LOCATION WABASHA OH

Established Series
Rev. AR-DRM-JAG
09/2012

WABASHA SERIES

The Wabasha series consists of very deep, very poorly drained or poorly drained soils formed in clayey alluvium on flood plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 838 mm (33 inches), and mean annual air temperature is about 11 degrees C (51 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, illitic, nonacid, mesic Fluvaquentic Endoaquepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Wabasha silty clay, in a cultivated field at an elevation of 205 meters (673 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 18 cm (0 to 7 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; common fine roots; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. [15 to 23 cm (6 to 9 inches) thick]

Bg1--18 to 41 cm (7 to 16 inches); dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) silty clay; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; firm; common fine roots; few fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Bg2--41 to 56 cm (16 to 22 inches); gray (N 5/) silty clay; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse angular blocky; firm; common fine roots; distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) coatings on faces of peds with few fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) hypocoats; common fine distinct olive gray (5Y 5/2) and common fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Bg3--56 to 74 cm (22 to 29 inches); gray (5Y 5/1) silty clay; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; firm; common fine roots; many prominent dark gray (10YR 4/1) coatings on faces of peds with few fine prominent reddish brown (5YR 4/4) hypocoats; common fine faint grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) and prominent olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.

Bg4--74 to 122 cm (29 to 48 inches); gray (5Y 5/1) silty clay; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse angular blocky; firm; few fine roots; many faint dark gray (5Y 4/1) coatings on faces of peds; common medium distinct olive (5Y 5/3) and prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; slightly effervescent in the lower part; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bg horizon is 76 to 132 cm (30 to 52 inches).]

C--122 to 152 cm (48 to 60 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay; massive, with some vertical partings; firm; few very thin layers of sand; many prominent gray (5Y 5/1) coatings on vertical partings; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Henry County, Ohio; about 2.75 miles northwest of Liberty Center, in Liberty Township; 2540 feet west and 250 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 22, T. 6 N., R. 7 E.; USGS Napoleon East, Ohio topographic quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees 28 minutes 16 seconds N. and long. 84 degrees 02 minutes 47 seconds W., NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the solum: 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches)
Depth to carbonates: greater than 102 cm (40 inches); most pedons have carbonates within 203 cm (80 inches)
Particle-size control section: averages 40 to 55 percent clay

Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 2, 2.5 or 3 (4 or 5 dry)
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Rock fragment content: 0 to 1 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

Bg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y, or is neutral
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: silty clay or clay; some pedons have strata less than 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick of coarser texture
Rock fragment content: 0 to 1 percent, but ranges to 7 percent in the lower part
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

C or Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y, or is neutral
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 0 to 4
Texture: commonly silty clay or clay, or less commonly silty clay loam or clay loam; thin layers of sand, loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, or silt loam 1 to 8 cm (1/2 inch to 3 inches) thick are in some pedons
Rock fragment content: 0 to 7 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Series in similar families are the Fonda, Holly, Orrville, Scitico, Stanhope, Toledo, and Wilhite series. Fonda, Scitico, and Toledo soils do not have an irregular decrease in organic carbon with depth or have 0.2 percent organic carbon at a depth of 125 centimeters. Holly, Orrville, and Stanhope soils have less than 35 percent clay and mixed mineralogy in the particle-size control section. Wilhite soils have mixed mineralogy in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wabasha soils are on flood plains or in depressions along low-gradient streams receiving sediment from areas of Wisconsinan age glaciation. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in clayey alluvium washed mainly from areas of loamy, calcareous glaciolacustrine sediments or till. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 686 to 1067 mm (27 to 42 inches). Mean annual air temperature ranges from 7 to 13 degrees C (45 to 55 degrees F). Frost-free period is 140 to 180 days. Elevation is 175 to 244 meters (575 to 800 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Defiance, Fulton, Hoytville, Latty, Lucas, Nappanee, Paulding, Roselms, St. Clair, and Toledo soils. The somewhat poorly drained Defiance soils do not have a dark surface layer and are on slightly higher positions on flood plains. The Fulton, Hoytville, Latty, Lucas, Nappanee, Paulding, Roselms, St. Clair, and Toledo soils are on nearby lake plains.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Very poorly drained or poorly drained. The depth to the top of an intermittent apparent high water table ranges from 30 cm (1 foot) above the surface to 30 cm (1 foot) below the surface between December and June in normal years. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately low. Permeability is slow. These soils are subject to frequent flooding from January to May.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most Wabasha soils are cultivated and used primarily for growing corn and soybeans. Some areas are in pasture, and a small acreage is used for woodland. Native vegetation is swamp forest dominated by water tolerant hardwoods such as elm, cottonwood, sycamore, and silver maple.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Ohio and possibly Michigan; MLRAs 99, 111B, and 139. The type location is in MLRA 99. The series is of moderate extent, about 15,000 acres.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Van Wert County, Ohio, 1970.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon (mollic intergrade): from the surface to a depth of 18 cm (Ap horizon).
Cambic horizon: from a depth of 18 to 122 cm (Bg horizon).
Aquic conditions: redox features visible in all horizons below a depth of 18 cm.

Wabasha series was formerly classified as Mollic Fluvaquents. All pedons published in soil survey reports in MLRAs 99 and 111B classify as Fluvaquentic Endoaquepts.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory characterization data is available from The Ohio State University Soil Characterization Laboratory for pedons DF-28, OT-8, and PD-56. This data should be evaluated in the future to determine if it supports the current series concept.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.