LOCATION MIDDLETOWN IL
Established Series
Rev.GVB-EEV-RAT-AAC
02/2011
MIDDLETOWN SERIES
The Middletown series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches) of loess and in the underlying eolian loamy sand or sand on uplands. Slope ranges from 0 to 18 percent. The mean annual temperature is about 11.7 degrees C (53 degrees F), and the mean annual precipitation is about 940 mm (37 inches).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Middletown silt loam, 2 to 5 percent slopes; at an elevation of 185 meters (605 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; moderate fine and medium granular structure; friable; common fine roots; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [15 to 23 cm (6 to 9 inches) thick]
E--23 to 31 cm (9 to 12 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; weak medium platy structure; friable; common fine roots; common distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) organic coatings on faces of peds; neutral; clear smooth boundary. [0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 inches) thick]
Bt1--31 to 43 cm (12 to 17 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine and medium roots; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--43 to 89 cm (17 to 35 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; few fine rounded black (5YR 2/1) masses of oxidized iron-manganese in the matrix; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt3--89 to 112 cm (35 to 44 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; few distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on vertical faces of peds; few fine black (5YR 2/1) masses of oxidized iron-manganese in the matrix; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 30 to 42 inches thick)
2Bt4--112 to 119 cm (44 to 47 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; few distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on vertical faces of peds; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 0 to 36 cm (0 to 14 inches).]
2BC1--119 to 132 cm (47 to 52 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loamy fine sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary.
2BC2--132 to 191 cm (52 to 75 inches); stratified yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) sand and loamy sand; single grain; loose; 2 inch band of brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam starting at 64 inches; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the 2BC horizon is 0 to 76 cm (0 to 30 inches).]
2C--191 to 203 cm (75 to 80 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) sand; single grain; loose; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Sangamon County, Illinois; about 4 miles east of Salisbury, IL; 20 feet west and 1,145 feet south of northeast corner of section 26, T. 17 N., R. 6 W.; U.S.G.S. Athens, IL. topographic quadrangle; lat. 39 degrees 53 minutes 57 seconds N. and long. 89 degrees 43 minutes 51 seconds W., NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the solum: 114 to 203 cm (45 to 80 inches)
Thickness of the loess over loamy sand or sand: 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches)
Average clay content in the upper 51 cm (20 inches) of the argillic horizon: more than 27 percent
Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: typically silt loam, but severely eroded pedons include silty clay loam.
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
E or BE horizon (where present):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silt loam
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral
Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 to 5
Texture: typically silty clay loam but includes silt loam
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid
2Bt horizon (where present):
Hue: 10YR or 7.5 YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 to 5
Texture: clay loam, fine sandy loam or loam
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral
2BC horizon (where present):
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: typically loamy fine sand but some pedons are loamy sand, sand or fine sand.
reaction: strongly acid to neutral
2C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5 YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: fine sand, sand, loamy fine sand or loamy sand
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral
Other features: 2C is present above a depth of 152 cm (60 inches) in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Baraboo,
Bertrand,
Blackhammer,
Camden,
Dodge,
Dubuque,
Fayette,
Flagg,
Greenridge,
Hackers,
Jackson,
Jemerson,
Knowles,
La Farge,
Lambeau,
Martinsburg,
Menfro,
Navlys,
Palermo,
Palsgrove,
Pepin,
Piscasaw,
Ridgway,
Rozetta,
Ruma,
Rush,
Russell,
Seaton, St.
Charles,
Stookey,
Sylvan, and
Yellowriver. Bertrand, Jackson, Jemerson, Seaton, and Stookey soils average less than 27 percent clay in the particle size control section. Blackhammer, Camden, Ridgway and Rush soils have less than 102 cm (40 inches) of loess or silty material. Dodge, Navlys, Piscasaw, Russell, Sylvan soils have carbonates within a depth of 152 cm (60 inches). Dubuque, Greenridge, Knowles, La Farge, Lambeau, Palsgrove, and Pepin soils have a lithic or paralithic contact within a depth of 203 cm (80 inches). Fayette, Martinsburg, Menfro, Palermo, Rozetta, and Ruma soils have less than 15 percent sand in all horizons within a depth of 152 cm (60 inches). Flagg and Hackers soils have hue of 5YR or redder in some part of the series control section. St. Charles and Yellowriver soils average less than 60 percent sand and more than 10 percent clay in the substratum. Uniotown soils have sola less than 102 cm (40 inches).
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Middletown soils are on nearly level to strongly sloping uplands along stream valleys. They formed in 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches) of loess and in the underlying eolian loamy sand or sand. Slopes range from 0 to 18 percent. Summers are hot and winters are cold. Mean annual temperature varies from 10.0 to 12.2 degrees C (50 to 54 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation varies from 813 to 1016 mm (32 to 40 inches).
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Alvin,
Fayette,
Rozetta and
Thebes soils. Alvin soils are on nearby similar landforms, formed in loamy and sandy material and are coarse-loamy. Fayette and Rozetta soils are on nearby landforms where loess is more than 152 cm (60 inches) thick. Thebes soils are on nearby landforms and formed in 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches) of loess.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: The soils are well drained. The potential for surface water runoff is low or medium. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high to high (4.23 to 14.11 micrometers per second) in the upper part of the solum and high to very high (14.11 to 141.34 micrometers per second) in both the lower part of the solum and the substratum. Permeabilty is moderate in the upper part of the solum and moderately rapid or rapid in both the lower part of the solum and the substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Largely under cultivation; corn, soybeans, small grain, and hay are major crops. Native vegetation was hardwood trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Known distribution is central and northern Illinois, and possibly eastern Iowa. Known extent is moderate (12,650 acres in Illinois) in MLRAs 108B and 115C.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Logan County, Illinois, 1976.
REMARKS: The type location was moved from Christian County, Illinois to Sangamon County, Illinois and the classification was changed from "Oxyaquic Hapludalfs" to "Typic Hapludalfs" in 2002. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - 0 to 31 cm (0 to 12 inches) (Ap, E); argillic horizon - 31 to 119 cm (12 to 47 inches) (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, & 2Bt4).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.