LOCATION OYSTERLAKE MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Oxyaquic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Oysterlake stony loam on a convex slope of 1 percent on an outwash plain in a clearcut. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) stony loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; 10 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick.)
Bw1--4 to 16 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) stony loam; weak medium subangular blocky parting to weak medium granular structure; friable; 10 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bw2--16 to 26 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many coarse faint brown (10YR 4/3) and common medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) Fe concentrations; 20 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 14 to 29 inches.)
2BC--26 to 42 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; common medium prominent grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silt coats on tops of rock fragments; 60 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick.)
2C--42 to 80 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) extremely cobbly coarse sand; single grain; loose; common coarse distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) Fe concentrations and common medium distinct brown (7.5YR 5/2) Fe depletions on surfaces of rock fragments; 15 percent gravel, 50 percent cobbles and 20 percent stones; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: St. Louis County, Minnesota; about 5 miles north and 3 miles east of Babbitt; 250 feet north and 1600 feet east of the southwest corner of Section 28, T. 61 N., R. 14 W.; USGS Embarrass, Minnesota Quadrangle, latitude 47 degrees 43 minutes 49 seconds N., longitude 92 degrees 07 minutes 56 seconds W., NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The loamy mantle is 20 to 35 inches thick. The depth to free carbonates is greater than 80 inches. The rock fragment content averages 10 to 55 percent in the loamy mantle. The rock fragment content in the underlying outwash averages 35 to 90 percent with 15 to 65 percent gravel, 10 to 55 percent cobbles, 5 to 35 percent stones and 0 to 30 percent boulders.
Some pedons have an O horizon up to 2 inches thick.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or is neutral. Value is 2 or 3 and chroma is 0 to 2. It is loam, fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction. Rock fragment content ranges from 1 to 15 percent gravel, 2 to 40 percent cobbles, 2 to 35 percent stones and 0 to 10 percent boulders. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid.
The E horizon, when present, has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture, rock fragment content, and reaction are similar to the A horizon.
The Bw horizon has a hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5 and chroma of 3 to 6. It is loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction. Rock fragment content ranges from 1 to 30 percent gravel, 2 to 40 percent cobbles, 0 to 25 percent stones and 0 to 20 percent boulders. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The 2BC or 2Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture averages coarse sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand or sand in the fine-earth fraction. The upper part is coarse sandy loam or sandy loam in some pedons. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The 2C horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 3 or 4. It is coarse sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand or sand in the fine-earth fraction. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Eaglesnest series. Eaglesnest soils have a densic contact at depths of 40 to 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Oysterlake soils are on convex to concave surfaces of pitted outwash plains and end moraines. They formed in a mantle of eolian or glacio-fluvial sediments and underlying glacial outwash deposited by the Rainy Lobe of late Wisconsin age. Slopes range from 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual air temperature is 36 to 39 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 27 to 30 inches. The frost-free period is 90 to 120 days. Elevation above sea level is 1400 to 1900 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Shagawa and Beargrease soils. Well drained Shagawa soils and excessively drained Beargrease soils are on higher linear to convex positions.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well and somewhat poorly drained. Seasonal high saturation is at depths as high as 1.5 feet on the somewhat poorly drained phase and 2.5 feet on the moderately well drained phase during the periods of April through May and October through November in normal years. Runoff is low to medium. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderate in the loamy mantle and very rapid in the underlying outwash.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. Principal trees are bigtooth and trembling aspen, paper birch, red maple, balsam fir, red pine, and jack pine. Native vegetation is mixed deciduous and coniferous forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA-93. Northeast Minnesota. Small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Louis County, Minnesota 2005.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 4 inches (A horizon); cambic horizon - the zone from 4 to 26 inches (Bw horizons); Oxyaquic subgroup based on redoximorphic features and saturation above 40 inches.