LOCATION SKEEL MI

Established Series
Rev. RWN-EPJ-MLK
08/2012

SKEEL SERIES

The Skeel series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils formed in sandy outwash and the underlying loamy lacustrine deposits on lake plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 737 mm (29 inches), and the mean annual temperature is about 6.7 degrees C (44 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy over loamy, mixed, semiactive, frigid, ortstein Alfic Oxyaquic Haplorthods

TYPICAL PEDON: Skeel loamy sand, on a south-facing, convex, 2 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of 204 meters (670 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise indicated. When described on July 7, 1994 the profile was dry to 76 cm (30 inches) and moist below.)

Ap--0 to 20 cm (8 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loamy sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common medium and many fine roots; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 inches) thick]

E--20 to 28 cm (8 to 11 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sand, white (10YR 8/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; few medium and coarse roots; moderately acid; abrupt broken boundary. [5 to 13 cm (2 to 5 inches) thick]

Bs1--28 to 46 cm (11 to 18 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) sand; single grain; loose; few medium and coarse roots; tongues of brown (10YR 5/3) and very dark brown (10YR 2/2) ortstein 8 to 13 cm (3 to 5 inches) thick; ortstein occupies about 70 percent of the horizon and is weakly and moderately cemented; moderately acid; clear irregular boundary. [10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 inches) thick]

Bs2--46 to 74 cm (18 to 29 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sand; single grain; loose; few medium to coarse roots; ortstein occupies about 80 percent of the horizon as tongues 8 to 13 cm (3 to 5 inches) thick and is weakly and moderately cemented; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron; few fine light gray (10YR 7/1) uncoated sands; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. [15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 inches) thick]

Bs3--74 to 91 cm (29 to 36 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sand; single grain; loose; few medium and coarse roots; few medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) and common medium and fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [0 to 18 (7 inches) thick]

2Bt--91 to 99 cm (36 to 39 inches); reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; very few faint reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron; common medium prominent grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions; about 3 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [8 to 38 cm (3 to 15 inches) thick]

2BC--99 to 114 cm (39 to 45 inches); reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common medium faint brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron; common medium and fine prominent greenish gray (5G 6/1) iron depletions; about 3 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 38 cm (15 inches) thick]

2C--114 to 203 cm (45 to 80 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam; massive; firm; few prominent light gray (10YR 7/2) carbonate streaks; common medium faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; few medium and fine prominent greenish gray (5G 6/1) iron depletions; about 3 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Iosco County, Michigan; about 4 miles west of East Tawas; 300 feet south and 2,500 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 28, T. 22 N., R. 7 E., Tawas Township; USGS Tawas City topographic quadrangle; lat. 44 degrees 16 minutes 42 seconds N. and long. 83 degrees 35 minutes 32 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the argillic horizon: 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches)
Depth to redox features: 38 to 76 cm (15 to 30 inches)
Depth to carbonates: 61 to 152 cm (24 to 60 inches)
Mean annual soil temperature: 7.2 to 8.3 degrees C (45 to 47 degrees F)
Particle-size control section: averages 0 to 10 percent clay in the upper part and 27 to 35 percent clay in the lower part
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent gravel

Ap horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 to 3, moist or dry

E horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 or 7
Chroma: 2 or 3, moist or dry
Texture: sand or loamy sand
Reaction: moderately acid or slightly acid

Bs horizon, upper part:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Ortstein content: 50 to 90 percent
Organic carbon content: 0.6 to 1.2 percent

Bs horizon, lower part:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 4 to 6
Organic carbon content: 0.2 to 0.6 percent
Reaction: strongly acid or moderately acid

2Bt horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: clay loam or silty clay loam.
Clay content: 27 to 40 percent

2BC and 2C horizons:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: clay loam or silty clay loam
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Skeel soils are on lake plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 6 percent. Skeel soils formed in sandy outwash and the underlying loamy lacustrine deposits. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 711 to 762 mm (28 to 30 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 6.1 to 7.2 degrees C (43 to 45 degrees F). Frost-free period is 120 to 130 days. Elevation is 183 to 244 meters (600 to 800 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Algonquin, Iargo, Mongo, and Negwegon series. All of these soils are clayey throughout the particle-size control section, and do not have spodic horizons. The somewhat poorly drained Algonquin soils are on slightly lower landscape positions. The Iargo soils are on slightly higher landscape positions. The Negwegon soils are on side slopes along minor drainageways.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Potential for surface runoff is negligible or very low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high in the sandy mantle and moderately high in the underlying loamy material. Permeability is rapid in the sandy mantle and moderately slow in the underlying loamy material. Depth to the top of a perched seasonal high water table ranges from 38 to 76 cm (15 to 30 inches) between October and May in normal years.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for cropland. Principal crops are corn and hay. Some areas are used for pasture land. A few areas are used for woodland. Native vegetation includes bigtooth aspen, paper birch, white oak, red maple, bracken fern, and wintergreen.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 94A in the northeastern lower peninsula of Michigan. This series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Iosco County, Michigan, 1995.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 28 cm (11 inches) (A and E horizons).
Albic horizon: from a depth of 20 to 28 cm (8 to 11 inches) (E horizon).
Spodic horizon: from a depth of 28 to 74 cm (11 to 29 inches) (Bs1 and Bs2 horizons)
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 91 to 99 cm (36 to 39 inches) (2Bt horizon).
Oxyaquic feature: saturation in the zone from 46 to 91 cm (18 to 36 inches) (Bs1, Bs2, Bs3 horizons) for 1 month a year in 6 out of 10 years (but aquic conditions are not present).
Ortstein feature: cementation in 70 to 80 percent of the Bs1 and Bs2 horizons.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record: MI0740.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.