LOCATION SPORLEY MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, active, frigid Alfic Haplorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Sporley silt loam, dissected on a 15 percent north facing slope in a forested area at an elevation of 950 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oe--0 to 2 inches; black (N 2.5/0) partially decomposed forest litter; common fine and medium roots; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
E--2 to 6 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) silt loam, pinkish gray (5YR 7/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine to coarse roots; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bs1--6 to 10 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bs2--10 to 16 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
E/B--16 to 33 inches; dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) very fine sandy loam, pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) dry (E); occupies about 60 percent of the horizon surrounding isolated remnants of reddish brown (5YR 4/4) silt loam (Bt); common distinct dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) clay films on faces of peds and in root channels; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine and medium roots; many very fine vesicular pores; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 18 inches thick)
B/E--33 to 45 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) silt loam (Bt); common distinct dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) clay films on faces of peds and in root channels; occupies about 60 percent of the horizon surrounded by peds of dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) very fine sandy loam, pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) dry (E); moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; many very fine vesicular pores; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 inches thick)
C--45 to 80 inches; stratified reddish brown (5YR 5/3) silt, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) silt loam, and dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) silty clay; massive with weak thin plates inherent from deposition; firm; few very fine vesicular pores; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Marquette County, Michigan; about 5 miles south of Beaver Grove; 1,900 feet west and 2,600 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 8, T.46N., R.24W.; USGS Harvey topographic quadrangle; lat. 46 degrees 24 minutes 3 seconds N. and long. 87 degrees 19 minutes 21 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Gravel and cobble content ranges from 0 to 2 percent.
The Oe horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or is neutral, value of 2.5 or 3, and chroma of 1. Reaction ranges from very strongly to moderately acid.
The A horizon, not in all pedons, has a hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2, 2.5, or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silt loam or very fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid.
The E horizon has hue of 5YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is silt loam or very fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid.
Some pedons have a Bhs horizon with hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, and values and chroma of 2 or 3. Textures are silt loam, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid.
The Bs1 horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, and value and chroma of 3 or 4. It is silt loam or very fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid.
The Bs2 horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. It is silt loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from extremely acid acid to moderately acid.
The E part of the E/B and B/E horizons has hue of 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is very fine sandy loam or silt loam. The B part has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 4, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is silt loam. The control section averages from 8 to 18 percent clay and from 9 to 15 percent fine sand or coarser. Individual, thin subhorizons can have more than 18 percent clay or more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to slightly acid.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is stratified silt, silt loam, very fine sandy loam, loamy very fine sand, silty clay, or silty clay loam. Thin strata of loamy fine sand or fine sand are common in some pedons. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sporley soils are on dissected moraines and till-floored lake plains. Landscapes are commonly dissected and slopes range from 6 to 70 percent. These soils formed in stratified loamy and silty lacustrine sediments. Elevations range from 650 to 950 feet. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 31 to 36 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 39 to 44 degrees F. The frost free period ranges from 100 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Sporley soils are associated with Fence, Alcona, Voelker and Garlic soils. The moderately well drained Fence soils occur on landscapes with slope gradients less than 6 percent. The well drained Alcona, Voelker, and Garlic soils are common associates on dissected landscapes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Surface runoff is high to very high, dependent on slope. Permeability is moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested with northern hardwoods. Common tree species include sugar maple, American basswood, ironwood, bigtooth aspen, and quaking aspen. Logged, clearcut, or burned areas consist mainly of aspen, red maple, and paper birch. Common ground plants include sweet cicely, downy yellow violet, rosy twisted stalk, spinulose shield fern, and sedges.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This soil is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Marquette County, Michigan, 1998. Source of name is a lake in the county.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: Albic horizon - zone from 2 to 6 inches (E horizon); Spodic horizon - zone from 6 to 16 inches (Bs horizons); Glossic horizon - zone from 16 to 45 inches (E/B, B/E horizons); Argillic horizon - zone from 33 to 45 inches (B/E horizon); Particle-size control section - zone from 12 to 42 inches (E, Bs, E/B, B/E horizons).
This soil replaces the well drained phase of the Fence series.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to pedon number S98MI-095-008 for NSSL data on reference pedon from MLRA 94B.