LOCATION OWEGO                   IA+NE SD

Established Series
Rev. JRN-RAL-RJB
06/2015

OWEGO SERIES


The Owego series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils formed in clayey and silty alluvium. These soils are on flood plains in river valleys. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 9 degrees C. Mean annual precipitation is about 810 millimeters.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, nonacid, mesic Vertic Endoaquepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Owego silty clay, on a 1/2 percent slope, in a cultivated field, at an elevation of 329 meters above sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 centimeters; very dark gray (5Y 3/1) silty clay, gray (5Y 5/1) dry; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; firm; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common fine faint olive gray (5Y 4/2) redoximorphic depletions; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 23 centimeters thick)

Bg--20 to 36 centimeters; dark gray (5Y 4/1) silty clay; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; firm; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common fine faint olive gray (5Y 4/2) and common fine prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) redoximorphic concentrations; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (15 38 centimeters thick)

2Cg--36 to 58 centimeters; about 50 percent light olive gray (5Y 6/2) and about 50 percent pale olive (5Y 6/3) silt loam; massive; friable; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; common fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4), common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), and common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) redoximorphic concentrations; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (15 to 36 centimeters thick)

3Ab--58 to 81 centimeters; black (5Y 2/1) silty clay; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; firm; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many distinct black (N 2/0) organic coats on vertical faces of peds; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and common fine prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) redoximorphic concentrations; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 30 centimeters thick)

3Bgb1--81 to 109 centimeters; very dark gray (5Y 3/1) silty clay; moderate very fine prismatic structure parting to moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky; firm; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many distinct black (N 2/0) organic coats on vertical faces of peds; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) redoximorphic concentrations; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

3Bgb2--109 to 140 centimeters; olive gray (5Y 4/2) silty clay; moderate very fine prismatic structure parting to moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky; firm; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few distinct very dark gray (5Y 3/1) organic coats on vertical faces of peds; common distinct dark gray (5Y 4/1) coats on vertical faces of peds; common fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) and common fine prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; very slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary.

3Bsskgb--140 to 168 centimeters; dark gray (5Y 4/1) silty clay; moderate fine prismatic structure; firm; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many faint very dark gray (5Y 3/1) intersecting slickensides; common fine very pale brown (10YR 8/2) rounded carbonate nodules; common fine faint dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) redoximorphic depletions; very slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 3Bgb and 3Bsskgb horizons is 50 to 90 centimeters.)

3BCssgb--168 to 196 centimeters; dark gray (5Y 4/1) clay; massive; firm; common very fine tubular pores; common faint very dark gray (5Y 3/1) nonintersecting slickensides; common medium very pale brown (10YR 8/2) rounded carbonate nodules; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; very slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

3Cg--196 to 200 centimeters; gray (5Y 5/1) clay; massive; firm; common very fine tubular pores; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 107B-Iowa and Missouri Deep Loess Hills; Woodbury County, Iowa subset; about 2 miles north of Salix; about 1,175 feet south and 2,520 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 23, T. 87 N., R. 47 W.; USGS Salix topographic quadrangle; lat. 42 degrees 20 minutes 28.3 seconds N. and long. 96 degrees 16 minutes 53.3 seconds W., NAD 83

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to carbonates--30 to 60 centimeters
Content of clay in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--35 to 45 percent
Content of sand in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--1 to 10 percent

A or Ap horizon:
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y
Value--3
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silty clay
Clay content--40 to 56 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--0 to 15 percent
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral
Moist bulk density--1.20 to 1.35 g/cc

Overwash phases:
Texture--silt loam
Clay content--24 to 27 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--neutral to moderately alkaline
Moist bulk density--1.25 to 1.30 g/cc
Thickness--25 to 50 centimeters

Bg horizon:
Hue--2.5Y or 5Y
Value--4
Chroma--1
Texture--silty clay
Clay content--40 to 51 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--0 to 15 percent
Reaction--slightly acid or neutral
Moist bulk density--1.20 to 1.35 g/cc

2Cg horizon:
Hue--2.5Y or 5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--1 to 3
Texture--silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, or loam
Clay content--15 to 30 percent
Sand content--15 to 30 percent, mostly fine sand or sand coarser than fine sand
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Moist bulk density--1.30 to 1.40 g/cc

3Ab horizon:
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y
Value--2 or 3
Chroma--1
Texture--silty clay
Clay content--45 to 58 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Moist bulk density--1.35 to 1.45 g/cc

3Bgb or 3Bsskgb horizon:
Hue--2.5Y or 5Y
Value--3 to 6
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silty clay
Clay content--45 to 58 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Moist bulk density--1.35 to 1.45 g/cc

3Cssg or 3Cg horizons:
Hue--5Y or is neutral
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--0 to 2
Texture--silty clay or clay
Clay content--48 to 70 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Moist bulk density--1.35 to 1.45 g/cc

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Karnak and Quenzer series.
Karnak--do not have carbonates in the series control section
Quenzer--do not have carbonates in the series control section

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--clayey and silty alluvium
Landform--flood plains in river valleys
Slope--0 to 2 percent
Elevation--185 to 610 meters above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--6 to 13 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation--585 to 1,040 millimeters
Frost-free period--150 to 220 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Albaton, Blake, Modale, and Onawa soils.
Albaton--are on landform positions similar to those of the Owego soils and have a clay content of 50 to 60 percent in the particle-size control section
Blake--are on slightly higher landscape positions and have a clay content of 22 to 35 percent in the particle-size control section
Modale--are on slightly higher landscape positions and have a clay content of 10 to 18 percent in the upper third to upper half of the particle-size control section
Onawa--are on slightly higher landscape positions and have a clay content of 10 to 18 percent in the lower half to lower two thirds of the particle-size control section

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--poorly drained--a frequently saturated zone occurs at the surface to within 0.3 meter during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of the 30 year mean of annual precipitation
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--0.01 to 0.10 micrometers per second
Flooding--occasionally to very rarely flooded for brief to extremely brief duration, flooding from streambank overflow is limited where dams and levees have been constructed to protect areas

USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas are cultivated. The principal crops are corn, small grains, and soybeans. Most areas are drained by surface ditches or land grading. The native vegetation is big bluestem, little bluestem, western wheatgrass, prairie cordgrass, sedges, river bulrush and other species of the tall grass prairie that are tolerant of excessive wetness. See Additional Data section for native vegetative cover in Iowa.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic sections--Western lake section and Dissected till plains
MLRAs--Till Plains (102B), Loess Uplands (102C), Iowa and Missouri Deep Loess Hills (107B)
LRR M; flood plains in the Missouri River valley in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota
Extent--moderate

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Woodbury County, Iowa, 1972.

REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 25 to 100 centimeters;
series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 168 centimeters.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
ochric epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 20 centimeters (Ap horizon);
cambic horizon--the zone from a depth of 20 to 36 centimeters (Bg horizon);
aquic moisture regime.

Vertic subgroup based on linear extensibility greater than 6.0 cm between the surface and a depth of 100 cm.

Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, tenth edition, 2006.

Refer to DMUid 280,710 in NASIS for property data.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Laboratory data--Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa pedon 99-IA-193-015A.

In Iowa, the native vegetative cover is a herbaceous wetland community commonly inhabited with Bluejoint Grasses, White Cutgrasses, Fox Sedges, Oval Sedges, Inland Rushes, Torreys Rushes, Dark Green Bulrushes, Flatstem Spikerushes, Blue Vervains, Indian Hemps, Winged Loosestrifes, Wild Mints, and Water Horehounds. Source: Iowa State Office, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Des Moines, IA.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.