LOCATION MUSSEY                  MI+IN WI

Established Series
Rev. NWS
11/2021

MUSSEY SERIES

The Mussey series consists of very deep, poorly drained and very poorly drained that are shallow to sand and gravel. The Mussey soils formed in loamy outwash and are on outwash plains and valley trains. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 813 mm (32 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 9.4 degrees C (49 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic Argiaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Mussey loam, on a 1 percent slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 23 cm (9 inches); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loam; moderate fine granular structure; friable; many fine roots; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [18 to 25 cm (7 to 10 inches) thick]

Btg1--23 to 30 cm (9 to 12 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; firm; many fine roots; few thin very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay films; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; 2 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 10 cm (4 inches) thick]

Btg2--30 to 46 cm (12 to 18 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many fine roots; few thin clay films; common medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; 5 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. [13 to 25 cm (5 to 10 inches) thick]

2C--46 to 152 cm (18 to 60 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly sand; single grain; loose; many medium faint brown (10YR 5/3) masses of oxidized iron; many medium faint gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions; 40 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Lapeer County, Michigan; about 2 miles east and 2 miles north of Dryden; 720 feet west and 320 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 6, T. 6 N., R. 12 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the solum: 30 to 51 cm (12 to 20 inches)
Reaction: slightly acid to slight alkaline in the solum
Mean annual soil temperature: 8.3 to 11.1 degrees C (47 to 52 degrees F)

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loam or sandy loam, or the gravelly analogues of these textures
Rock fragment content: 0 to 25 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles

Btg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam, or the gravelly analogues of these textures
Rock fragment content: 0 to 25 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles

2C horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: gravelly sand, sand, or stratified sand and gravel
Rock fragment content: 0 to 40 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mussey soils are on outwash plains and valley trains. They formed in loamy outwash underlain by sand and gravel at depths of less than 20 inches. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 711 to 864 mm (28 to 34 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 7.2 to 10.0 degrees C (45 to 50 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Mussey soils are in a drainage sequence with the somewhat excessively drained Casco soils and the somewhat poorly drained Fabius soils. Gilford, Sebewa and the somewhat poorly drained Wasepi soils are associated on some outwash plains. All of these have thicker sola. In addition, Gilford and Wasepi soils are coarse-loamy.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained or very poorly drained. Potential for surface runoff is negligible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in the solum and high or very high in the substratum. Permeability is moderate in the solum and rapid in the substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: About 90 percent of this soil is cultivated or in pasture. The remainder is in woodland. Corn, small grains, soybeans, and legume-grass hay are the principal crops. Native vegetation is mixed hardwoods, predominantly elm, ash, hickory, pin oak, and aspen.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 95A, 95B, and 98 in southern Michigan, southeastern Wisconsin, and northern Indiana. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lapeer County, Michigan, 1966.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 23 cm (9 inches) (Ap horizon).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 23 to 46 cm (9 to 18 cm (Btg horizon).
Strongly contrasting particle-sizes: clay loam to gravelly sand at 46 cm (18 inches).
Aquic conditions: redoximorphic features present in all horizons below the mollic epipedon.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.