LOCATION SPERRY                  IA

Established Series
Rev. FFR-JES-LDC
09/2016

SPERRY SERIES

The Sperry series consists of very deep, very poorly drained and poorly drained soils formed in loess. These soils are in slight depressions on broad upland divides and on treads of loess covered stream terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 10 degrees C. Mean annual precipitation is about 900 millimeters.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Typic Argialbolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Sperry silt loam, with a concave slope of less than 1 percent, in a pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 25 centimeters; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; friable; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (25 to 31 centimeters thick)

E--25 to 43 centimeters; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam; weak fine platy structure; friable; few fine very dark brown (10YR 2/2) concretions; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 35 centimeters thick)

Btg1--43 to 71 centimeters; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam; strong fine subangular blocky structure; firm; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organic coats on faces of peds; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) redoximorphic concentrations; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Btg2--71 to 91 centimeters; gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; many fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) redoximorphic concentrations; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Btg3--91 to 119 centimeters; gray (5Y 5/1) silty clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay films on faces of peds; many medium and coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) redoximorphic concentrations; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Btg4--119 to 160 centimeters; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) and olive gray (5Y 5/2) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak and moderate medium subangular blocky; friable; few distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; few fine iron-manganese stains; common medium and coarse prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.

Btg5--160 to 200 centimeters; olive gray (5Y 5/2) and light olive gray (5Y 6/2) silty clay loam; weak medium and coarse prismatic structure; friable; few distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; few fine iron-manganese stains; many medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; neutral.

TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 108C-Illinois and Iowa Deep Loess and Drift, West Central Part; Jefferson County, Iowa subset; about 3 miles east of Packwood; located about 1,480 feet south and 150 feet west of the northeast corner of section 8, T. 73 N., R. 10 W.; USGS Ollie topographic quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees 8 minutes 42 seconds N. and 92 degrees 1 minute 27 seconds W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of mollic epipedon--25 to 40 centimeters
Depth to carbonates--greater than 152 centimeters
Content of clay in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--35 to 45 percent
Content of sand in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--less than 5 percent
Rock fragment content--0 percent

Ap or A horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--2 or 3
Chroma--1
Texture--silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content--18 to 30 percent
Sand content--less than 5 percent
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral (5.6 to 7.3)

E horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content--18 to 30 percent
Sand content--less than 5 percent
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral (5.6 to 7.3)

Btg horizon:
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y
Value--3 to 6
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content--32 to 48 percent
Sand content--less than 5 percent
Reaction--strongly acid to neutral (5.1 to 7.3)

BCg and Cg horizons (when present):
Hue--2.5Y or 5Y
Value--5 or 6
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silty clay loam or silt loam
Clay content--22 to 35 percent
Sand content--less than 5 percent
Reaction--slightly acid to slightly alkaline (6.1 to 7.8)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chauncey, Holcomb, Plankinton, Rolfe, and Willowfork series.
Chauncey--have an argillic horizon at a depth of 61 to 91 centimeters below the surface of the soil and have an albic horizon 28 to 64 centimeters thick
Holcomb--have a clay content of 40 to 50 percent in the lower third of the series control section and are in areas that have a mean annual precipitation range of 1,020 to 1,270 millimeters
Plankinton--have carbonates within a depth of 127 centimeters
Rolfe--have a sand content of 30 to 45 percent within a depth of 152 centimeters
Willowfork--have rock fragments within a depth of 152 centimeters

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--loess
Landform--slight depressions on broad upland divides and on treads of loess covered stream terraces
Slope--0 to 2 percent
Elevation--185 to 340 meters above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--8 to 11 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation--855 to 975 millimeters
Frost-free period--155 to 180 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Mahaska and Taintor soils.
Mahaska--are at slightly higher landscape positions on interfluves, do not have an albic horizon, and have a frequently saturated zone at a depth of 0.3 meter during the wettest periods of normal years
Taintor--are at slightly higher landscape positions on the flatter parts of summits, do not have an albic horizon, and have a frequently saturated zone at a depth of 0.3 meter during the wettest periods of normal years

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--very poorly drained and poorly drained--these soils are frequently saturated at the soil surface during the wettest portions of normal years and both perched and apparent saturation can occur on this soil
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--0.01 to 10.00 micrometers per second (very low to moderately high)
Surface runoff potential--negligible to low
Ponding--frequently ponded up to 0.3 meter in depth for brief duration in normal years from precipitation events and snowmelt

USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas are cultivated. The principal crops are corn, meadows, small grains, and soybeans. The native vegetative cover is a herbaceous wetland community commonly inhabited with Rice Cutgrasses, Softstem Bulrushes, Needle Spikerushes, Broadfruit Burreeds, Pickerel Weeds, Broadleaf Cattails, Water Smartweeds, American Water Lilies, Yellow Pond Lilies, American Lotuses, Small Pondweeds, Sago Pondweeds, and Arrowheads.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic Sections--Dissected till plains and Till Plains
MLRAs--Iowa and Missouri Deep Loess Hills (107) and Illinois and Iowa Deep Loess and Drift (108)
LRR M; southeastern, western, and south central Iowa
Extent--moderate

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Iowa, 1957

REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 43 to 93 centimeters (Btg1, Btg2, and Btg3 horizons);
series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 203 centimeters (A, E, Btg1, Btg2, Btg3, Btg4, and Btg5 horizons).

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
mollic epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 25 centimeters (A horizon);
albic horizon--the zone from a depth of 25 to 43 centimeters (E horizon);
argillic horizon--the zone from a depth of 43 to 200 centimeters (Btg1, Btg2, Btg3, Btg4, and Btg5 horizons);
aquic moisture regime.

Not all pedons meet the requirements for an abrupt textural change and classify as Argiaquic Argialbolls.

Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, twelfth edition, 2014.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Laboratory data--Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, Nebraska, pedon number 2003IA101001

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.