LOCATION NICKIN WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed over siliceous, active, frigid Typic Argiudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Nickin fine sandy loam - on a concave slope of 8 percent in a pasture at an elevation of about 1,040 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine roots; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
A--8 to 11 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine roots; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. ( 0 to 5 inches thick)
Bt1--11 to 16 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) silt loam; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; faint clay films on faces of peds; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--16 to 23 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; faint clay films on faces of peds; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combind thickness of the Bt horizon ranges from 8 to 15 inches)
2Bt3--23 to 30 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; faint patchy clay films on faces of peds; about 10 percent gravel ; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
3Bt4--30 to 34 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) loamy fine sand; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine roots; clay bridging between sand grains; about 5 percent gravel; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
3C--34 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sand; single grain; loose; about 2 percent sandstone channers; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: St. Croix County, Wisconsin; about 5 miles south and 1 1/2 miles east of New Richmond; 1,980 feet west and 660 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 36, T. 30 N., R. 18 W. USGS New Richmond South Wis. Quad. Latitude 45 degrees 02 minutes 15 seconds N., Longitude 92 degrees 30 minutes 15 seconds W. NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Combined thickness of the loamy mantle and the loamy till ranges from 20 to 39 inches and coincides with the depth to siliceous sandy pedisediment or residuum. Clay content of the particle-size control section averages from 18 to 25 percent. Rock fragments generally do not occur in the upper loamy mantle. Volume of gravel ranges from 1 to 10 percent in the till. Volume of sandstone channers range from 0 to 10 percent in the sandy pedisediment or residuum. Reaction naturally is strongly acid or moderately acid in the upper loamy mantle but ranges to neutral, where the soil is limed. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid in the till subsoil and in the sandy pedisediment or residuum. The Ap or A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR; value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 to 3. Texture is fine sandy loam, silt loam, or loam.
Some pedons have a BA horizon with hue of 7.5YR or 10YR and value and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is fine sandy loam, silt loam, or loam.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR and value and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is fine sandy loam, silt loam, or loam.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR and value and chroma of 3 or 4. Value and chroma of 3 do not occur together. Texture is loam or sandy loam.
The 3Bt horizon typically has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR but, in some pedons, it has hue of 5YR. Value and chroma are 3 or 4. Texture is loamy fine sand, loamy sand, sand, or fine sand.
The 3C horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 7 or 8, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is fine sand or sand.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Nickin soils are on toeslopes and foot slopes of hills. Slopes range from 2 to 20 percent. The soils formed in wind or water-laid loamy deposits; in loamy till; and in the underlying siliceous sandy pedisediment or residuum. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 32 inches. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 41 to 46 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Arland,
Jewett, and
Pillot soils. All of the associated soils are well drained. Arland soils formed primarily in sandy loam till and the underlying sand weathered from sandstone. Jewett soils formed in loess and the underlying sandy loam till. Pillot soils formed in silty deposits and the underlying sand and gravel.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. The potential for surface runoff is low or medium. Permeability is moderate in the loamy mantle and in the till, moderately rapid or rapid in the sandy subsoil, and rapid or very rapid in the substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of these soils are used for cropland. Common crops are corn, oats, and alfalfa. Some areas are used for pastureland. Native vegetation is mixed prairie grasses and scattered oaks.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Wisconsin, in St. Croix County. The soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Croix County, Wisconsin, 1975.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - 0 to 11 inches (Ap, A); argillic horizon - 16 to 30 inches (Bt1, Bt2, 2Bt3, 3Bt4).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to soil survey sample number 73WI109001 for NSSL data on the typical pedon.