LOCATION PLATTERIVER MI

Established Series
Rev. RWN-MLK
08/2012

PLATTERIVER SERIES

The Platteriver series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils formed in eolian and water worked sands on low dunes and beach ridges along Lake Michigan. Slope ranges from 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 787 mm (31 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 8.9 degrees C (48 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Oxyaquic Udipsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Platteriver sand, on a southwest-facing slope in a forested area at an elevation of 181 meters (593 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. When described on August 8, 1995, the soil was moist to a depth of 137 cm (54 inches) and saturated below.)

Oa--0 to 2 cm (1 inch); highly decomposed plant material; extremely acid; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--2 to 8 cm (1 to 3 inches); very dark gray (7.5YR 3/1) sand, gray (7.5YR 5/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine to coarse roots; less than 1 percent gravel; extremely acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [2 to 5 cm (1 to 2 inches) thick]

E--8 to 36 cm (3 to 14 inches); pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) sand, pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) dry; single grain; loose; common fine and medium roots; less than 1 percent gravel; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. [20 to 33 cm (8 to 13 inches) thick]

Bw1--36 to 51 cm (14 to 20 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots; less than 1 percent gravel; extremely acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bw2--51 to 74 cm (20 to 29 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; common medium distinct brown (7.5YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron; less than 1 percent gravel; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 38 to 64 cm (15 to 25 inches).]

C--74 to 203 cm (29 to 80 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sand; single grain; loose; few fine roots; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; less than 1 percent gravel; strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Benzie County, Michigan; about 1 1/2 miles north of Platte Lake in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore; 1,010 feet north and 1,340 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 22, T. 27 N., R. 15 W., Platte Township; USGS Beulah, Michigan topographic quadrangle; lat. 44 degrees 43 minutes 19 seconds N. and long. 86 degrees 06 minutes 19 seconds W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to redoximorphic accumulations: 46 to 102 cm (18 to 40 inches)
Special features: less than 90 percent of the minerals are weather resistant
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent gravel throughout
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly acid throughout

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: sand

E horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sand

Bw horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: sand
Ortstein content: 0 to 5 percent extremely weakly cemented ortstein
Redoximorphic features: hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5, and chroma of 4 to 8

C horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 4
Redoximorphic features: hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5, and chroma of 4 to 8
Texture: sand

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Abscota, Denham, Factoryville, and Solo series. Abscota soils do not have redoximorphic features within a depth of 102 cm (40 inches). Denham and Factoryville soils average more than 50 percent fine sand in the particle-size control section. Solo soils have weakly cemented lahar within the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Platteriver soils are on low dunes and beach ridges along Lake Michigan. Slope ranges from 0 to 6 percent. The Platteriver soils formed in eolian and water worked sands. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 762 to 813 mm (30 to 32 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 8.3 to 9.4 degrees C (47 to 49 degrees F). Elevation is 177 to 192 meters (580 to 630 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nordhouse, Pipestone, Dair, and Adrian soils. The excessively drained Nordhouse soils are on higher beach ridges and dunes. The somewhat poorly drained Pipestone soils are on lower beach ridges. The very poorly drained Dair and Adrian soils are in swales between the ridges.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. In undisturbed areas depth to the top of an apparent seasonal high water table ranges from 46 to 107 cm (1.5 to 3.5 feet) for some time in normal years. Potential for surface runoff potential is negligible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high. Permeability is rapid.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are forested. Natural vegetation is red pine, northern red oak, red maple, quaking aspen, and eastern white pine. Understory vegetation includes bracken fern, blueberry, and bearberry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 96 and 98 in the northwestern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan. The series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Benzie County, Michigan, 2005.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 36 cm (14 inches) (Oa, A, and E horizons).
Aquic conditions: redoximorphic features in horizons below a depth of 51 cm (20 inches).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Site of Typical Pedon: Reference Soil number S95MI-019-002, National Soil Survey Laboratory Pedon No. 95P 890, Sample No. 95P 5777 to 5781.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.