LOCATION SOUTHWELLS MI

Established Series
Rev. JKC-WEF
08/2012

SOUTHWELLS SERIES

The Southwells series consists of very deep, well drained, soils that formed in sandy and loamy drift on disintegration moraines, end moraines, and kames. Slope ranges from 0 to 35 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 762 mm (30 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 6.7 degrees C (44 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, frigid Alfic Haplorthods

TYPICAL PEDON: Southwells loamy sand, on a 6 percent slope in a forested area on an end moraine. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 2 cm (1 inch); black (10YR 2/1) loamy sand, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine, common medium, and few coarse roots; about 3 percent fine gravel; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. [2 to 8 cm (1 to 3 inches) thick]

E--2 to 8 cm (1 to 3 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/2) loamy sand, pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common fine and few coarse roots; about 3 percent fine gravel; strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. [2 to 10 cm (1 to 4 inches) thick]

Bs1--8 to 33 cm (3 to 13 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) loamy sand; weak medium granular structure; very friable; many fine, common medium, and few coarse roots; about 5 percent fine gravel; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [10 to 41 cm (4 to 16 inches) thick]

Bs2--33 to 64 cm (13 to 25 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common fine and few medium and coarse roots; about 5 percent fine gravel; strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. [25 to 46 cm (10 to 18 inches) thick]

E/B--64 to 145 cm (25 to 57 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand (E), light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; single grain; loose; occupies 65 percent of the horizon extending into isolated remnants of dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loamy sand (Bt); Bt part also occurs as lamellae 6 mm to 2.5 cm (1/4 to 1 inch) thick; weak fine granular structure; very friable; few fine and medium roots; clay bridging between sand grains; about 5 percent fine gravel; moderately acid; clear irregular boundary. [51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches) thick]

B/E--145 to 168 cm (57 to 66 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy loam (Bt); Bt part also occurs as lamellae 6 mm to 2.5 cm (1/4 to 1 inch) thick; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; occupies about 60 percent of the horizon extending into isolated remnants of pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy sand (E), light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; about 7 percent fine gravel; neutral; abrupt broken boundary. [8 to 35 cm (3 to 14 inches) thick]

C1--168 to 185 cm (66 to 73 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam; massive; friable; about 7 percent fine gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt broken boundary. [0 to 25 cm (10 inches) thick]

C2--185 to 203 cm (73 to 80 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) sand; single grain; loose; about 7 percent fine gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Kalkaska County, Michigan; 850 feet north and 2,550 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 16, T. 28 N., R. 6 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the solum: 127 to more than 203 cm (50 to more than 80 inches)
Depth to carbonates: 127 to more than 203 cm (50 to more than 80 inches)
Depth to the B/E horizon: 112 to 152 cm (44 to 60 inches)
Rock fragment content: 0 to 15 percent gravel and 0 to 3 percent cobbles throughout the profile

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2, 2.5, or 3
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: dominantly loamy sand or less commonly sand
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid

Ap horizon, where present:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 or 4
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: dominantly loamy sand or less commonly sand
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid

E horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loamy sand or sand
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid

Bs1 horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR
Value: 3 or 4
Chroma: 3 or 4; value and chroma of 3 do not occur together
Texture: loamy sand or sand
Ortstein content: 0 to 20 percent
Reaction: strongly acid or moderately acid

Bs2 horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: loamy sand or sand
Ortstein content: 0 to 20 percent
Reaction: strongly acid or moderately acid

E part of the E/B horizon and B/E horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sand or loamy sand
Special feature: can have fragipan-like characteristics of being hard and brittle when dry and also contain vesicular pores
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

Bt part of the B/E horizon and the E/B horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 20 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

C horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: sandy loam, sand, or loamy sand
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Keweenaw, Leelanau, Mancelona, and Melita series. Keweenaw soils have hue redder than 10YR in the lower part of the series control section. Leelanau soils have an E/B horizon that is less than 51 cm (20 inches) thick. Mancelona soils are less than 127 cm (50 inches) to carbonates. Melita soils average less than 52 percent sand in the lower part of the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Southwells soils are on disintegration moraines, end moraines, and kames. Slope ranges from 0 to 35 percent. The Southwells soils formed in sandy and loamy drift. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 686 to 813 mm (27 to 32 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 6.1 to 8.3 degrees C (43 to 47 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These soils are the somewhat excessively drained Kalkaska soils and Islandlake soils on similar landscape positions. Kalkaska soils are sandy throughout and Islandlake soils have lamellae of sand or loamy sand.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained. Potential for surface runoff is negligible to high depending on slope gradient. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high. Permeability is moderate.

USE AND VEGETATION: A large part is in forestland. Forest vegetation consists chiefly of sugar maple, American beech black cherry, American basswood, and bigtooth aspen. Some areas are in cropland, pasture, or idle cropland. The principal crops are small grain, hay and potatoes. Small areas of Christmas trees plantations are also present.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 94A and 96 in northern lower peninsula of Michigan. The series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kalkaska County, Michigan, 1998.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 8 cm (3 inches) (A and E horizons).
Albic horizon: from a depth of 2 to 8 cm (1 to 3 inches) and from 64 to 145 cm (25 to 57 inches) (E horizon and E part of E/B horizon).
Spodic horizon: from a depth of 8 to 64 cm (3 to 25 inches) (Bs1 and Bs2 horizons).
Glossic horizon: from a depth of 64 to 168 cm (25 to 66 inches) (E/B and B/E horizons).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 145 to 168 cm (57 to 66 inches) (Bt part of the B/E horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record No: MI0679.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.