LOCATION SUAMICO WI
Established Series
Revised Staff
04/2025
SUAMICO SERIES
The Suamico series consists of very poorly drained soils formed in herbaceous organic material over clayey glaciofluvial deposits in glacial lake basins and in depressions on till plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is about 30 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, mixed, euic, mesic Terric Haplosaprists
TYPICAL PEDON: Suamico muck in an uncultivated area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oa1--0 to 22 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) broken face and rubbed sapric material; about 5 percent fiber, a trace when rubbed; moderate medium granular structure; nonsticky; few roots; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
Oa2--22 to 26 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) broken face and rubbed sapric material; about 15 percent fiber, less than 5 percent rubbed; massive; nonsticky; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.
IIC--26 to 60 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay; many fine and coarse prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) mottles; massive; very sticky; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Outagamie County, Wisconsin; 1,560 feet west and 2,300 feet south of the northeastern corner of sec. 22, T. 23 N., R. 15 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to the clayey IIC commonly is 20 to 42 inches and ranges between 16 and 50 inches. The material above the IIC horizon primarily is from herbaceous plants. Some pedons contain wood fragments of twigs, branches, or logs which range from 1/8 to 5 inches in diameter and amount to less than 5 percent of the volume. The organic portion of the control section has 10YR, 7.5YR, or 5YR hue, value of 2 or 3, and 0, 1, or 2 chroma. In some pedons the value decreases 1 or 2 units when exposed to the air. The organic portion of the control section ranges from pH 5.5 to less than pH 7.8 in 0.01M CaCl2 and lacks free carbonates. The surface tier, exclusive of loose surface litter or mosses, comprises hemic or sapric material with an unrubbed fiber content that ranges from about 20 percent to 50 percent of the organic volume. Rubbed fiber content ranges from less than 10 percent to 20 percent. Surface layers of both muck and mucky peat are recognized. The structure of the surface tier is weak or moderate fine and medium granular. Typically the structure grade becomes stronger as the amount of recognizable woody material increases. The subsurface tier is dominated by sapric material that comprises more than half of the organic material. The unrubbed fiber content ranges from less than 10 percent to 50 percent of the organic volume and is less than 10 percent after rubbing. In some pedons, layers of hemic material are within the organic portion of the control section but have a combined thickness of less than 10 inches. The subsurface or middle tier generally is massive but, in some pedons, massive blocks or large prisms are present that part to weak granular, thin platy, medium or coarse subangular blocky structure. A thin tier of coprogenous material less than 6 inches thick immediately overlying the IIC horizon is in some pedons. It has 2.5Y or 5Y hue, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2. The IIC horizon has 2.5Y, 10YR, 7.5YR, or 5YR hue, value of 4 through 6, and 1 through 6 chroma. It is heavy clay loam, sandy clay, heavy silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Whallonsburg series. Whallonsburg soils occur in MLRA 142 at elevations below 590 feet. The distinction in properties between Suamico and Whallensburg soils within the series control section is unclear. The
Cathro series is in a similar family. Cathro soils classify as loamy, mixed, euic, frigid Terric Haplosaprists.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Suamico soils are in glacial lake basins and in depressions on till plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in herbaceous organic material over clayey glaciofluvial deposits. Elevation is 590 to 1,010 feet above mean sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Carbondale,
Cathro,
Markey, and
Rondeau soils. Carbondale soils are nearby on similar positions and formed in a thicker layer of organic material. Cathro soils are underlain by loamy material and are on similar positions. Cathro soils are underlain by sandy material and are on similar positions. Rondeau soils are underlying by limnic materials, mostly marl.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained. Permeability is moderately rapid in the organic layer and very slow in the underlying clayey substratum. A seasonal high water table is less than 1 foot below the surface. These soils are subject to ponding. They are also subject to flooding. If drained, these soils are subject to subsidence and soil blowing.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Suamico are in woodland or pasture. Some drained areas are used for truck crops or sod. Native vegetation is a mixed vegetation of grasses, reeds, sedges, alder, aspen, willow, dogwood, and elm in the southern extent. In the northern extent, the native vegetation is northern white-cedar, willow, white birch, alder, and redosier dogwood.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Wisconsin in MLRA 95. The soils of this series are not extensive.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Outagamie County, Wisconsin, 1975.
REMARKS: Historical documents regarding the Suamico Series were located after the 03/2025 revision and reactivation of the series. The series name was requested to be reserved in April 1971. The Suamico Series was proposed in 1972 for use in Wisconsin. The series was established in 1975. The Type Location was in Door County although the series was established in Outagamie County.
Correspondence from Maurice Stout, Jr. (Head, Soils Staff, Midwest TSC), dated December 29, 1977, noted that lab data on the typical pedon (User Pedon ID S1973WI029001; Lab Pedon Number 40A5522) did not support the classification. The data supported a loamy rather than a clayey particle-size class and better fit the Cathro Series. It was recommended that a new typical pedon be selected, or if loamy was representative, to inactive the Suamico Series.
Correspondence from Stout, Jr., dated February 17, 1978, recommended that the Suamico Series be made inactive and combined with Cathro Series. Correspondence from Stout, Jr., dated August 24, 1978, made the Suamico Series inactive.
Based on this new information, the following changes were made to the 03/2025 revision. Range in Characteristics: entire section was replaced with ranges from the 10/6/75 series description. Competing Series: Cathro Series was added as a soil in a similar family. Series Established: year changed from 1978 to 1975. Remarks: updated based on new information.
The typical pedon will remain in Outagamie County since lab data for the pedon in Door County does not support the Suamico Series concept.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.