEF-LLD
08/2012

MENOMINEE SERIES

The Menominee series consists of very deep, well drained soils on ground moraines, end moraines, outwash plains, and lake plains. The soils formed in sandy glaciofluvial deposits over loamy till or lacustrine deposits. Slope ranges from 6 to 70 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 762 mm (30 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 7.2 degrees C (45 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy over loamy, mixed, active, frigid Alfic Haplorthods

TYPICAL PEDON: Menominee sand, on a northwest-facing, convex 16 percent slope in forest at an elevation of 277 meters. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. When described on August 30, 1994 the soil was dry in the upper 51 cm and moist below.)

A--0 to 10 cm (4 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; many medium and fine and few coarse roots; extremely acid; clear smooth boundary. [0 to 13 cm (5 inches) thick]

E--10 to 18 cm (4 to 7 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sand, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky; very friable; many fine and medium and few coarse roots; extremely acid; clear smooth boundary. [2 to 13 cm (1 to 5 inches) thick]

Bs1--18 to 46 cm (7 to 18 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine and medium and few coarse roots; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bs2--46 to 58 cm (18 to 23 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; many medium and few coarse roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bs horizon is 25 to 61 cm (10 to 24 inches).]

2B/E--58 to 99 cm (23 to 39 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam (Bt) occupies 70 percent of the horizon surrounded by light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam (E), light gray (10YR 7/1) dry; strong medium angular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; common distinct brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay films; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 46 cm (18 inches) thick]

2Bt--99 to 150 cm (39 to 59 inches); reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; common distinct reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 64 cm (25 inches) thick]

2C--150 to 203 cm (59 to 80 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam; massive; firm; common very pale brown (10YR 8/2) carbonate coatings in cracks; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Iosco County, Michigan; about 6 miles northwest of Hale; about 300 feet north and 2,200 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 30, T. 24 N., R. 5 E., Plainfield Township; USGS South Branch topographic quadrangle; lat. 44 degrees 26 minutes 14 seconds N. and long. 83 degrees 52 minutes 34 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to carbonates: 61 to 152 cm (24 to 60 inches)
Thickness of sandy materials: 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches)
Cobble content: 0 to 7 percent throughout
Soil moisture control section: dry for less than 20 days
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C
Particle-size control section (upper part): averages 5 to 12 percent clay and 0 to 25 percent rock fragments, dominantly gravel
Particle-size control section (lower part): averages 18 to 35 percent clay, 35 to 50 percent fine and coarser sand, and 0 to 10 percent rock fragments

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR, or is neutral
Value: 2, 2.5, or 3; 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2, moist or dry
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand, or the gravelly analogues of these textures
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly acid

Ap horizon, where present:
Thickness: less than 25 cm (10 inches)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 or 4; 6 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3, moist or dry
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand, or the gravelly analogues of these textures
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly acid

E horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 7; 6 to 8 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3, moist or dry
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand, or the gravelly analogues of these textures
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly acid

Bhs horizon, where present:
Thickness: less than 10 cm (4 inches)
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand, or the gravelly analogues of these textures Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid

Bs horizon, upper part:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 3 or 4; value and chroma of 3 do not occur together
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand, or loamy sand, or the gravelly analogues of these textures
Acid-oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe: 0.5 to 1.5 percent
Reaction: extremely acid to moderately acid

Bs horizon, lower part:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand, or loamy sand, or the gravelly analogues of these textures
Ortstein: fragments are in some pedons
Acid-oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe: 0.2 to 0.5 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid

E' horizon, where present immediately below the Bs horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sand or loamy sand, or the gravelly analogues of these textures
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly alkaline

2E/Bt horizon, where present just above the 2Bt/E horizon:
Thickness: less than 25 cm (10 inches)
E part:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sand or loamy sand
Bt part:
Hue: 5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam, sandy loam, loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam

E part of the 2Bt/E horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 7; 6 to 8 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3, moist or dry
Texture: loamy sand, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly alkaline

Bt part of the 2Bt/E and the 2Bt horizons:
Hue: 5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam, sandy loam, loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly alkaline

2BC horizon, where present:
Thickness: less than 13 cm (5 inches)
Hue: 5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: loamy sand, sandy loam, or loam
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly alkaline

2C horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam, sandy loam, loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam; some pedons have 12 mm to 8 cm (1/2 to 3 inches) thick strata of silt, fine sand, very fine sand, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, or loamy very fine sand
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Menominee soils are on ground moraines, end moraines, outwash plains, and lake plains. Slope ranges from 12 to 70 percent. These soils formed in sandy glaciofluvial deposits over loamy till or lacustrine deposits. Mean annual precipitation is 711 to 813 mm (28 to 32 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 5.0 to 7.2 degrees C (41 to 45 degrees F). Frost-free period is 100 to 150 days. Elevation is 183 to 427 meters (600 to 1400 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Breckenridge, Brevort, Iosco, Kalkaska, Manistee, Rubicon, Ubly and Sims soils. The somewhat poorly drained Iosco and poorly drained or very poorly drained Brevort soils are on lower landscape positions on the landscape and form a drainage sequence with the Menominee soils. Rubicon and Kalkaska soils are sandy throughout and are on similar landscape positions. Manistee soils are clayey in the lower part and are on similar landscape positions. Ubly soils are loamy throughout and are on similar landscape positions. The poorly drained or very poorly drained Breckenridge and Sims soils are nearby in narrow drainageways on ground moraines in lower lying areas.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained. Potential for surface runoff is very slow to medium, depending on slope. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high in the sandy material and moderately high in the underlying material.

USE AND VEGETATION: A small part is used for the production of small grain, grass-legume hay, and potatoes. A large part is in permanent pasture or forest. A considerable proportion is idle cropland. Native vegetation is northern hardwoods and conifers, including sugar maple, red pine, yellow birch, and white ash.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 90A, 93B, 94A, 94B, 94C, 95A, 96, and 98 in northern lower Michigan, upper Michigan, and northern Wisconsin. This series is of large extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Menominee County, Michigan, 1925.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 18 cm (7 inches) (A and E horizons).
Albic horizon: from a depth of 10 to 18 cm (4 to 7 inches) (E horizon).
Spodic horizon: from 18 to 46 cm (7 to 18 inches) (Bs1 horizon).
Glossic horizon: from a depth of 58 to 99 cm (23 to 39 inches) (2B/E horizon).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 58 to 150 cm (23 to 59 inches) (Bt part of the 2B/E horizon and 2Bt horizons).

The moderately well drained phase of this soil is no longer within the series concept.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.