LOCATION WAUSEON OH+IN MI WI

Established Series
Rev. DRM-RAR
09/2017

WAUSEON SERIES

The Wauseon series consists of very deep, poorly drained or very poorly drained soils that are moderately deep or deep to dense till. These soils formed in loamy and sandy glaciolacustrine sediments and in the underlying till. They are on lake plains, wave-worked till plains, and deltas. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 838 mm, and mean annual air temperature is about 11 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy over clayey, mixed over illitic, superactive, mesic Typic Epiaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Wauseon fine sandy loam, on a 0 to 2 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of 229 meters. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 23 cm; black (10YR 2/1) fine sandy loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; friable; few fine roots; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

A--23 to 33 cm; black 10YR 2/1) fine sandy loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium granular; friable; few fine roots; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 46 cm.)

Bg1--33 to 53 cm; dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) organic coatings on faces of peds; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bg2--53 to 71 cm; dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) organic coatings on faces of peds; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and prominent olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; 1 percent rock fragments; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bg3--71 to 81 cm; dark gray (10YR 4/1) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) organic coatings on faces of peds; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bg horizon is 36 to 76 cm.)

2BC--81 to 91 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse subangular blocky; very firm; common fine and medium distinct gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions in the matrix; common medium and coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and few fine and medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; few fine and medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/1) masses of calcium carbonate accumulation on vertical faces of prisms; 5 percent rock fragments; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (8 to 30 cm thick)

2C--91 to 147 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam; massive, with widely spaced vertical partings; very firm; common medium distinct gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions in the matrix; common medium and coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; very few fine and medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) masses of calcium carbonate accumulation on faces of partings; 5 percent rock fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

2Cd--147 to 203 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam; massive; very firm; many medium and coarse distinct gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions in the matrix; common fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; 5 percent rock fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Fulton County, Ohio; about 1.5 miles northeast of Winameg, in Pike Township; about 195 feet north and 1,495 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 34, T. 9. S., R. 3 E.; USGS Delta, Ohio

topographic quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees 38 minutes 31.77 seconds N. and long. 84 degrees 02 minutes 25.83 seconds W., NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the solum: 76 to 152 cm, and typically extends into the underlying till
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 25 to 46 cm
Depth to the lithologic discontinuity with till: 61 to 102 cm
Depth to densic contact: 91 to 152 cm
Depth to carbonates: 61 to 102 cm
Rock fragments: of glacial origin; rounded and primarily igneous in the glaciolacustrine material, and angular or subrounded fragments of mixed lithology (igneous, limestone, and shale) in the till

Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or is neutral
Value: 2, 2.5 or 3 (4 or 5 dry)
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: commonly fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, or loamy sand, or less commonly sandy loam, loam, or silt loam
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral
Rock fragment content: 0 to 3 percent

Some pedons have an AB or BA horizon.

Bg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 or 2, 3 is allowed in the lower part
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy fine sand, or very fine sand, with subhorizons of sandy clay loam less than 13 cm thick in some pedons
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Rock fragment content: 0 to 3 percent

Some pedons have a BC horizon.

2BC or 2BCg horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: clay, silty clay, clay loam, or silty clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 55 percent
Rock fragment content: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

2C, 2Cg, 2Cd, or 2Cdg horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: clay, silty clay, clay loam, or silty clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 55 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Similar soils are the Corunna, Gilford, Goodell, Granby, Lyles, Maumee, Mermill, and Monon series. None of these soils have a strongly contrasting particle-size class. Corunna, Gilford, Goodell, Lyles, and Monon soils have a coarse-loamy particle-size class. Granby and Maumee soils have a sandy particle-size class. Mermill soils have a fine-loamy particle-size class.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wauseon soils are on lake plains and deltas of late Wisconsinan age. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in loamy and sandy glaciolacustrine sediments and in the underlying till. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 720 to 960 mm. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 7 to 12 degrees C. Frost-free period is 135 to 210 days. Elevation is 183 to 244 meters.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Wauseon soils form a toposequence with the moderately well drained Rimer and Seward soils. Rimer and Seward soils are on higher landform positions. Other nearby soils on similar positions include the Colwood, Gilford, Granby, Hoytville, Lenawee, and Mermill soils. Colwood, Gilford, and Granby soils do not have till in the lower part of the profile. Hoytville, Lenawee, and Mermill soils have a thinner, dark colored surface layer.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained or very poorly drained. The depth to the top of an intermittent perched high water ranges from 30 cm above the surface to 30 cm below the surface between January and April in normal years. The potential for surface runoff is negligible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high in the loamy and sandy material, moderately low in the lower part of the subsoil formed in till, and low in the substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Wauseon soils are cultivated. Principal crops include corn, soybeans, and small grain with some sugar beets and truck crops. A few undrained areas have dominantly marsh vegetation. Native vegetation is deciduous swamp forest with swamp white oak, soft maple, elm, basswood, and sycamore as prominent species.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Ohio, northern Indiana, southern Michigan, and southern Wisconsin; MLRAs 95A, 95B, 97, 98, 99, and 111B. The type location is in MLRA 99. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fulton County, Ohio, 1922.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 33 cm (Ap, A horizons).
Cambic horizon: from a depth of 33 to 91 cm (Bg, 2BC horizons).
Densic contact: at 147 cm (top of the 2Cd horizon).
Aquic conditions: redox features present in all horizons below a depth of 33 cm; matrix color with chroma of 1 immediately below the mollic epipedon.

The Wauseon series needs to be investigated for a contrasting particle-size class during MLRA update activities. Available lab data from adjacent series have 27 to 42 percent clay in the underlying till.

The stratified substratum phase has stratified sand, loam, and clay loam in the substratum. This phase may be recorrelated into a new series when the area of use is updated.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.