LOCATION STEELE MO+AR
Established Series
Rev. RLT-LJG
10/2018
STEELE SERIES
The Steele series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils formed in sandy and clayey river deposits on level to undulating areas of flood plains and commonly are in narrow bands paralleling overflow channels. The upper part of the soil is rapidly permeable, and the lower part has slow permeability. Slope ranges from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 61 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is about 50 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy over clayey, mixed, superactive, nonacid, thermic Aquic Udifluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Steel loamy sand - cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy sand; gray (2.5Y 6/1) dry; weak medium granular structure; very friable; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
C1--9 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) and 4/3) loamy sand; pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; few fine faint gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions; massive parting to weak fragments then to single grained; very friable; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 24 inches thick)
C2g--24 to 28 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) loam; light brownish gray(2.5Y 6/2) dry; common medium prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
2Abg--28 to 35 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) crushed; dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; few fine distinct dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) mottles; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; firm; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
2C3g--35 to 48 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam; many fine and medium prominent dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; weak fine subangular blocky structure; firm; neutral, gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
2C4g--48 to 60 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay; many fine and medium prominent dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) masses of iron accumulation; weak fine subangular blocky structure; firm; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Pemiscot County, Missouri. About 3 1/2 miles southwest of Caruthersville; 90 feet east and 1,680 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 35, T. 18 N., R. 12 E. Latitude 36 degrees, 9 minutes, 16.5 seconds N., longitude 89 degrees, 44 minutes, 6.4 seconds W., NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the soil to clayey substratum ranges from 20 to 36 inches. Reaction is medium acid to neutral in the sandy material and slightly acid or neutral in the clayey material.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 or 4, 5.5 or higher when dry, and chroma of 2 or 3, 1 through 3 dry. It is loamy sand, sandy loam, or loam.
The C1 horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 through 6 and chroma of 2 or 3. It ranges from coarse sand to loamy fine sand.
The C2g horizon, where present, ranges from loam to sandy loam with color value and chroma similar to those of the C1 horizon but including 2.5Y and 5Y hues and mottles.
The 2Ab horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 2 through 5 and chroma of 1 or 2. It ranges from silty clay loam to clay.
The 2C horizons have hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 1 with higher chroma mottles. Textures are commonly silty clay or clay below 48 inches. Silty clay loam with clay content greater than 35 percent is within the range.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. The
Bruno,
Clana,
Crevasse,
Kenmoor,
Malden,
Sarpy, and
Scotco series are in similar families. Bruno, Clana, Crevasse, Malden, Sarpy, and Scotco soils lack clayey textures within the particle size control section. Kenmoor and Sarpy soils are mesic.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on level to undulating areas of flood plains and commonly are in narrow bands paralleling overflow channels. Slope gradients range from 0 to 5 percent. Large areas of Steele soils are not common. Steele soils formed in sandy and clayey river deposits. Most areas are protected from overflow. Mean annual temperature ranges from 58 to 64 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is 45 to 55 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing
Bruno,
Clana, and
Crevasse and the
Alligator,
Commerce,
Hayti,
Portageville,
Sharkey,
Caruthersville,
Robinsonville, and
Cooter soils.
Bruin and
Mhoon soils are possible associates in some areas. These soils lack sandy textures in the upper part of the sola. They occur on flood plains but the Alligator, Commerce, Cooter, Hayti, Mhoon, and Sharkey soils are on nearly level or depressional areas below the Steele soils. The Bruin, Caruthersville, Portageville, and Robinsonville soils are on slightly higher parts of the flood plain or lower terraces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Negligible or very low runoff because of the sandy surface horizons. The upper part of the soil is rapidly permeable, and the lower part is slowly permeable. During wet periods these soils are saturated within 20 inches of the surface for periods of several days.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly cropped to soybeans, cotton, and corn. They are rarely the dominant soils in a given field and are therefore farmed the same as adjacent soils. Native vegetation was mixed hardwoods.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Mississippi River Valley area (MLRA 131) in Missouri and Arkansas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AUBURN, ALABAMA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pemiscot County, Missouri, 1972.
REMARKS: Steele soils were formerly considered as inclusions in the Bruno, Commerce, Sharkey, and other series. They are essentially deep overwashes of such soils as Hayti, Cooter, and Sharkey but cannot be considered as overwash phases since the thickness is more than 20 inches.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.