LOCATION SHARON IL+MOEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, active, mesic Oxyaquic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Sharon silt loam - with a slope of less than one percent in a cultivated field at an elevation of 129 meters (424 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap1--0 to 7 cm (0 to 3 inches); 60 percent brown (10YR 4/3) and 40 percent dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; strong fine and medium granular structure; friable; common fine and medium roots throughout; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
Ap2--7 to 23 cm (3 to 9 inches); 60 percent brown (10YR 4/3) and 40 percent dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; strong medium granular structure; friable; common fine and medium roots throughout; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the Ap horizon is (6 to 10 inches).]
A--23 to 33 cm (9 to 13 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; strong fine granular structure; friable; common fine and medium roots throughout; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
BA--33 to 43 cm (13 to 17 inches); 60 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and 40 percent brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; friable; few fine roots throughout; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--43 to 58 cm (17 to 23 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots throughout; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
C1--58 to 74 cm (23 to 29 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; massive; friable; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
C2--74 to 102 cm (29 to 40 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; massive; friable; very few faint brown (10YR 4/3) organic coats in root channels and pores; common fine distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; few fine spherical extremely weakly cemented iron-manganese accumulations; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
C3--102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; massive; friable; few faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) organic coats in root channels and pores; common fine distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; few fine spherical extremely weakly cemented iron-manganese accumulations; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Franklin County, Illinois; approximately 1,800 feet west and 140 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 25, T. 7 S., R. 4 E.; USGS Akin, Illinois topographic quadrangle; lat. 37 degrees 53 minutes 32 seconds N. and long. 88 degrees 42 minutes 45 seconds W.; UTM Zone 16, Easting 349425, Northing 4195221; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the cambic horizon: 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches)
Particle-size control section: Averages less than 18 percent clay and less than 15 percent fine or coarser sand
Reaction: Strongly acid or very strongly acid from below the surface layer to a depth of 40 inches and very strongly acid to neutral below 40 inches
Other characteristics: Irregular decrease in organic-carbon content between the surface and a depth of 125 cm (50 inches) or an organic-carbon content of 0.2 percent or more at a depth of 125 cm (50 inches)
Other characteristics: Some pedons contain a buried A horizon below a depth of 102 cm (40 inches)
Ap and A horizons:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5; 2 in some uncultivated areas; pedons with value of 2 or 3 are less than 7 inches thick or have dry color of 6 or more
Chroma: 2 to 4;
Texture: silt loam
BA or Bw horizons:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: silt loam
C horizon:
Hue:10YR, 7.5YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: silt loam; stratified loam, sandy loam, loamy sand or sand in some pedons below a depth of 102 cm (40 inches)
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Soils in closely associated families are the Arenzville, Belknap, Cuba, Haymond, Steff and Wilbur series. Arenzville, Haymond, and Wilbur soils are nonacid. In addition, Arenzville soils have a buried soil within a depth of 40 inches below the soil surface. Belknap soils are dominated by chroma of 2 or less in the upper part of the profile. Cuba and Steff soils average more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sharon soils are on nearly level to gently undulating flood plains. Slope gradients commonly are less than 2 percent but range from 0 to 4 percent. Sharon soils formed in silty, acid alluvium. Mean annual temperature varies from 11 to 14 degrees C (54 to 57 degrees F), mean annual precipitation varies from 813 to 1219 mm (32 to 48 inches), frost free days range from 170 to 232 days, and elevation ranges from 104 to 311 meters (340 feet to 1020 feet) above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the closely associated Belknap, Banlic, Bonnie, and Burnside soils. Belknap, Banlic, and Bonnie soils are more poorly drained and are dominated by lower chroma in the control section. Belknap and Bonnie soils are on lower lying parts of the flood plain. Banlic soils are on very low stream terraces. Burnside soils contain more sand and rock fragments in the control section and are on similar nearby flood plains.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. This soil has an apparent water table at a depth of 76 to 102 cm (30 to 40 inches) at some time between January and April in normal years. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high or high (4.23 to 14.11 micrometers/sec). Permeability is moderate (0.6 to 2 inches per hour). The potential for surface runoff is low.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cropped. Corn and soybeans are the principal crops. Some areas are in woodland and pastureland. Native vegetation is hardwood forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Illinois and eastern Missouri. The extent is moderate in MLRA's 113, 114B, 115A, 115B, 116A and 120A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washington County, Illinois, 1927.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of approximately 33 cm (13 inches); Ap1, Ap2 and A horizons;
Cambic horizon the zone from 33 to 58 cm (13 to 23 inches); BA and Bw horizons;
Acid family - the pH in the 10 to 40 inch zone is less than 5.5.