LOCATION RADDLE IL+IAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Raddle silt loam - nearly level in a cultivated field at an elevation of about 365 feet above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate very fine granular structure; friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--7 to 12 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 10 to 18 inches.)
BA--12 to 17 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; friable; common fine pores; few distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2), dry, clay depletions on faces of peds; many faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) organic coatings on faces of peds and in root channels; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bw1--17 to 23 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam; weak fine prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular and subangular blocky; friable; common fine pores; few distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2), dry, clay depletions on faces of peds; many distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) and dark brown (10YR 3/3) organic coatings on faces of peds and in root channels; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--23 to 35 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam; weak fine and medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine and medium angular and subangular blocky; friable; few distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2), dry, clay depletions and many fine pores; common distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) organic coatings on vertical faces of peds and in root channels; common fine faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) iron depletions; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw3--35 to 50 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam; weak medium and coarse prismatic structure; very friable; many fine pores; few distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2), dry, clay depletions on faces of peds; common distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) organic coatings on vertical faces of peds and in root channels; common fine and medium faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) iron depletions; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 30 to 44 inches.)
BC--50 to 65 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam high in sand; weak medium and coarse prismatic structure; very friable; few distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2), dry, clay depletions and few faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) organic coatings on vertical faces of peds; common medium faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) and common fine and medium prominent light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) iron depletions; few fine dark masses of iron-manganese accumulation; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
C--65 to 70 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam high in sand; massive; very friable; few distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2), dry, clay depletions; few distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) organic coatings in root channels; common fine and medium prominent light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) iron depletions; common fine dark masses of iron-manganese accumulation; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Jackson County, Illinois; about 4 miles northeast of Grand Tower; approximately 250 feet north and 1,320 feet west of the center of sec. 5, T. 10 S., R. 3 W.; USGS Gorham, IL. topographic quadrangle; lat. 37 degrees 41 minutes 1 second N. and long. 89 degrees 28 minutes 00 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the base of soil development typically is 50 to 65 inches, but ranges from 40 to more than 80 inches. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 24 inches in thickness and commonly includes the BA or AB horizon. The particle-size control section averages 18 to 24 percent clay and less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser.
The upper part of the series control section (Ap or A) has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 (4 or 5 dry), and chroma of 1 to 3. Texture is silt loam. Clay content is 18 to 24 percent, and sand content is less than 15 percent. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.
Many pedons have an AB or a BA horizon.
The middle part of the series control section (Bw) has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture typically is silt loam, but some pedons are loam in some thin subhorizons. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.
The lower part of the series control section (C) has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. Some pedons contain color or textural strata. Textures in the strata are sandy loam, loam, silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam. Some pedons have buried soils below a depth of about 60 inches. Reaction is moderately acid to slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Corboldt (T), Exira, Galva, Keg, Marshall, Monona, Nira, Northboro, Ponca, Port Byron, Sac, Salix, and Truman series. Corbolt, Keg, Monona, Ponca, Sac, Salix, and Truman soils contain carbonates in the lower part of the series control section. Exira, Galva, Marshall, Nira, and Northboro soils contain more than 24 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Port Byron soils have a regular decrease in clay with increasing depth.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Raddle soils are on footslopes below loess bluffs and on stream terraces. They formed in silty local alluvium. Slopes commonly are 0 to 3 percent but range to as steep as 10 percent. Mean annual temperature is 49 to 57 degrees F., mean annual precipitation is 32 to 44 inches, frost-free period is 160 to 200 days, and elevation is 340 to 550 feet above mean sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Coffeen, Drury, Dupo, Haymond, Radford, Wakeland, and Worthen soils. The somewhat poorly drained Coffeen soils are on similar parts of the landform or are on lower lying, nearly level flood plains. The well drained Drury soils do not have a mollic epipedon and are on similar parts of the landform nearby. The somewhat poorly drained Dupo and Radford soils have buried soils within a depth of 40 inches. Both of these soils are on flood plains below the Raddle soils. The well drained Haymond and somewhat poorly drained Wakeland soils are on nearly level flood plains nearby. They both do not have a mollic epipedon and contain less clay in the control section. The well drained Worthen soils have a thicker mollic epipedon and are on similar landform positions nearby.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained and moderate permeability. The potential for surface water runoff is low or medium. Depth to an intermittent apparent high water table is 3.5 to 6 feet from November to May in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cropped. Soybeans, wheat, and small grain are the principal crops. Native vegetation is prairie grass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Illinois and Iowa along the major river valleys. Extent is moderate, and mainly in MLRA(s) 104, 108, 114, and 115.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rock Island County, Illinois, 1972.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - from the surface of the soil to a depth of approximately 17 inches (Ap, A, and BA horizons). Cambic horizon - the zone from approximately 17 to 50 inches (Bw1, Bw2, and Bw3 horizons). Udic moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Data for the typical pedon and several other supporting pedons in Illinois have been collected and are on file at the NRCS/USDA state office in Champaign, Illinois.