LOCATION WEETOWN MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Argiudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Weetown fine sandy loam with a 2 percent slope in a cultivated field on a plane to concave toeslope on a moraine. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; about 1 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
A--9 to 27 inches; black (10YR 2/1) fine sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; about 1 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 32 inches thick)
BE--27 to 31 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; about 2 percent gravel; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--31 to 41 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) Fe concentrations; common fine distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common very fine and fine roots; about 3 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--41 to 51 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) Fe concentrations and common fine distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) Fe depletions; common fine faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few fine and medium soft masses of iron oxide; about 3 percent gravel; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 9 to 24 inches)
Bk--51 to 60 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) fine sandy loam; weak medium subanglular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) Fe depletions and few medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) Fe concentrations; about 5 percent gravel; common fine and medium light gray (10YR 7/2) carbonate threads; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Otter Tail County, Minnesota. About 8 miles northeast of Fergus Falls; 250 feet west and 550 feet north of the SE corner Section 32, T.134 N., R.42 W.; USGS Wall Lake quadrangle, Lat. 46 degrees 22 minutes 15 seconds N., Lon. 95 degrees 59 minutes 23 seconds W., NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to free carbonates ranges from 25 to 72 inches. The mollic epipedon ranges from 16 to 48 inches thick. The control section has 18 to 28 percent clay. Rock fragments of mixed lithology make up 1 to 10 percent of the volume mostly in the lower part of the control section and in the C horizon.
The Ap or A horizon has value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam. It is slightly acid or neutral, but in some pedons the upper part of the A horizon may be slightly alkaline because of erosion sediments from the adjacent slopes.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is sandy clay loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam. The clay content averages between 18 and 28 percent. It is neutral to moderately acid.
The Bk and C horizon have hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 6. They are sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam. They are slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. The Bk horizons typically have a visible accumulation of secondary carbonates in the form of threads or masses.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Laceycreek series. Laceycreek soils do not have soil saturation in the lower third of the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils have plane, slightly convex and concave slopes. They are on toeslopes and upper parts of swales on moraines. Slope gradients range from 1 to 4 percent. The soil formed in loamy sediments derived from glacial till or in glacial till. Mean annual temperature ranges from 38 to 45 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 22 to 27 inches. The frost free days range from 90 to 170 days. The elevation above sea level ranges from 1000 to 1600 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chappet (T), Friberg (T), Knute (T), and Sisseton soils. The well drained Chappet and Sisseton soils are on crests and hillsides. The poorly drained Friberg soils are downslope in the more concave parts on the landscape. The moderately well drained Knute soils are in areas that do not receive sediment from upper sloping areas.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Permeability is moderate. Surface runoff is slow or medium. The seasonal high water table is a depths of 3.5 to 6 feet from October to July in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of these soils are cultivated. Corn, soybeans, and small grains are the principal; crops. Native vegetation was tall grass prairie and mixed hardwoods.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Minnesota. Moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Otter Tail County, Minnesota, 1996.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 31 inches (Ap, A, and BE); Argillic horizon - the zone from 27 to 51 inches (BE, Bt and Bt2 horizons); Pachic subgroup based on mollic epipedon being over 16 inches thick. Udic moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record Number MN0607. Refer to Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station CFC number 4441 for analysis of the typical pedon.