LOCATION OSCEOLA IL

Established Series
Rev. SE-JCD-AAC
02/2011

OSCEOLA SERIES

The Osceola series consists of deep, somewhat poorly drained soils formed in loess, outwash, and shale residuum on uplands. Slope gradients range from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 914 mm (36 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 11.1 degrees C (52 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Vertic Epiaqualfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Osceola silt loam - on a southwest-facing slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; many fine roots; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [15 to 23 cm (6 to 10 inches) thick]

E--23 to 38 cm (9 to 15 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam; moderate medium platy structure; friable; few fine roots; few fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few distinct white (10YR 8/1) dry, silt grains on faces of peds; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 inches) thick]

Bt--38 to 56 cm (15 to 22 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay; many fine distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; firm; common fine roots; many distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay films and few faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) organic coatings on faces of peds; few prominent dark stains (Fe and Mn oxides) on ped faces; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [8 to 23 cm (3 to 9 inches) thick]

Btg1--56 to 84 cm (22 to 33 inches); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay loam; many fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) iron accumulations; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; firm; common fine roots; many distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; common prominent dark stains (Fe and Mn oxides); slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of Btg is 31 to 64 cm (12 to 25 inches).]

Btg2--84 to 104 cm (33 to 41 inches); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; firm; common fine roots; many distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; few distinct dark stains (Fe-Mn oxides); about 15 percent sand; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of Btg horizon is 38 to 61 cm (15 to 24 inches).]

2Btg3--104 to 119 cm (41 to 47 inches); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure; friable; few fine roots; common distinct dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; few prominent dark stains (Fe-Mn oxides); slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 inches) thick]

3Btg4--119 to 132 cm (47 to 52 inches); gray (5Y 5/1) silty clay; common fine prominent light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) iron accumulations; moderate medium angular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; few distinct dark gray (5Y 4/1) clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent shale fragments; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. [10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 inches) thick]

3Cr--132 to 152 cm (52 to 60 inches); gray (5Y 5/1) soft shale; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; massive; firm; slightly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Stark County, Illinois; about 1 mile east and 2 miles south of Stark; 1,221 feet west and 314 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 32, T. 12 N., R. 7 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches)
Depth to a paralithic contact in shale or siltstone: 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches)
Reaction in the series control section: moderately acid to neutral
Average content of sand in the upper one-half to three-fifths of the control section: less than 8 percent
Rock fragment content: less than 1 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam

E horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam

Some pedons have a BE horizon as much as 13 cm (5 inches) thick. It is silt loam or silty clay loam.

Bt and Btg horizons:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 3
Textures: silty clay loam or silty clay
Average content of clay: between 35 and 42 percent, individual subhorizons range from 32 to 48 percent clay and from 1 to 8 percent sand.
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

2Btg horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam or their gravelly analogues
Average content of clay in the third one-quarter or fourth one-fifth of the control section: between 15 and 25 percent, individual subhorizons range from 10 to 30 percent clay
Average content of sand in the third one-quarter or fourth one-fifth of the control section: between 25 and 50 percent, individual subhorizons range from 15 to 85 percent sand
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

3Btg horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Average content of clay in the third one-quarter or fourth one-fifth of the control section: between 35 and 45 percent, individual subhorizons range from 18 to 60 percent clay
Rock fragment content: between 10 and 30 percent soft fragments of shale or siltstone
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

The 3Cr horizon is non-calcareous, soft, level bedded, rippable shale or siltstone.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Osceola soils are on slightly dissected bedrock controlled hills on uplands. Slope gradients range from 0 to 5 percent. Osceola soils formed in 51 to 114 cm (20 to 45 inches) of loess, a thin layer of outwash, and in residuum weathered from shale or siltstone. Climate is midcontinental with hot summers and cold winters. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 10.0 to 12.2 degrees C (50 to 54 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation ranges from 914 to 1016 mm (36 to 40 inches). Frost free days ranges from 160 to 180. Elevation above sea level ranges from 207 to 311 meters (680 to 1020 feet).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Drummer, Elburn, Marseilles, and Massbach soils. Drummer and Elburn soils formed in loess and outwash and are on outwash plains slightly lower on the landscape. Marseilles and Massbach soils are moderately deep and are on side slopes below the Osceola soils.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Surface runoff is slow to medium. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high (1.41 to 4.23 micrometers per second) in the loess moderately high to high (4.23 to 42.34 micrometers per second) in the outwash and moderately low to moderately high (0.42 to 1.41 micrometers per second) in the residuum. Permeability is moderately slow in the loess, moderate to moderately rapid in the outwash and slow in the residuum. Depth to seasonal zone of saturation is as high as 31 to 91 cm (1 to 3 feet) at some time from March to June in most years.

USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are used to grow corn, soybeans, small grain, and hay. Natural vegetation is mixed grasses and deciduous hardwood forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 108A, 108B, and 115C in west Central Illinois. Osceola soils are of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cumberland County, Illinois, 1933.

REMARKS: Classification was adjusted to agree with ST Issue #17 on 23 Aug 94 by CLG. The Osceola series was reactivated on 11/93. The previous type location was in Stark County, Illinois. This revision moves the type location back to Stark County.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 38 cm (0 to 15 inches0 (Ap and E horizons); argillic horizon - the zone from 38 to 132 cm (15 to 52 inches) (Btg1, Btg2, 2Btg3, 2Btg4, 3Btg5 horizons); paralithic contact at 132 cm (52 inches); aquic conditions - continuous saturation in all layers between a depth of about 46 cm (18 inches) and 203 cm (80 inches) in spring of most years.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to NSSL Nos. 91P1060 - 91P1066.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.