LOCATION WATAB MN+WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Arenic Epiaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Watab loamy fine sand on a plane nearly level slope of 1 percent in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loamy fine sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 10 inches thick)
E--8 to 11 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy fine sand; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) Fe concentrations; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bw1--11 to 26 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loamy fine sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) Fe depletions and fine faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) Fe concentrations; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--26 to 30 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loamy fine sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common medium prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) Fe depletions; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 0 to 30 inches.)
2Bt--30 to 39 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam; weak medium platy structure; very friable; about 10 percent gravel; few distinct reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; many medium prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) Fe depletions; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
2BC--39 to 51 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam; weak medium platy structure; firm; few prominent distinct reddish brown (5YR 5/3) Fe concentrations; about 12 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
2BCd--51 to 60 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam; very coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium platy, few 2 to 3 millimeter oblique fractures 0.5 to 3.0 feet apart; very firm; about 10 percent gravel; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Morrison County, Minnesota; about 2 miles northwest of Little Rock; 1300 feet south and 90 feet east of the northwest corner, section 30, T. 39 N., R. 30 W.; USGS Quadrangle Rice, Minn.; Latitude 45 degrees 50 minutes 58 seconds, and Longitude 94 degrees 8 minutes 6 seconds.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the sandy mantle ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to densic material is 40 to 60 inches. Content of rock fragments range from 0 to 3 percent, by volume in the upper part and 1 to 15 percent in the 2BC horizons. Rock fragments are of mixed lithology, mostly of igneous origin. Some pedons have a stone line as much as 8 inches thick at the contact between the two materials.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sand or sand. It is strongly acid or moderately acid. Some pedons do not have an A horizon. Some pedons have an Oa or Oe horizon as much as 3 inches thick. It is comprised of accumulated remains of deciduous tree leaves, coniferous tree needles, and forest floor flora. It has hue of 10YR to 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sand, or sand. It is strongly acid to slightly acid. Some pedons have EB or BE horizons.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is loamy fine sand, fine sand, loamy sand or sand. It is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or less commonly 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is fine sandy loam or sandy loam. It is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The 2BC and 2BCd horizons have hue of 7.5YR or less commonly 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. They are sandy loam or fine sandy loam. The moist bulk density of the 2BC horizon ranges from 1.65 to 1.80 gm/cc. The 2BC horizon is restrictive to root penetration due to the platy soil structure. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral. The moist bulk density of the 2BCd horizon ranges from 1.80 to 2.0 gm/cc. The 2BCd horizon is considered to be a densic contact.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blomford, Staples and Wealthwood series. Blomford and Staples soils have hue of 10YR or yellower in the argillic horizon and typically have free carbonates within 60 inches and do not have a densic contact within the series control section. Wealthwood soils are stratified in the lower part of the argillic horizon and the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on plane to slightly concave slopes on foot slopes in moraines or inter-drumlins. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The Watab soils have formed in a sandy mantle of eolian or sandy glacial outwash sediments over Superior Lobe dense loamy glacial till of Late Wisconsinan Age. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 37 to 45 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 24 to 33 inches. Frost-free days are about 90 to 145 days. Elevation is about 670 to 1,450 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Bushville, Nokasippi and Pomroy soils that form a drainage sequence with the Watab soils. The very poorly drained Nokasippi soils are in swales or depressions. The somewhat poorly drained Bushville soils and the well drained Pomroy soils are on higher lying positions.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained. Surface runoff is negligible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is rapid in the sandy mantle and very slow in the dense till. This soil has a perched season high saturation at the surface during April to June in years of normal precipitation.
USE AND VEGETATION: About half of this soil is cleared and used for pasture or is cropped to hay, corn, or small grains. Native vegetation is deciduous forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and east-central Minnesota. Inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Crow Wing County, Minnesota, 1960.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 11 inches (A and E horizons); albic horizon - the zone from 8 to 11 inches (E horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from about 30 inches to 39 inches (2Bt horizon); aquic moisture regime - chroma of 2 below Ap horizon and 2 chroma redox features and perched water table at 0 to 1 foot. Because this soil has red parent materials with high water table, a positive reaction to alpha-alpha-dipyridyl is assumed; arenic subgroup - loamy fine sand texture in upper 30 inches (Ap, E, Bw1, and Bw2 horizons). The 2BCd horizon is considered to be a densic contact.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record number is MN0284.