LOCATION WESTOO MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Isotic, frigid Oxyaquic Udipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Westoo loamy fine sand on a 2 percent slope under a mixed stand of aspen and spruce on a glacial lake plain. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A-- 0 to 5 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loamy fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak medium granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary (1 to 6 inches thick).
Bw1-- 5 to 17 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) loamy fine sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bw2-- 17 to 28 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy fine sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bw3-- 28 to 44 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy fine sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) Fe concentrations; few fine roots; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 30 to 50 inches.)
C1-- 44 to 52 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy fine sand; single grain; very friable; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) Fe concentrations; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
C2-- 52 to 74 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sand; single grain; very friable; common coarse prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) Fe concentrations; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Cg-- 74 to 80 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand; single grain; very friable; few coarse prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) Fe concentrations; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: St. Louis County, Minnesota; about 9.5 miles south of Buhl; 2600 feet north and 500 feet east of the southwest corner of Section 5, T. 56 N., R. 19 W. USGS Little Swan, Minnesota Quadrangle; latitude 47 degrees 21 minutes 48 seconds N., longitude 92 degrees 47 minutes 15 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The series control section contains up to 3 percent rock fragments. The depth to carbonates is greater than 80 inches. The particle-size control section has less than 25 percent medium sand or coarser.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, loamy sand, or loamy very fine sand. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid.
The E horizon (when present) is as much as 5 inches thick.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture is typically loamy fine sand or fine sand but subhorizons of loamy very fine sand, fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam may occur in the upper part. The Bw typically has distinct to prominent Fe concentrations in the lower part. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The C or Cg horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 1 to 4. Texture is typically loamy fine sand or fine sand but thin subhorizons of loamy very fine sand, fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam may occur. The C or Cg typically has distinct to prominent Fe concentrations that are weakly to moderately cemented in some pedons. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Westoo soils are on convex or linear surfaces of glacial lake plains and outwash plains. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. They formed in eolian and/or glaciolacustrine materials. Mean annual air temperature is 38 to 41 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 25 to 28 inches. The frost-free period is 95 to 125 days. Elevation above sea level is 1250 to 1425 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Barber, Cathro, Kapla, Vasso, Wabuse, Lavell and Rifle soils. The somewhat poorly drained Barber, poorly drained Wabuse and very poorly drained Kapla soils are on lower positions. The moderately well drained Lavell soils are on higher positions. Cathro and Rifle soils occur on broad flats and in depressions and formed in organic materials. Vasso, Wabuse and Kapla soils also have loamy materials above 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Runoff is very low or low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately rapid. Westoo soils have seasonal high saturation at a depth of 2.5 feet at some time from April through May and October through November in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. Some areas are used for hayland or pastureland. Principal trees are aspen, balsam fir, white spruce, black spruce, and jack pine. Native vegetation is mixed coniferous and deciduous forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA-88. Northeastern Minnesota. Small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Louis County, Minnesota, 2005.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 5 inches (A horizon); sandy particle-size class between 10 and 40 inches (Bw1, Bw2 and Bw3 horizons); Oxyaquic subgroup based on being saturated above a depth of 40 inches.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to NSSL lab numbers S01MN-137-08302, S01MN-137-086 and S01MN-137-088 for lab analysis