LOCATION PARENT MN+WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Epiaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Parent loam with a plane slope less than 1 percent on a ground moraine in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; black (N 2/0) loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
AB--7 to 11 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) fine sandy loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak medium and coarse granular; friable; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) Fe concentrations; about 5 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bg1--11 to 15 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) and grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) fine sandy loam; weak medium and thick platy structure parting to weak fine and very fine subangular blocky; friable; common fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) Fe concentrations; about 5 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Bg2--15 to 28 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) fine sandy loam; weak medium platy structure parting to weak very fine subangular blocky; friable; many fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) Fe concentrations; about 5 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bg horizons is 9 to 24 inches.)
BC--28 to 40 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) fine sandy loam; weak medium and thick platy structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; firm; common medium faint reddish brown (5YR 4/4), common medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) Fe concentrations and few medium faint reddish gray (5YR 5/2) Fe depletions; about 3 percent cobbles and 7 percent gravel; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
BCd--40 to 80 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) fine sandy loam; very coarse and extremely coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium platy, few 2 to 3 millimeter oblique fractures 0.5 to 3.0 feet apart; very firm; few medium faint dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) Fe concentrations and few medium faint dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) Fe depletions along fracture faces in the upper part; about 3 percent cobbles and 7 percent gravel; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Benton County, Minnesota; about 4 miles north of Gilman; 2400 feet east and 1100 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 16, T. 38 N., R. 29 W.; USGS Quadrangle Ramey; latitude 45 degrees 47 minutes 30 seconds N., and longitude 93 degrees 57 minutes 27 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the densic material is 40 to 60 inches. Rock fragments of mixed lithology but mostly of igneous origin make up 1 to 15 percent by volume throughout the profile. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 18 inches thick. Stony and very stony phases are recognized.
Some pedons have an O horizon 4 inches thick.
The A or Ap and AB horizons have hue of 10YR or neutral, value of 2 or 3, chroma of 0 or 1. The A horizon commonly is loam or fine sandy loam and less commonly sandy loam, silty clay loam or silt loam. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
The Bg horizon has hue of 2.5Y, 10YR, or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. It has distinct or prominent redox features. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
The BC horizon has hue of 5YR or less commonly 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is fine sandy loam or sandy loam. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral. Bulk density ranges from 1.65 to 1.95 gm/cc.
The BCd horizon has hue of 5YR or less commonly 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is fine sandy loam or sandy loam. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral. Bulk density ranges from 1.85 to 2.0 gm/cc.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Adolph, Nokasippi, and Prebish soils. Adolph soils have greater than 80 percent passing the 200 sieve in the upper part of the series control section. Nokasippi soils have a sandy mantle in the upper part of the series control section. Prebish soils have less than 25 percent silt in the dense till (Rainy lobe origin).
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils have plane to slightly concave slopes with gradients of 0 to 2 percent. They commonly are on broad areas or depressions in gently undulating ground moraines and in swales on inter-drumlin topography. Parent soils formed in noncalcareous dense Superior lobe loamy till of late Wisconsinan Age. Mean annual temperature ranges from 37 to 45 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 24 to 33 inches. Frost-free days range from 90 to 145. Elevation above sea level ranges from 670 to 1450 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The Milaca, Mora, and Ronneby soils form a drainage sequence with the Parent soils. All of these soils are on higher positions on the landscape and are better drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained and very poorly drained. Surface runoff is negligible or very low. Permeability is moderate or moderately rapid in the upper part and very slow in the dense till. This soil has perched seasonal high saturation at the surface during April to June in years of normal precipitation. In addition, the very poorly drained phase is ponded in periods of heavy rainfall and snowmelt.
USE AND VEGETATION: About 60 percent is cropped to corn, soybeans, oats, and red clover. The remainder is used for pasture or is in forest. The original vegetation was native grasses and sedges with scattered black ash, elm, and willow.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRa-90, mostly in East-central Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Benton County, Minnesota, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 11 inches (Ap and AB horizons); cambic horizon - the zone from 11 to 28 inches (Bg horizons); aquic soil moisture regime - low chroma with redox immediately below the mollic epipedon; densic contact-the zone beginning at 40 inches (BCd horizon).