LOCATION POTAWATOMI         IN
Established Series
Rev. BGN-KKN
12/2009

POTAWATOMI SERIES


The Potawatomi series consists of moderately well drained soils that formed in loess and in the underlying paleosol in residuum weathered from interbedded sandstone, siltstone, and shale on narrow summits of hills. These soils are very deep to bedrock and deep to a fragipan. Slope ranges from 1 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1092 mm (43 inches), and mean annual air temperature is about 12.8 degrees C (55 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, mesic Fragiaquic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Potawatomi silt loam, on a north facing, convex, 2 percent slope in a pasture field at an elevation of 239.3 meters (785 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bt1--23 to 36 cm (9 to 14 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine vesicular and tubular pores; few distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--36 to 51 cm (14 to 20 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silty clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; friable; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine vesicular and tubular pores; few distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common fine prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bt3--51 to 71 cm (20 to 28 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silty clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; friable; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine vesicular and tubular pores; common distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on vertical faces of peds; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; common fine prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; common prominent light gray (10YR 7/2) clay depletions on vertical faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Btx1--71 to 94 cm (28 to 37 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; firm; few very fine roots between peds; few very fine and fine vesicular and tubular pores; common distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; few prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) iron oxide stains on faces of peds; few fine spherical iron-manganese concretions; common fine distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; common distinct light gray (10YR 7/1) clay depletions on faces of peds; brittle in places; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Btx2--94 to 117 cm (37 to 46 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; firm; few very fine roots between peds; few fine vesicular and tubular pores; many distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; few fine spherical very weakly cemented iron-manganese concretions; common fine distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; common distinct light gray (10YR 7/1) clay depletions on faces of peds; brittle; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

2Btx3--117 to 137 cm (46 to 54 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam; moderate very coarse prismatic structure; firm; many fine vesicular and tubular pores; common distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; common fine distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; common distinct light gray (10YR 7/1) clay depletions on faces of peds; brittle; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

3Btx4--137 to 196 cm (54 to 77 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate thin platy; firm; common faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on horizontal faces of peds; common distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; common distinct light gray (10YR 7/1) clay depletions on vertical faces of peds; 2 percent sandstone and siltstone channers; brittle; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

3Bt--196 to 229 cm (77 to 90 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely channery clay loam; moderate very fine angular blocky structure; firm; common distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common fine distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; many faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay depletions on faces of peds; 80 percent sandstone and siltstone channers; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.

TYPE LOCATION: Owen County, Indiana; about 3 miles northwest of Vandalia; 694 feet west and 1,116 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 1, T. 10 N, R. 5 W.; USGS Patricksburg, IN topographic quadrangle; lat. 39 degrees 20 minutes 19.9 seconds N. and long. 86 degrees 54 minutes 30 seconds W., UTM Zone 16, 507899 easting and 4354388 northing NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to horizon with fragic soil properties: 61 to 102 cm (24 to 40 inches)
Depth to fragipan: 102 to 127 cm (40 to 50 inches)
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 152 to 203 cm (60 to 80 inches or more)

A, Ap horizon:
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 or 4
Clay content: 16 to 22 percent
Sand content: 2 to 10 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid or strongly acid in unlimed areas, and ranges to neutral in limed areas

Bt, BE horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 24 to 32 percent
Sand content: 2 to 8 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid or strongly acid in unlimed areas, and ranges to slightly acid in limed areas

Btx horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 34 percent
Sand content: 2 to 10 percent sand
Reaction: very strongly acid or strongly acid

2Btx, 3Btx horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: silt loam, loam, or clay loam
Clay content: 14 to 28 percent
Sand content: 14 to 40 percent
Rock fragment content: 1 or 2 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid

3Bt, 3BC horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: commonly loam or clay loam or the channery to extremely channery analogs of these textures, and less commonly silt loam or sandy loam or the channery to extremely channery analogs of these textures
Clay content: 18 to 32 percent
Sand content: 25 to 55 percent
Rock fragment content: 2 to 80 percent, but has a subhorizon with more than 10 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Series in a similar family are the Boston, Chalfant, Gudgel, Haubstadt, Nabb, Pierpont, Plumfield, Robbs, Sciotoville, and Shakamak series. All of these soils are Aquic Fragiudalfs and are less than 102 cm (40 inches) to the top of a fragipan.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Potawatomi soils are on narrow summits of hills. Slope ranges from 1 to 3 percent. They formed in loess and in the underlying paleosol in residuum from interbedded sandstone, siltstone and shale. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 1016 to 1168 mm (40 to 46 inches). Mean annual air temperature ranges from 11.1 to 13.9 degrees C (52 to 57 degrees F). Frost-free days range from 170 to 200. Elevation ranges from 105.2 to 305 meters (345 to 1000 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Berks, Gilpin, Patricksburg, Solsberry, Tulip, Wellston, and Zanesville soils. The moderately deep, well drained Berks and Gilpin soils are on backslopes. The somewhat poorly drained Patricksburg soils are on summits. The Solsberry soils are on shoulders of dissected till plains and are moderately deep to a fragipan. The well drained Tulip soils are on the lower part of backslopes. The well drained, more permeable Wellston soils are on shoulders and backslopes. The moderately well drained Zanesville soils are on shoulders and backslopes.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. The depth to the top of an intermittent perched high water table ranges from 30 to 61 cm (1 to 2 feet) between December and April in normal years. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high or high (4.23 to 14.11 micrometers/s) in the upper part of the solum and low to moderately high (0.07 to 1.41 micrometers/s) in and below the horizons with fragic soil properties or a fragipan. Permeability is moderate (0.6 to 2 inches per hour) in the upper part of the solum and very slow or slow (0.01 to 0.2 inches per hour) in the lower part. The potential for surface water runoff is high.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used to grow corn, soybeans, wheat and hay. Some areas are used for pasture, woodland or are in wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is mixed deciduous hardwood forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Indiana; MLRA 120B. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Owen County, Indiana, 1997.

REMARKS: These soils have previously been included with the Johnsburg and Tilsit series.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 23 cm (9 inches) - (Ap);
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 23 to 229 cm (9 to 90 inches) - (Bt, Btx1, Btx2, 2Btx3, 3Bxt4, 3Bt);
Fragic soil properties: from a depth of 71 to 117 cm (28 to 46 inches) (Btx1, Btx2);
Fragipan: from a depth of 117 to 196 cm (46 to 77 inches) - (2Btx3, 3Btx4).
Aquic conditions: redox depletions with chroma of 1 or 2 in all horizons below a depth of 36 cm (14 inches).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab data is available for pedon S92IN-119-001 from the National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.