LOCATION PORT BYRON IL+IA MN WI

Established Series
Rev. RAT-MEL-JWS
02/2011

PORT BYRON SERIES

The Port Byron series consists of very deep, well drained soils on uplands and high terraces. These soils formed in loess. Slope ranges from 0 to 30 percent. The mean annual temperature is about 8.9 degrees C (48 degrees F), and the mean annual precipitation is about 914 mm (36 inches).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Port Byron silt loam on a north-facing 3 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of 216 meters (710 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak medium granular structure; friable; many very fine and fine roots throughout; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--20 to 33 cm (8 to 13 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine and fine roots throughout; many faint very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organic coatings on faces of peds; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 61 cm (10 to 24 inches).]

BA--33 to 51 cm (13 to 20 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots between peds; many faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) organic coatings on faces of peds; few distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) dry, silt coatings on faces of peds; few faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) wormcasts; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [0 to 18 cm (0 to 7 inches) thick]

Bw1--51 to 79 cm (20 to 31 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots between peds; common faint brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; few faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) wormcasts; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bw2--79 to 102 cm (31 to 40 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; moderate coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots between peds; common faint brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; few distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) dry, silt coatings on faces of peds; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bw3--102 to 132 cm (40 to 52 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots between peds; few faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; few distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) dry, silt coatings on faces of peds; few fine faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 61 to 86 cm (24 to 34 inches).]

BC--132 to 152 cm (52 to 60 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; weak medium and coarse prismatic structure; firm; few fine roots between peds; few distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) dry, silt coatings on faces of peds; common fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few fine dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) coatings of iron-manganese oxides on faces of peds; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [13 to 25 cm (5 to 10 inches) thick]

C1--152 to 168 cm (60 to 66 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; massive; friable; common fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6 and 5/8) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few fine and medium irregular brown (7.5YR 4/4) and few fine prominent rounded black (N 2.5/) concretions of iron-manganese oxides throughout the matrix; common medium prominent black (5Y 2.5/1) irregular masses of iron-manganese in root channels and pores in the lower 2 inches; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.

C2--168 to 196 cm (66 to 77 inches); 50 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and 50 percent pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam; massive; friable; common fine and medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and few medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; few fine and medium prominent irregular black (N 2.5/) concretions of iron-manganese oxides throughout the matrix; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.

C3--196 to 226 cm (77 to 89 inches); 70 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and 30 percent pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt; massive; friable; common fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6 and 5/8) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few fine faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions in the matrix; few fine prominent rounded black (N 2.5/) concretions of iron-manganese oxide throughout the matrix; neutral.

TYPE LOCATION: Whiteside County, Illinois; about 3 1/2 miles south and 3 miles east of Albany; 400 feet east and 2,620 feet south of northwest corner, sec. 9, T. 20 N., R. 3 E.; USGS Erie Northwest topographic quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees 44 minutes 13 seconds N., and long. 90 degrees 10 minutes 08 seconds W., NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 25 to 51 cm (10 to 20 inches)
Thickness of the solum: 107 cm (42 inches) to more than 152 cm (60 inches)

Ap and A horizons:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3 moist or 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silt loam
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline, depending upon past liming practices

Bw horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: typically 4 or 5, upper part of Bw horizon has value of 3 in some pedons
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: silt loam
Redoximorphic features:
the lower part of the Bw horizon has redoximorphic features or has hue of 2.5Y or both in some pedons.
Average content of clay: between 20 and 24 percent, and ranges from 18 to 27 percent. It has less than 1.2 times more clay than the A horizon.
Reaction: medium acid to neutral

C horizon (where present):
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: typically silt loam, but some pedons are silt, sand or loamy sand and a sandy substratum phase is recognized. Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Annieville, Biggsville, Dinsmore, Exira, Galva, Keg, Marshall, Monona, Northboro, Ponca, Raddle, Salix, and Truman series. The Annieville, Dinsmore, Exira, Galva, Marshall, Salix soils contain more clay in the B horizon. Biggsville soils contain redoximorphic features in the middle part of the control section. Keg, Raddle, and Truman soils are formed in alluvium and have an irregular decrease in clay with increasing depth. Monona, Ponca, Salix soils have thinner sola. Northboro soils are formed in loess, and the underlying erosional sediments tend to have a redder hue and more sand in the lower part of the solum.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Port Byron soils are on upland ridges, side slopes, and high terraces. Slope gradients are commonly 0 to 10 percent but range up to 30 percent. Port Byron soils typically formed in thick loess. Some pedons are underlain by sand and a sandy substratum phase is recognized. The mean annual temperature ranges from 6.1 to 12.2 degrees C (43 to 54 degrees F), and the mean annual precipitation varies from 710 to 940 mm (28 to 37 inches). Frost free days range from 120 to 160 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Joy, Mt. Carroll, Tama, and Seaton soils. All these soils are on similar landscapes. The Mt. Carroll and Seaton soils have an argillic horizon and do not have a mollic epipedon. Tama soils have an argillic horizon. Joy soils have an apparent seasonal high water table at 31 to 61 cm (1 to 2 feet).

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained. Runoff is low to high. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high to high (4.23 to 14.11 micrometers per second) except it is high to very high (42.34 to 141.14 micrometers per second) in the substratum of soils in the sandy substratum phase. Permeability is moderate, except it is rapid in the substratum of soils in the sandy substratum phase.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Port Byron soils are used for cultivated crops. Corn, soybeans, and small grain are the principal corps. The moderately steep areas are used for pasture. Native vegetation was prairie grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central and northwestern Illinois, central and northeastern Iowa, southeastern Minnesota, and west-central and south-central Wisconsin. LRRs K and M, MLRAs 90B, 95B, 103, 104, 105, 108B, 108C, and 115C. The series is of large extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Henderson County, Illinois, 1947.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
mollic epipedon - from 0 to 33 cm (0 to 13 inches) (Ap and A horizons)
cambic horizon - from 51 to 132 cm (20 to 52 inches) (Bw1, Bw2, and Bw3 horizons).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.