LOCATION NAHMA                   MI+WI

Established Series
Rev. LWB-WEF
06/2011

NAHMA SERIES


The Nahma series consists of moderately deep, poorly drained soils formed in loamy deposits overlying limestone, dolomitic sandstone, or dolomite bedrock. These soils are in depressional ground moraines and bedrock benches. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 762 mm (30 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 6.1 degrees C (43 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, nonacid, frigid Histic Humaquepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Nahma muck, on a 1 percent slope in a forested area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Oa--0 to 10 cm (4 inches); black (5YR 2.5/1) muck; weak medium granular structure; very friable; neutral; clear smooth boundary. [10 to 41 cm (4 to 16 inches) thick]

A--10 to 23 cm (4 to 9 inches); black (10YR 2/1) mucky loam; moderate medium granular structure; friable; neutral; clear smooth boundary. [0 to 15 cm (6 inches) thick]

Bg--23 to 33 cm (9 to 13 inches); gray (10YR 5/1) loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common medium faint dark gray (10YR 4/1) iron depletions; few fine prominent olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) masses of oxidized iron; neutral; clear smooth boundary. [8 to 15 cm (3 to 6 inches) thick)]

Bw--33 to 48 cm (13 to 19 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam; weak medium platy structure; friable; few medium faint brown (10YR 5/3) iron depletions; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [10 to 36 cm (4 to 14 inches) thick]

C--48 to 74 cm (19 to 29 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam; massive; friable; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron; common medium faint very pale brown (10YR 8/2) iron depletions; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [15 to 51 cm (6 to 20 inches) thick]

Cg--74 to 84 cm 29 to 33 inches; light greenish gray (5G 7/1) loam mixed with weathered bedrock fragments; massive; friable; common fine prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. [0 to 15 cm (6 inches) thick]

R--84 to 109 cm (33 to 43 inches); limestone bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Delta County, Michigan; about 4 miles south of Ensign; 100 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 26, T. 40 N., R. 21 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to a lithic contact: 50 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches)
Depth to carbonates: 28 to 50 cm (11 to 20 inches)
Rock fragment content: 2 to 20 percent limestone flagstones and stones and 0 to 15 percent gravel
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline in the solum

Oa horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR, or is neutral
Value: 2 or 2.5
Chroma: 0 or 1
Organic material: highly decomposed and in some pedons contains as much as 50 percent mineral material

A horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 2 or 2.5
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam, or their mucky analogues

Bg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: commonly loam but the range includes sandy loam, or fine sandy loam, or their gravelly analogues; loamy sand lenses are in some pedons
Redoximorphic features: faint to prominent redox concentrations are present

Bw horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: commonly loam but the range includes sandy loam, or fine sandy loam, or their gravelly analogues; loamy sand lenses are in some pedons
Redoximorphic features: faint to prominent redox concentrations are present

Some pedons have BC horizons.

C horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 5Y, or 5G
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: commonly loam but the range includes sandy loam, or fine sandy loam, or their gravelly analogues; loamy sand lenses are in some pedons
Redoximorphic features: faint to prominent redox concentrations are present

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Sabattis and Waucedah series. Sabattis and Waucedah soils do not have a lithic contact within a depth of 102 cm (40 inches).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nahma soils are on level to nearly level depressional areas on ground moraines and bedrock benches. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 660 to 838 mm (26 to 33 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 5.0 to 6.7 degrees C (41 to 44 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The Angelica and Ruse soils are poorly drained or very poorly drained mineral associates. The Cathro and Chippeny soils are the commonly associated organic soils. The well drained Cunard and Longrie soils and the somewhat poorly drained Sundell soils form a drainage sequence with Nahma soils. The very deep, well drained Onaway and shallow Summerville soils are better drained.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained. Potential for surface runoff is very low or negligible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity above the bedrock is moderately high. Permeability above the bedrock is moderate.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for forest with black ash, balsam fir, white birch, and northern white-cedar being the common tree species. A few areas are used for pasture.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 93B, 94B, and 95A in southern and central upper peninsula of Michigan and northern Wisconsin. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Delta County, Michigan, 1969.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Histic epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 23 cm (9 inches) (Oa and A horizons).
Cambic horizon: from a depth of 23 to 33 cm (9 to 13 inches) (Bg and Bw horizons).
Aquic conditions: muck and mucky loam surface horizons and reduced matrix color and/or redox depletions and concentrations present in underlying horizons.
Lithic contact: limestone bedrock at 84 cm (33 inches) (top of the R layer).


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.