LOCATION RACOON IL+IA MO

Established Series
Rev. JCD-GVB-RJB
09/2021

RACOON SERIES

The Racoon series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils on till plains, lake plains, terraces and high flood plains. Racoon soils formed in a mixture of loess and silty local alluvium. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1067 mm (42 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 13 degrees C (55 degrees F).

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

TYPICAL PEDON: Racoon silt loam, on a nearly level slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of 130 meters (425 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; common fine faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) extremely weakly cemented iron-manganese masses throughout; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 inches) thick]

Eg1--15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; weak thin platy structure; firm; common fine faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) extremely weakly cemented iron-manganese masses throughout; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.

Eg2--25 to 36 cm (10 to 14 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; weak medium platy structure parting to weak fine granular; friable; common fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and few fine distinct light gray (10YR 7/1) iron depletions in the matrix; common fine faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) extremely weakly cemented iron-manganese masses throughout; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Eg3--36 to 76 cm (14 to 30 inches); gray (10YR 6/1) silt loam; weak medium platy structure parting to weak fine granular; friable; common very fine constricted tubular pores; few grayish brown (10YR 5/2) krotovinas; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; many fine prominent black (10YR 2/1) manganese masses throughout; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the Eg horizon is 41 to 76 cm (16 to 30 inches).]

Btg1--76 to 86 cm (30 to 37 inches); gray (10YR 6/1) silty clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky, firm; few very fine tubular pores; common distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common fine prominent black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Btg2--86 to 119 cm (37 to 47 inches); gray (10YR 6/1) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; firm; common distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; few fine faint light gray (10YR 7/1) iron depletions and many fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common fine prominent black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Btg3--119 to 150 cm (47 to 59 inches); gray (10YR 6/1) silty clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; firm; few faint gray (10YR 5/1) clay films and common prominent dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) organoargillans on faces of peds; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) iron-manganese masses; few fine prominent black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the Btg horizon is 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches).]

Cg--150 to 200 cm (59 to 79 inches); gray (5Y 6/1) and gray (10YR 6/1) silt loam; massive; friable; many coarse distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) iron-manganese masses; slightly acid (increasing to neutral in the lower part).

TYPE LOCATION: Saline County, Illinois; about 1 mile southeast of West End; 135 feet north and 2,095 feet east of the center of sec. 30, T. 7, S., R. 5 E.; USGS Akin, Illinois topographic quadrangle; lat. 37 degrees 53 minutes 08 seconds N. and long. 88 degrees 41 minutes 23 seconds W.; UTM Zone 16, 351411 easting and 4194463 northing, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the top of the argillic horizon: 61 to 91 cm (24 to 36 inches)
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 102 to 190 cm (40 to 75 inches)

Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 6 (5 to 7 dry)
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silt loam
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral

Eg horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7 (6 to 8 dry)
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral

Btg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y, or is neutral
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: dominantly silty clay loam; silt loam in the upper or lower subhorizons in some pedons
Clay content: 24 to 38 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid or strongly acid

Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: dominantly silt loam or loam; stratified loamy fine sand to silty clay in some pedons
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent; some subhorizons range to 80 percent
Sand content: 10 to 35 percent; some subhorizons range to 42 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Moniteau, Sebring, and Whitson series. Moniteau, Sebring, and Whitson soils have the top of the argillic horizon within a depth of 61 cm (24 inches).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Racoon soils are on foot slopes or in depressions on terraces, lake plains, till plains, and high flood plains. Slopes typically are concave, but range to plane or convex and have gradients of 0 to 3 percent. Racoon soils formed in a mixture of loess and silty local alluvium. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 864 to 1219 mm (34 to 48 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 12 to 14 degrees C (53 to 57 degrees F). Frost-free period is 170 to 200 days. Elevation is 107 to 213 meters (350 to 700 feet) above sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ava, Banlic, Bluford, Bonnie, Cisne, Creal, Weir, and Wynoose soils. The moderately well drained Ava, the somewhat poorly drained Bluford, and the poorly drained Cisne soils are on higher lying positions of till plains. The somewhat poorly drained Banlic soils are adjacent to or slightly lower than Racoon soils on very low terraces or high flood plains. The poorly drained Bonnie soils are on flood plains below Racoon soils. The somewhat poorly drained Creal soils are commonly on slightly higher foot slopes. Weir and Wynoose soils are on till plains typically higher than Racoon soils.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained. Depth to the top of an intermittent apparent high water table in undrained conditions ranges from 30 cm (1 foot) above the surface to 15 cm (0.5 foot) below the surface between January and June in normal years. Depth to the top of an intermittent apparent high water table in drained conditions ranges from 15 cm (0.5 foot) above the surface to 30 cm (1 foot) below the surface between March and June in normal years. A flooded phase is recognized with rare to occasional flooding for brief periods in the spring. Potential for surface water runoff is low or negligible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately low. Permeability is slow.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used to grow corn and soybeans. Native vegetation is hardwood forest. See Additional Data section for native vegetative cover in Iowa.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 109, 113, 114B, 115A, 115B, 116A, and 116B in southern Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. The series is of large extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clinton County, Illinois, 1931.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 76 cm (30 inches) (Ap and Eg horizons).
Albic horizon: from a depth of 15 to 76 cm (6 to 30 inches) (Eg horizon).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 76 to 150 cm (30 to 59 inches) (Btg horizon).
Aquic conditions: reduced matrix color and redox concentrations in all layers below the Ap horizon.

ADDITIONAL DATA: In Iowa, the native vegetative cover is a mixed herbaceous and woody community commonly inhabited with Green Ashes, American Elms, Common Hackberries, Eastern Cottonwoods, American Sycamores, Silky Dogwoods, Black Willows, Wild Black Currants, Riverbank Grapes, Grays Sedges, Hop Sedges, Virginia Wildryes, Stiff Bedstraws, White Avens, Wood Nettles, False Nettles, Canadian Clearweeds, and Common Bonesets. Source: Iowa State Office, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Des Moines, IA.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.