LOCATION SPAULDING IL

Established Series
WMT-RAT-AAC
02/2011

SPAULDING SERIES

The Spaulding series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils formed in calcareous loess on ground moraines. Permeability is moderate. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 889 mm (35 inches), and mean annual air temperature is about 10.0 degrees C (50 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Calciaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Spaulding silty clay loam - in a cultivated field at an elevation of about 187 meters (612 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Apk--0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 inches); black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak and moderate fine granular structure; friable; many fine roots throughout; few snail shells; violently effervescent; 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.

Ak1--23 to 46 cm (9 to 18 inches); black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine roots throughout; few snail shells; violently effervescent; 22 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Ak2--46 to 56 cm (18 to 22 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine roots throughout; few fine prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) masses of iron accumulation along micropores; few snail shells; violently effervescent; 22 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 61 cm (10 to 24 inches).]

Btkg1--56 to 66 cm (22 to 26 inches); dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) silty clay loam; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine roots throughout; common distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organo-clay films on faces of peds; common distinct black (10YR 2/1) organic coatings in root channels and/or pores; few fine prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) masses of oxidized iron along micropores; few fine carbonate nodules; strongly effervescent; 12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Btkg2--66 to 81 cm (26 to 32 inches); olive gray (5Y 5/2) silty clay loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine roots throughout; few distinct gray (5Y 5/1) clay films on faces of peds; common fine rounded prominent black (10YR 2/1) masses of manganese in the matrix; common medium prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common medium and coarse carbonate nodules; strongly effervescent; 12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Btkg3--81 to 97 cm (32 to 38 inches); gray (5Y 6/1) silty clay loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few distinct gray (5Y 5/1) clay films on faces of peds; very few distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organic coatings in root channels and/or pores; many fine prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) and few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few fine carbonate nodules; strongly effervescent; 16 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of Btkg horizon is 25 to 89 cm (10 to 35 inches).]

BCkg--97 to 112 cm (38 to 44 inches); gray (5Y 6/1) silty clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few distinct gray (5Y 5/1) clay films in root channels and/or pores; few distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organic coatings in root channels and/or pores; many fine prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) and few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few fine carbonate nodules; strongly effervescent; 16 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. [0 to 51 cm (0 to 20 inches) thick]

Cg--112 to 203 cm (44 to 80 inches); gray (5Y 6/1) silt loam; massive; friable; many medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; strongly effervescent; 19 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Sangamon County, Illinois; about 2 miles east of Buffalo Hart; 2410 feet east and 1300 feet south of northwest corner, sec. 22, T. 17 N., R. 3 W.; USGS Cornland topographic quadrangle; lat. 39 degrees 54 minutes 52 seconds N. and long. 89 degrees 24 minutes 54 seconds W., NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of soil development: 56 to 152 cm (22 to 60 inches)
Thickness of the loess: greater than 203 cm (80 inches)
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 25 to 61 cm (10 to 24 inches), and includes the upper part of the B horizon in some pedons.
A calcic horizon: typically within a depth of 41 cm (16 inches), and has a calcium carbonate equivalent of 15 to 40 percent. Particle-size control section: averages between 27 and 35 percent clay
Content of sand throughout the series control section: less than 7 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Special features: These soils commonly contain small snail shells and/or calcium carbonate accumulations in part or all of the series control section.

Apk or Ak horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y or N (neutral)
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 0 or 1
Texture: silty clay loam.

Bkg or Btkg horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y or N (neutral)
Value: 3 to 6
Chroma: 2 or less
Texture: typically silty clay loam, but includes silt loam in the lower part
Redoximorphic features generally have higher chroma.

BCkg horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y
Value: 3 to 6
Chroma: 2 or less
Texture: silty clay loam or silt loam
Some pedons do not have a BCg or BCkg horizon.

Cg horizon;
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 8
Texture: silt loam
Redoximorphic features: common

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chipman, Harpster, Leen, Logan, and Prophetstown soils series. Chipman, Leen and Logan soils are dry for more than 20 consecutive days in all parts of the soil moisture control section in at least 6 out of 10 years. Prophetstown soils contain 18 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Harpster soils contain more than 7 percent sand below a depth of 91 cm (36 inches).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Spaulding soils are on nearly level or slightly depressional parts of loess covered ground moraines. Slopes typically are less than 1 percent but range to as much as 2 percent. The soils formed in calcareous loess. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 7.2 to 12.8 degrees C (45 to 55 degrees F), mean annual precipitation ranges from 760 to 1016 mm (30 to 40 inches), frost free days range from 150 to 190 days, and elevation ranges from 185 to 305 meters (600 to 1,000 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Elkhart, Harco, Hartsburg, Ipava, Muscatune, Osco, and Sable soils. None of these soils have calcic horizons. These soils are on slightly higher parts of the landform with the exception of Hartsburg. The Elkhart and Osco soils are well drained. The Harco, Ipava, and Muscatune soils are somewhat poorly drained. The poorly drained Hartsburg soils are on similar positions on the landform. The Sable soils are poorly drained

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained. Where drained, an apparent seasonal high water table is 15 cm (0.5 foot) above the surface to 31 cm (1.0 foot) below the surface at some time between January and May in most years. In undrained conditions, an apparent seasonal high water table is 15 cm (0.5 foot0 above the surface to 15 cm (0.5 foot) below the surface at some time between November and June in most years. The potential for surface runoff is negligible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high to high (4.23 to 14.11 micrometers per second). Permeability is moderate.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated. Corn and soybeans are the principal crops. Native vegetation is hydrophytic herbaceous vegetation.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and northern Illinois. Spaulding soils are of small extent in MLRA 108A, and 108B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sangamon County, Illinois, 1999.

REMARKS: The representative data mapunit for this pedon is DMU ID 154105.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 56 cm (22 inches) (Apk and Ak horizons); cambic horizon - the zone from approximately 56 to 112 cm (22 to 44 inches) (Btkg1, Btkg2, Btkg3, and BCkg horizons); calcic horizon - the zone from approximately 23 to 56 cm (9 to 22 inches) (Ak1 and Ak2 horizons); aquic moisture regime - redoximorphic features present in the zone from approximately 46 to 203 cm (18 to 80 inches) (Ak2, Btkg1, Btkg2, Btkg3, BCkg, and Cg horizons).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.