LOCATION ELLIOTT IL+IN OH WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, illitic, mesic Aquic Argiudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Elliott silt loam - on a west-facing slope with less than a 1 percent gradient in a cultivated field at an elevation of 704 feet (215 meters) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 inches); black (10YR 2/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; common fine roots; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--15 to 28 cm (6 to 11 inches); black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; common fine roots; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 51 cm (10 to 20 inches).]
Bt1--28 to 41 cm (11 to 16 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) silty clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; few distinct black (10YR 2/1) organic oatings on faces of peds; many distinct dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; neutral; clear smooth boundary. [0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 inches) thick]
2Bt2--41 to 58 cm (16 to 23 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) silty clay loam; moderate fine prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; friable; few fine roots; common distinct dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few fine distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 1 percent gravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
2Bt3--58 to 71 cm (23 to 28 inches); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay loam; moderate fine prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; friable; few fine roots; common distinct dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; 1 percent gravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
2Bt4--71 to 89 cm (28 to 35 inches); olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) silty clay loam; moderate fine prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; firm; few fine roots; many distinct dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; few fine black (7.5YR 2.5/1) very weakly cemented iron-manganese concretions throughout; few medium white (10YR 8/1) moderately cemented calcium carbonate concretions throughout; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; 1 percent Gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
2Bt5--89 to 104 cm (35 to 41 inches); olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) silty clay loam; weak fine prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; firm; few fine roots; common distinct gray (5Y 6/1) clay films on faces of peds; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; 2 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 89 to 104 cm (10 to 28 inches).]
2Cd--104 to 152 cm (41 to 60 inches); olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) silty clay loam; massive; very firm; common fine prominent gray (5Y 5/1) iron depletions in the matrix; 3 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Livingston County, Illinois; about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) east of Emmington; 690 feet (210 meters) south and 2,436 feet (742 meters) west of the center of sec. 21, T. 29 N., R. 8 E.; USGS Cullom topographic quadrangle; lat. 40 degrees 58 minutes 12 seconds N. and long. 88 degrees 19 minutes 19 seconds W., NAD 83; UTM Zone 16, 388762 easting and 4536262 northing, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to the base of soil development ranges from 51 to 114 cm (20 to 45 inches). The depth to carbonates ranges from 43 to 102 cm (17 to 40 inches). The particle-size control section averages between 35 and 45 percent clay. The mollic epipedon is 25 to 51 cm (10 to 20 inches) thick.
The Ap, A, or AB horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 (4 or 5 dry), and chroma of 1 to 3. It is silt loam, silty clay loam, or loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 5 percent. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
The BA, Bt, 2Bt, or 2Btg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. Redoximorphic features have chroma of 1 to 8. Texture is silty clay loam or silty clay, and less commonly clay and clay loam. Subhorizons range from 35 to 50 percent clay, 4 to 25 percent sand, and from 0 to 10 percent rock fragments. Reaction typically ranges from moderately acid to neutral but is slightly alkaline in the lower part in some pedons.
The 2BC, 2BCg, 2Cd, or 2Cdg horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y; value of 4 to 6; and chroma of 1 to 6. Redoximorphic features are commonly present. Texture is silty clay loam or clay loam. Clay content ranges from 27 to 40 percent, sand content ranges from 5 to 30 percent, and rock fragment content
ranges from 1 to 15 percent. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Bulk density of the 2Cd or 2Cdg horizons ranges from 1.7 to 1.9 gm/cc.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chenoa, Clarence, Martinton, and Strole series. Chenoa soils average less than 8 percent fine sand and coarser in the upper part of the particle-size control section. Clarence and Strole soils average more than 45 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Martinton soils average less than 27 percent clay in some subhorizon in the lower part of the series control section. In addition, the sand fraction of the Martinton soil is predominantly fine or very fine.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Elliott soils are on relatively undissected parts of till plains of Wisconsinan Age. Slope gradients range from 0 to 7 percent. The soils typically formed in silty clay loam till with a surface mantle of loess or other silty material ranging from 0 to 51 cm (0 to 20 inches) thick. Mean annual
air temperature ranges from 7 to 11 degrees C (45 to 52 degrees F), mean annual precipitation ranges from 711 to 1016 mm (28 to 40 inches), frost-free period ranges from 140 to 180 days, and elevation ranges from 165 to 311 meters (541 to 1020 feet) above mean sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ashkum, Beecher, Blount, and Varna soils. The moderately well drained Varna soils and the poorly drained Ashkum soils form a hydro-sequence with Elliott soils. Ashkum soils are on lower landform positions and Varna soils are on higher landform positions. The somewhat poorly drained Beecher and Blount soils form a biosequence with Elliott soils and are on similar parts of landforms. Blount soils have a light colored surface layer, and Beecher soils lack the required surface layer thickness for a mollic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is low to high. Permeability is slow. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately low or moderately high (0.42 to 1.41 micrometers/s). An intermittent perched seasonal high water table is at a depth of 30 to 61 cm (1.0 to 2.0 feet) at some time between January and May in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated. Corn, soybeans, small grain, and meadow are the principal crops. Native vegetation is prairie grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Illinois, southeastern Wisconsin, northern Indiana, and Ohio. The series is of large extent in MLRA's 95B, 108A, 110, 111B, and 111C. More than 300,000 acres (121,408 hectares) have been correlated in the four states named.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ford County, Illinois, 1929.
REMARKS: A bedrock substratum phase is recognized with limestone bedrock at depths of 60 to 80 inches (152 to 203 cm). This phase will need to be evaluated during future MLRA update activities.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 28 cm (11 inches) (Ap and A horizons); argillic horizon - the zone from approximately 28 to 104 cm (11 to 41 inches) (Bt1, 2Bt2, 2Bt3, 2Bt4, and 2Bt5 horizons); udic moisture
regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to pedon number 85IL105034 from the University of Illinois Pedology Laboratory. This data is on file at the Illinois NRCS State Office and Indianapolis MLRA Region 11 Office.