LOCATION MILLECOQUINS MIEstablished Series
The Millecoquins series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils formed in stratified glaciolacustrine deposits on lake plains and till floored lake plains. Permeability is moderate in the upper part of the solum and moderately slow in the lower part of the solum and the substratum. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 30 inches, and mean annual temperature is about 42 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Alfic Oxyaquic Haplorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Millecoquins silt loam - on a 1 percent slope in a forested area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; many fine to coarse roots; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
E--2 to 4 inches; reddish gray (5YR 5/2) silt loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine to coarse roots; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Bhs--4 to 5 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) silt loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine to coarse roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bs--5 to 12 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) silt loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine to coarse roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
B/E--12 to 25 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) silty clay loam (Bt); many faint reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay films on faces of peds; occupies about 70 percent of the horizon surrounded by tongues of brown (7.5YR 5/3) silt loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/3) dry (E); moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few medium and coarse roots; few fine vesicular pores; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) iron accumulations in the lower part; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 18 inches thick)
BC--25 to 31 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium and coarse platy structure; firm; common medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) iron accumulations throughout; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
C--31 to 55 inches; stratified brown (7.5YR 4/4) silt loam and reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) silty clay loam; massive parting to coarse plates inherent from deposition; friable; common coarse distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) iron accumulations throughout; slightly effervescent; neutral. (20 to 45 inches thick)
2C--55 to 80 inches: brown (7.5YR 4/3) loam; massive; friable; 5 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Luce County, Michigan; about 12 miles southeast of Newberry, 2100 feet south and 1100 feet west of the northeast corner of section 15, T45N, R8W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum thickness ranges from 26 to 42 inches. The depth to the argillic horizon ranges from 12 to 20 inches. The 10 to 40 inch control section averages less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser and 18 to 35 percent clay.
The A horizon has a hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or is neutral, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 0 to 2. Some pedons have an Ap horizon with similar colors. Textures of the A or Ap horizon are silt loam, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid except in cultivated areas where it is moderately acid to neutral. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 5 percent and cobble content ranges from 0 to 3 percent.
The E horizon has a hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is silt loam, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 5 percent and cobble content ranges from 0 to 3 percent.
The Bhs horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value and chroma of 2 or 3. It is silt loam, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 5 percent and cobble content ranges from 0 to 3 percent.
Some pedons lack a Bhs horizon. Pedons with no Bhs horizons have a Bs1 or Bs horizons with hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 and chroma of 3 or 4. Reaction of the Bs1 or Bs horizons is very strongly acid to moderately acid. In pedons where there is a Bhs horizon the Bs horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 to 6. Reaction of the Bs horizon is very strongly acid to moderately acid. Textures of the Bs horizons are silt loam, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 5 percent and cobble content ranges from 0 to 3 percent.
Some pedons have E/B horizons immediately below the Bs horizon with colors and textures similar to those described for the B/E horizon.
The Bt part of the B/E horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is silty clay loam. The E part of the B/E horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is very fine sandy loam or silt loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral.
The BC horizon has hue of 10YR to 5YR, value of 4 or 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is stratified fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, silt loam, loam, or silty clay loam. Reaction is slightly acid to neutral.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 3 to 6. It is stratified fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, silt loam, loam, or silty clay loam. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline.
The 2C horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is loam, silt loam, or fine sandy loam. Gravel content ranges from 2 to 10 percent. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are none. The closely related Fence series averages less than 18 percent clay in the particle size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Millecoquins soils are on nearly level to sloping areas of lake plains and till floored lake plains. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 34 inches. The mean annual temperature ranges from 41 to 43 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Superior, Moltke, Greylock, Rudyard, and Glawe soils. The moderately well drained Superior and well drained Greylock soils are on slightly higher landscape positions on knolls and knobs. The somewhat poorly drained Moltke and Rudyard soils are in slightly lower landscape positions. The poorly drained Glawe soils are in depressions and drainageways.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. These soils have representative wet soil moisture status perched at depths of 12 to 34 inches during the months of March, April, May, June, October, and November. Surface runoff is negligible to medium, dependent on slope. Permeability is moderate in the upper part of the profile and moderately slow in the lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: Some areas are cultivated, with small grains and hay being the dominant crops. Most areas are forested with sugar maple, American beech, ironwood, white ash, American basswood, yellow birch, and quaking aspen composing the dominant tree species.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern and central Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The series is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mackinac County, Michigan, 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon); albic horizon - the zone from 2 to 4 inches (E horizon); spodic horizon - the zone from 4 to 12 inches (Bhs and Bs horizons); glossic horizon - the zone from 12 to 25 inches (B/E horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from 12 to 25 inches (B part of the B/E horizon); oxyaquic subgroup - the soil is saturated with water in one or more layers with a depth of 40 inches of the surface for one month or more in 6 out of 10 years.
The classification was changed to alfic oxyaquic haplorthods subgroup during the Luce County, Michigan Final correlation to conform to current soil taxonomy standards.
The typical pedon was moved during the Luce County Final Correlation to reflect soil properties more representative of the series throughout its range.
Phases without the glacial till 2C substratum are recognized.
ADDITIONAL DATA: