LOCATION ZENOR IAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Zenor sandy loam with a west-facing convex slope of about 5 percent - cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sandy loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry, black (10YR 2/1) coatings on peds; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; very friable; about 5 percent gravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (7 to 9 inches thick)
AB--8 to 12 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) and brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; very friable; about 5 percent gravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
Bw1--12 to 17 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) coatings on peds; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; about 7 percent gravel; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw2--17 to 25 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loam; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; brown (10YR 4/3) coatings on peds; about 6 percent gravel; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Bw horizons is 11 to 18 inches.)
BC--25 to 28 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; silt lens in the lower portion; about 4 percent grael; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
C1--28 to 33 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; single grain; loose; about 4 percent gravel strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
C2--33 to 38 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy sand; single grain; loose; about4 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
C3--38 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly loamy sand, grading to gravelly sand with depth; single grain; loose; estimated 15 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Boone County, Iowa; about 3 miles north of the village of Zenorville, 1,214 feet east and 2,120 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 22, T. 85 N., R. 25 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to free carbonates ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Zenor soils usually are slightly acid or neutral in the solum, and they range to moderately acid in the upper part and to moderately alkaline in the lower part. Volume of gravel ranges from 4 to 15 percent in the solum.
The Ap or A1 horizon typically has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is sandy loam or loam.
The AB horizon is dark brown (10YR 3/3) or very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) and commonly has mixing of brown (10YR 4/3). The AB horizon is lacking in some pedons.
The Bw horizon is brown (10YR 4/3) and dark yellowish brown 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. The BC horizon has slight or strong effervescence in most pedons.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y; value of 5 to 7; and chroma of 3 to 6. It is sandy loam, loamy sand, gravelly loamy sand, or gravelly sand, with silt lenses in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Becker, Bertram, Bolan, Carmi, Dickinson, Etter, Flagler, Olin, and Ridgeport series in the same family and the Estherville, Salida, and Wadena series. Becker soils have a mollic epipedon thicker than 24 inches. Bertram soils have limestone within a depth of 40 inches. Bolan and Dickinson soils lack pebbles in the solum and have thicker sola. Carmi soils have 7.5YR or 5YR hues in the lower part of the solum and in the C horizon and have as much as 70 percent gravel below the control section. Etter soils have sandstone within a depth of 40 inches. Flagler soils lack carbonates within a depth of 6 feet. Olin soils have loamy texture in the lower part of the solum and C horizon. Ridgeport soils have more sand and less clay in the solum. Estherville and Wadena soils have a contrasting texture within a depth of 40 inches. Salida soils have a thinner solum and are shallower to carbonates.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zenor soils typically occupy upland outwash areas. A few areas are on stream benches. Slopes are convex and typically 5 to 9 percent but range from 2 to 30 percent. They formed in poorly sorted glacial deposits that are dominantly sandy loam over loamy sand. The deposits are many feet thick, increasing in content of sand with depth. Mean annual temperature is approximately 45 to 50 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is 30 to 34 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are mainly Clarion, Pilot Grove (T), Salida, and Storden soils. The Clarion and Stoden soils are finer textured and formed entirely in glacial till. Pilot Grove soils have glacial till starting at depths of 40 to 60 inches. Salida soils do not have a loamy upper mantle or have a thinner loamy upper mantle.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: These soils are somewhat excessively drained. Runoff is low to medium. Permeability is moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly corn and soybeans with oats and hay in rotation. The more sloping Zenor soils are mainly in pasture. Native vegetation is tall prairie grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Iowa. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Franklin County, Iowa, 1977.
REMARKS: Laboratory data including mechanical analysis are available at Iowa State University for the typical pedon.