LOCATION PARMALEE MI

Established Series
Rev. JMQ-MLK
08/2012

PARMALEE SERIES

The Parmalee series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils on lake plains. They formed in loamy and silty lacustrine deposits. Slope ranges from 0 to 12 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 711 mm (28 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 6.1 degrees C (43 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, frigid Oxyaquic Glossudalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: PARMALEE fine sandy loam, on a northeast-facing, convex, 6 percent slope in a formerly cultivated field at an elevation of about 335 meters (1,100 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 cm (8 inches); black (10YR 2/1) fine sandy loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine and medium and few coarse roots; many fine vesicular pores; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [15 to 23 cm (6 to 9 inches) thick]

E/B--20 to 46 cm (8 to 18 inches); 80 percent brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry (E); surrounding brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam (Bt); moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine and medium roots; many fine vesicular pores; common black (10YR 2/1) organic coatings in root channels and krotovinas; few faint brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; 1 percent fine gravel; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [10 to 30 cm (4 to 12 inches) thick]

Bt1--46 to 56 cm (18 to 22 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine and medium roots; common fine vesicular pores; common black (10YR 2/1) organic coatings in root channels and krotovinas; common faint brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; 1 percent fine gravel; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bt2--56 to 84 cm (22 to 33 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam; strong coarse angular blocky structure; very firm; few fine roots; few fine vesicular pores; common faint brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; many fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; 2 percent fine gravel; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 20 to 51 cm (8 to 20 inches).]

BC--84 to 130 cm (33 to 51 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam; moderate coarse angular blocky structure; very firm; few fine roots; few fine vesicular pores; few faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; many fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few fine prominent light bluish gray (5B 7/1) iron depletions in the matrix; few varves of very fine sandy loam and loamy very fine sand; 2 percent fine gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [25 to 51 cm (10 to 20 inches) thick]

C--130 to 203 cm (51 to 80 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam; massive; very firm; many medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common medium prominent light bluish gray (5B 7/1) iron depletions in the matrix; 1 percent fine gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Oscoda County, Michigan; about 1 1/2 miles northeast of Luzerne; 100 feet north and 2700 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 18, T.26 N., R.2 E., Big Creek Township; USGS Mio, Michigan topographic quadrangle; lat. 44 degrees 38 minutes 17.67 seconds N. and long. 84 degrees 14 minutes 30.03 seconds W., NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches)
Depth to carbonates: 51 to 89 cm (20 to 35 inches)
Rock fragment content: 0 to 3 percent throughout the profile
Depth to redox concentrations: 46 to 76 cm (18 to 30 inches)
Particle-size control section: averages between 18 to 35 percent clay

Ap or A horizon:
Thickness of the A horizon, where present: 8 to 15 cm (3 to 6 inches)
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam

E part of the E/B horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline

Some pedons have a B/E horizon, which has colors and texture similar to those of the E/B horizon.

Bt part of the E/B horizon and the Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: loam or silty clay loam
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline

C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5
Chroma: 3 or 4; some pedons have strata with chroma of 2
Texture: silty clay loam or stratified silty clay loam and silt loam
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ellwood, Keshena, and Woodman soils. Ellwood and Keshena soils are deeper than 102 cm (40 inches) to the base of the argillic horizon. Woodman soils have lamellae in the lower part of the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Parmalee soils are on lake plains of Wisconsinan age. Slope ranges from 0 to 12 percent. The Parmalee soils formed in loamy and silty lacustrine deposits. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 610 to 762 mm (24 to 30 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 4.4 to 7.2 degrees C (40 to 45 degrees F). Frost-free period is 100 to 120 days. Elevation is 305 to 366 meters (1,000 to 1,200 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Islandlake, Graycalm, Kellogg, Bowers, Deerheart, and Wakeley series. The poorly drained Wakeley soils have sandy upper sola and are in nearby drainageways and depressions. The poorly drained Deerheart soils and the somewhat poorly drained Bowers soils are on lower landscape positions and are in the same drainage sequence. The moderately well drained Kellogg soils have sandy upper sola and are on similar landscape positions. The somewhat excessively drained Islandlake and Graycalm soils formed in sandy outwash material on nearby outwash plains.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Depth to the top of a perched seasonal high water table ranges from 46 to 107 cm (1.5 to 3.5 feet) between October and May in normal years. Potential for surface runoff is medium or high. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately low. Permeability is slow.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of this soil are idle or forested. Common tree species include white pine, sugar maple, American beech, American basswood, northern red oak, white ash, and red pine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 94A in northern Lower Michigan. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Oscoda County, Michigan, 2003.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 20 cm (8 inches) (Ap horizon).
Glossic horizon: from a depth of 20 to 46 cm (8 to 18 inches) (E/B horizon).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 20 to 84 cm (8 to 33 inches) (Bt part of the E/B, Bt1, Bt2 horizons).
Aquic conditions: redoximorphic features present in horizons below a depth of 56 cm (22 inches).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab data available - Sampled as Kneff, NSSL laboratory sample number S98MI-135-001.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.