LOCATION NASHWAUK MNEstablished Series
TYPICAL PEDON: Nashwauk loam on a convex slope of 4 percent under jack pine, aspen, paper birch, red maple and balsam fir forest.
A--0 to 3 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; very friable; many very fine to medium roots; about 2 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Bw--3 to 10 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many very fine to medium roots; about 5 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 11 inches thick)
Ex--10 to 13 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; massive; very firm; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; about 2 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
E/B--13 to 18 inches; 60% light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam (Ex) and 40% dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay loam (Bt); moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very firm; common very fine and fine roots; about 2 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
B/E--18 to 26 inches; 70% dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay loam (Bt) and 30% light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam (Ex); moderate medium angular blocky structure; very firm; common very fine and fine roots; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) Fe concentrations; about 2 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the E/B and/or B/E horizons is 4 to 16 inches)
Bt1--26 to 36 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; very firm; common very fine and fine roots; common thin dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on the faces of peds; about 2 percent gravel, 4 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--36 to 57 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam; moderate coarse angular blocky structure; very firm; few thin brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; few very dark brown (10YR 2/2) organic stains on faces of peds; common fine spherical black (5YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions between peds; about 2 percent gravel, 4 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizon is 20 to 45 inches.)
BCd--57 to 80 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium platy; very firm; few thin brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; about 2 percent gravel, 4 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Saint Louis County, Minnesota; about 9 miles north of Hibbing; 2425 feet west and 125 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 26, T. 59 N., R. 21 W.; USGS Dewey Lake Quadrangle; latitude 47 degrees 34 minutes 21 seconds N., and longitude 92 degrees 57 minutes 53 seconds W., NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to free carbonates is greater than 50 inches. Depth to dense till is 40 to 60 inches. Content of rock fragments, principally granitic, ranges from 1 to 15 percent by volume throughout the profile. Most pedons have some stones and boulders on the surface.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, very fine sandy loam or silt loam. It is very strongly acid to slightly acid.
The E horizon, when present, has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 1 or 2. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, very fine sandy loam, or silt loam. It is very strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 3 or 4. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, very fine sandy loam, or silt loam. It is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The B/E or E/B horizons have colors and textures similar to the E and Bt horizons respectively.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 3 or 4. It is typically loam or clay loam but subhorizons of sandy clay loam, silty clay loam, silt loam, or sandy loam are included. It is strongly acid to neutral.
The BCd horizon has hue of 2.5Y, 10YR, or 7.5YR; value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, sandy clay loam or sandy loam. Some pedons have Fe concentrations. It is slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
Some pedons have a Cd horizon. It is silty clay loam, loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, or sandy loam. It is slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Branstad, Culver, Daybrook, Flambeau, Hiles and Loyal series. The Branstad, Culver, Flambeau and Loyal soils do not have a densic contact within the series control section. Daybrook soils formed in 20 to 40 inches of sandy outwash over till. Hiles soils have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nashwauk soils are on till plains, moraines and drumlins. They formed in dense loamy till. Slopes are 1 to 35 percent. Mean annual air temperature is 36 to 40 degrees F, mean annual precipitation is 24 to 28 inches and the frost-free season is 90 to 125 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Balkan, Cutaway, Daybrook, Greatscott, Keewatin, Sandwick and Shenango soils. Very poorly drained organic soils, Cathro, Greenwood, Mooselake and Tacoosh soils are associated in nearby depressions. Moderately well drained Cutaway and Daybrook soils and somewhat poorly drained Sandwick and Shenango soils have a sandy mantle. The poorly and very poorly drained Balkan ,somewhat poorly drained Keewatin and well drained Greatscott soils are in a hydrosequence with Nashwauk
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Surface runoff is low to very high. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is very slow. Seasonal high saturation is perched at a depth of 1 to 2 feet at some time during April through May and October through November in years with normal preiciptation.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. Some areas are cleared for production of hay, pasture, and small grain. Quaking aspen, paper birch, red maple, red pine, jack pine, white spruce, and balsam fir are the main trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 57. North-central Minnesota, Itasca and St. Louis Counties. These soils are extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Itasca County, Minnesota, 1982.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are: ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 3 inches (A horizon); albic horizon - the zone from 10 to 13 inches (Ex horizon); glossic horizon - the zone from 13 to 26 inches (E/B and B/E horizons); argillic horizon - the zone from 18 to 57 inches (B/E and Bt horizons); Densic contact at 57 inches. The Ex horizon exhibits fragipan characteristics and may fit the proposed fragalbic horizon. (See Correspondence file: 430-11 SOI - Classification - Fragipans, dated 1993).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to MAES Central File Code Nos. 1765, 1766, 2217, 2218 and 2222 for results of some laboratory analyses on this soil.