LOCATION ONAWAY MI+WI
Established Series
Rev. LWB-WEF
05/2023
ONAWAY SERIES
The Onaway series consists of very deep, well drained or moderately well drained soils formed in loamy deposits on ground moraines, end moraines, and drumlins. Slope ranges from 0 to 60 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 737 mm (29 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 6.1 degrees C (43 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, frigid Inceptic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Onaway fine sandy loam, on a west-facing, 5 percent slope in a forested area. (Colors refer to moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oa--0 to 2 cm (1 inch); black (10YR 2/1) well decomposed leaf litter; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots; 5 percent gravel; 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. [0 to 10 cm (4 inches) thick]
E--2 to 10 cm (1 to 4 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, gray (5YR 6/1) dry; weak medium granular structure; very friable; few fine and medium roots; 5 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. [0 to 15 cm (6 inches) thick]
Bs1--10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 inches); dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) fine sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine roots; 7 percent cobbles and 5 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Bs2--15 to 23 cm (6 to 9 inches); reddish brown (5YR 4/4) sandy loam; weak coarse granular structure; friable; many fine roots; 5 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bs horizon is 8 to 46 cm (3 to 18 inches).]
B/E--23 to 33 cm (9 to 13 inches); dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) clay loam (Bt) and light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) loam (E), pinkish gray (5YR 7/2) dry; E material consists of coatings less than 10 mm thick on Bt peds; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard; vesicular; 5 percent cobbles and 5 percent gravel; brittle when dry; slightly alkaline; clear irregular boundary. [0 to 30 cm (12 inches) thick]
Bt--33 to 53 cm (13 to 21 inches); dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) and reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; very firm; few coarse roots; thick clay flows in root channels and on faces of peds; 5 percent cobbles and 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. [15 to 38 cm (6 to 15 inches) thick]
C--53 to 152 cm (21 to 60 inches); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) and brown (7.5YR 5/4) silt loam; moderate thick plates parting to fine blocks; friable; few coarse roots; 5 percent cobble and 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Delta County, Michigan; 2.3 miles south of County Road 535 on B-35, then .4 miles southwest on logging trail, then 50 feet south of trail; NW1/4, SE1/4, sec. 7, T. 37 N., R. 24 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the solum: typically 46 to 61 cm (18 to 24 inches), but ranges from 38 to 89 cm (15 to 35 inches)
Depth to carbonates: typically 46 to 61 cm (18 to 24 inches), but ranges from 38 to 89 cm (15 to 35 inches)
Rock fragment content: 2 to 35 percent in the solum and 5 to 40 percent in the C horizon
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly alkaline in the solum
A or Ap horizon, where present;
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR, or is neutral
Value: 2, 2.5, or 3
Chroma: 0 to 3
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, silt loam, or loam
E horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: sandy loam or fine sandy loam
Bs horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: sandy loam or fine sandy loam
B/E horizon: consists of coatings of E material surrounding peds of Bt material
Bt part:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam, or the gravelly or cobbly analogues of these textures
E part:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: loam, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam, or the gravelly or cobbly analogues of these textures
In some pedons an E horizon is a separate horizon overlying a Bt horizon. Some pedons have E/B horizons.
Bt horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam, or silty clay loam, or the gravelly or cobbly analogues of these textures
C horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: loam, silt loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam, or the gravelly or cobbly analogues of these textures
Gravelly, cobbly, and sandy substratum phases are currently recognized.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Onaway soils are on ground moraines, end moraines, and drumlins of Wisconsinan age. Slope gradients are commonly between 2 and 8 percent, but range from 0 to 60 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 660 to 838 mm (26 to 33 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 4.4 to 7.2 degrees C (40 to 45 degrees F).
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Angelica,
Emmet,
Kalkaska,
Longrie,
Mackinac, and
Menominee. Emmet, Kalkaska, Longrie, and Menominee soils are on similar landscape positions. Emmet soils are coarse-loamy. Kalkaska soils are somewhat excessively drained sandy soils. Longrie soils are underlain at depths less than 102 cm (40 inches) by limestone bedrock. Menominee soils have sandy surfaces. The somewhat poorly drained Mackinac soils and poorly drained Angelica soils are on lower landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained or moderately well drained. Potential for surface runoff is negligible to very high depending on slope. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high. Permeability is moderate or moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Onaway soils are important agricultural soils. Most of them have been cleared and are used for general farming and dairying. Corn, grain, hay, and potatoes are the principal crops. Wooded areas support northern hardwoods, with sugar maple predominating.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 93B, 94A, 94B, 94C, 95A, and 96 in the northern Lower Peninsula and southern Upper Peninsula of Michigan and in northeastern Wisconsin. The series is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Antrim County, Michigan, 1923.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 10 cm (4 inches) (Oa, E horizons).
Albic horizon: from a depth of 2 to 10 cm (1 to 4 inches) (E horizon).
Cambic horizon: from a depth of 10 to 23 cm (4 to 9 inches) (Bs horizon).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 23 to 53 cm (9 to 21 inches) (Bt part of the B/E horizon and Bt horizon).
Onaway was previously classified as fine-loamy, mixed, frigid Alfic Haplorthods.
ADDITIONAL DATA: For laboratory data on representative pedon see S66MI-21-3 (BSL 66499-66503) and S66MI-21-2 (BSL 66489-66496).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.