LOCATION PIPESTONE MI+CT IN MA NH NY

Established Series
Rev. JDL-NWS-MLK
09/2012

PIPESTONE SERIES

The Pipestone series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils formed in sandy outwash on outwash plains, lake plains, beach ridges, and water-worked till plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 889 mm (35 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 10.0 degrees C (50 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Typic Endoaquods

TYPICAL PEDON: Pipestone sand, on an east-facing, convex, 1 percent slope in an idle field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 cm (8 inches); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [0 to 25 cm (10 inches) thick]

E--20 to 28 cm (8 to 11 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sand; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; common fine roots; common medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; moderately acid; abrupt broken boundary. [0 to 25 cm (10 inches) thick]

Bhs--28 to 38 cm (11 to 15 inches); dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; common fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. [0 to 25 cm (10 inches) thick]

Bs--38 to 79 cm (15 to 31 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sand; single grain; loose; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. [10 to 58 cm (4 to 23 inches) thick]

C--79 to 152 cm (31 to 60 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sand; single grain; loose; slightly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Berrien County, Michigan; about 4 miles northeast of Benton Harbor; 1,172 feet south and 99 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 28, T. 3 S., R. 18 W.; USGS Benton Heights topographic quadrangle; lat. 42 degrees 10 minutes 59.5 seconds N. and long. 86 degrees 23 minutes 54 seconds W., WGS 84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the solum: 51 to 127 cm (20 to 50 inches)
Rock fragment content: 0 to 10 percent gravel throughout

Ap horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, or loamy coarse sand
Reaction: extremely acid to neutral

A horizon, where present:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR, or is neutral
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 0 to 3
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, or loamy coarse sand
Reaction: extremely acid to neutral

Some forested pedons have partially or well decomposed O horizons of forest litter up to 13 cm (5 inches) thick.

E horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: sand, loamy sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand, coarse sand, or loamy coarse sand
Reaction: extremely acid to neutral

Bhs horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sand, loamy sand, fine sand, coarse sand, or loamy coarse sand
Ortstein content: 0 to 30 percent of the surface area exposed in a vertical cut through the Bhs horizon and is present in less than 50 percent of the pedons
Reaction: extremely acid to moderately acid

Bs horizon in pedons without a Bhs horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 or 4
Chroma: 4
Texture: sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, fine sand, coarse sand, or loamy coarse sand
Reaction: extremely acid to moderately acid

Bs horizon in pedons with a Bhs horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 6
Chroma: 4 to 8
Iron and manganese concretions: present in some pedons
Texture: sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, fine sand, coarse sand, or loamy coarse sand
Reaction: extremely acid to moderately acid

BC horizon, where present:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, fine sand, coarse sand, or loamy coarse sand
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral

C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: sand, fine sand, coarse sand, or loamy coarse sand
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pipestone soils are on outwash plains, lake plains, beach ridges, and till plains of Wisconsinan age. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent but are dominantly 0 to 4 percent. Pipestone soils formed in sandy outwash. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 711 to 914 mm (28 to 36 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 7.2 to 10.0 degrees C (45 to 50 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The excessively drained Oakville and Grattan soils and the poorly drained or very poorly drained Granby, Kingsville, and Newton soils are in a drainage sequences with Pipestone soils.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. The water table fluctuates from near the surface during prolonged wet periods to depths greater than 122 cm (4 feet) in dry seasons. Depth to the top of a seasonal high water table ranges from 15 to 46 cm (0.5 to 1.5 feet) between October and June in normal years. Potential for surface runoff is negligible or very low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high. Permeability is rapid.

USE AND VEGETATION: A large part is or has been cultivated. Some areas are in permanent pasture. Special crops such as blueberries, cucumbers, and melons are important crops on this soil. Many areas are in various stages of reforestation. Natural forests are American basswood, eastern cottonwood, northern red oak, bitternut hickory, white ash, swamp white oak, and red maple.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 96, 97, 98, 99, 142, 144A, 149B in southern Michigan, northeastern Indiana, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York. The series is of large extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gratiot County, Michigan, 1975.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 28 cm (11 inches) (Ap and E horizons).
Albic horizon: from a depth of 20 to 28 cm (8 to 11 inches) (E horizon).
Spodic horizon: from a depth of 28 to 38 cm (11 to 15 inches) (Bhs horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record: MI0257.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.