LOCATION RIVERDALE               MI+IN

Established Series
Rev. JEF-WEF
08/2012

RIVERDALE SERIES

The Riverdale series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils formed in sandy drift on outwash plains, lake plains, valley trains, deltas, and low beach ridges. Slope ranges from 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 762 mm (30 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 7.8 degrees C (46 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, semiactive, mesic Aquic Arenic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Riverdale loamy sand, on a north-facing, 1 percent slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 cm (8 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loamy sand; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common fine roots; about 11 percent gravel; abrupt smooth boundary. [15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 inches) thick]

Bw1--20 to 36 cm (8 to 14 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) loamy sand; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; few fine distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) masses of oxidized iron; about 8 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bw2--36 to 71 cm (14 to 28 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand; single grain; loose; few fine roots; common medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; about 10 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 25 to 61 cm (10 to 24 inches).]

Bt--71 to 84 cm (28 to 33 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) gravelly sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common medium prominent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; about 20 percent gravel; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. [10 to 30 cm (4 to 12 inches) thick]

2C--84 to 152 cm (33 to 60 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly sand; single grain; loose; about 25 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Gratiot County, Michigan; about 1 mile west and 1 mile north of Forest Hill; 1,900 feet west and 40 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 6, T. 12 N., R. 3 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the solum: 61 to 102 cm (24 to 40 inches)
Depth of carbonates: 61 to 102 cm (24 to 40 inches)
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline in the solum

Ap horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: sand, loamy sand, or sandy loam
Rock fragment content: 2 to 25 percent gravel

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 to 4
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: sand, loamy sand, or sandy loam
Rock fragment content: 2 to 25 percent gravel

E horizon, where present:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sand, loamy sand, or sandy loam
Rock fragment content: 2 to 25 percent gravel

Bw horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: sand or loamy sand
Rock fragment content: 2 to 25 percent gravel

Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: gravelly sandy loam or sandy loam, with thin layers of loamy sand in some pedons
Rock fragment content: 2 to 25 percent gravel

2C horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: gravelly sand, very gravelly sand, or stratified sand and gravel
Rock fragment content: 20 to 50 percent

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Branch series. Branch soils have sola thicker than 102 cm (40 inches).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Riverdale soils are on outwash plains, lake plains, valley trains, deltas, and low beach ridges of Wisconsinan age. Slope ranges from 0 to 6 percent. The Riverdale soils formed in sandy drift. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 864 to 965 mm (34 to 38 inches). Mean annual temperature from 7.8 to 10.0 degrees C (46 to 50 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the poorly drained or very poorly drained Gilford, Kingsville, and Vestaburg soils in wet depressions within areas of Riverdale soils. Gilford soils have mollic epipedons. Kingsville soils do not have rock fragments. Vestaburg soils have mollic epipedons and do not have argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Potential for surface runoff is negligible to very low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high in the solum and very high in the underlying gravelly sand. Permeability is moderately rapid in the A and B horizons and very rapid in the underlying gravelly sand.

USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are cultivated in most areas. Corn, soybeans, and small grain are the principal crops. Soils are used for woodland and pasture in some areas. Native vegetation is hardwoods, principally American elm, white ash, hickory, and swamp white oak.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 98 and 99 in southern Lower Michigan and northern Indiana. This series is of moderate 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 20 cm (8 inches) (Ap horizon).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 71 to 84 cm (28 to 33 inches) (Bt horizon).
Aquic conditions: presence of chroma of 2 as iron depletions or matrix color in all horizons below a depth of 36 cm (14 inches).
Arenic feature: loamy sand and sand textures from the surface to a depth of 71 cm (28 inches) (Ap, Bw horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.