LOCATION SNIDER             IA
Established Series
Rev. MDB-JRW-LDL
10/2000

SNIDER SERIES


The Snider series consists of deep, somewhat poorly drained, moderately permeable soils formed in loamy alluvium on benches. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 50 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is about 33 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Hapludolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Snider loam on a slope of about 1 percent on a bench - cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)

Ap--0 to 9 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loam; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak very fine granular structure; friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.

A12--9 to 13 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loam; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate very fine granular structure; friable; medium acid; clear smooth boundary.

A3--13 to 18 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) coats on faces of peds; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine oxides; medium acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 10 to 20 inches.)

B21--18 to 29 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) coats on faces of many peds; many fine prominent dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) mottles; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; medium acid; clear smooth boundary.

B22--29 to 37 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; dark brown (10YR 3/3) coats on faces of some peds; many fine prominent dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) mottles; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common clean sand grains on faces of peds; medium acid; clear smooth boundary.

B23--37 to 45 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; many fine faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) mottles; few fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) mottles; moderate very fine subangu- lar blocky structure; friable; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry sand and silt coats on faces of many peds; medium acid; clear smooth boundary.

B24--45 to 54 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; common fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) mottles; few fine prominent dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) mottles; moderate very fine subangu- lar blocky structure; friable; few fine dark concretions (oxides); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry sand and silt coats on faces of many peds; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the B2 horizons is 24 to 48 inches.)

B3--54 to 60 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam; common fine prominent reddish brown (5YR 4/4) mottles; few medium prominent reddish brown (5YR 5/4) mottles; weak medium pris- matic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; friable; few fine dark concretions (oxides); dark stains on faces of some peds; slightly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Des Moines County, Iowa; about 9 miles northeast of Burlington; about 900 feet south and 1,300 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 17, T. 71 N., R. 1 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 48 to 72 inches. The solum lacks carbonates. It contains 25 to 50 percent sand. The A horizon is very dark brown (10YR 2/2), black (10YR 2/1) or very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2). It generally is loam, but silt loam with a sand content of at least 25 percent is allowed. The A horizon ranges from medium acid to neutral. A B1 horizon is present in some pedons. The B2 horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 through 4. Pedons with chroma of 3 or 4 have mottles with chroma of 2 or less. The B2 horizon typically has mottles of higher chroma and value. It typically is loam, but in some pedons it is silt loam with at least 25 percent sand. The clay content averages 18 to 25 percent, but some subhorizons range as low as 14 percent. This horizon is medium acid or slightly acid. The B3 horizon has the same range in colors as the B2 horizon. It is silt loam, loam, silty clay loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam. Some strati- fication is permitted. The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 through 8, and chroma of 2 through 6. It generally is stratified and includes silt loam, loam, silty clay loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam and loamy sand.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Crippin, Floyd, Fostoria, Kensett, Merton, Nicollet, Ottosen, Readlyn, and Wilmonton soils in the same family and the Nevin and Rowley soils. Crippin soils have free carbonates at depths of 10 inches or less. The Floyd, Merton, Nicollet, Readlyn, and Wilmonton soils contain coarse fragments in part of the solum. The Fostoria soils are less acid, have a thinner solum and are lower in available phosphorus. Also, they are in an area of less rainfall. Kensett soils have hard limestone bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Ottosen soils contain more clay. Nevin soils contain more clay and less sand. Rowley soils contain less sand and have argillic horizons.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Snider soils typically are on stream benches. They formed in loamy alluvium. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual temperature ranges from about 48 to 52 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is about 30 to 35 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are mainly the Bertrand, Flagler, and Vesser soils which are on similar landscape positions. The Bertrand soils contain less sand, are better drained and lack a mollic epipedon. The Flagler soils contain more sand and less clay in the B horizon, and they contain 5 to 15 percent gravel in the C horizon. The Vesser soils contain less sand and more clay in the B horizon, have an A2 horizon and are somewhat poorly and poorly drained.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: These soils are somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cropped to corn and soybeans. Native vegetation was prairie grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Along streams in eastern Iowa. Extent is moderate.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Des Moines County, Iowa, l980.

REMARKS: These soils were mainly included with Rowley soils in previous surveys.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data for the typical pedon is given below. They were obtained at the Iowa State University soil survey laboratory.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.