LOCATION GRELLTON WI+ILEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Grellton fine sandy loam - on a 5 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of about 1,000 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine fibrous roots; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
BE--5 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine fibrous roots; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--15 to 23 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
2Bt2--23 to 27 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) silt loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
2Bt3--27 to 39 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
2Bt4--39 to 47 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; common faint clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizons ranges from 12 to 35 inches.)
3BC--47 to 55 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; about 5 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
3C--55 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; massive; very friable; about 14 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Columbia County, Wisconsin; about 9 1/2 miles west of Columbus; 2,440 feet north and 500 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 6, T. 10 N., R. 11 E. USGS North Bristol Wis. Quad. Latitude 43 degrees 21 minutes 42 seconds
N., Longitude 89 degrees 13 minutes 44 seconds W. NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 32 to 64 inches. Thickness of the loamy outwash or eolian mantle ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to till ranges from 40 to more than 80 inches. Depth to
carbonates ranges from 40 to 80 inches. The particle-size control section averages 18 to 30 percent clay. Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 48 to 53 degrees F. Rock fragments are absent except in the 3B and 3C horizons in till. Volume of gravel ranges from 2 to 30 percent and volume of cobbles from 0
to 5 percent in the till. Reaction naturally ranges from moderately acid to neutral in the loamy mantle but ranges to slightly alkaline in the upper part, where the soil is limed. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly alkaline
in the silty deposits and from slightly acid to slightly alkaline in the 3B horizon. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline in the 3C horizon in till. Carbonates are in the 3C horizon.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 or 3. Uncultivated pedons have an A horizon with hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 to 3. Texture of the Ap or A horizon is fine sandy loam or sandy loam.
Some pedons have an E horizon with hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam.
Color and texture of the BE horizon are like those of the E horizon except that hue of 7.5YR is included in the range.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. Texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, or sandy clay loam.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. Texture is silt loam or silty clay loam.
Some pedons have a 2C horizon with hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is silt loam.
The 3Bt or 3BC horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. Texture is loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam or the gravelly analogs. Some pedons do not have a 3Bt horizon.
The 3C horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, or the gravelly analogs.
Some pedons do not have a 3C horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bluemont,
Caprell,
Douds,
Kendallville,
Kliever,
Letort,
Lindley,
Mandeville,
McHenry,
Mifflin,
Nodine,
Norden,
Ott,
Pecatonica,
Plumcreek,
Renova,
Rockbridge,
Theresa,
Westville,
Whalan, and
Wykoff series. Bluemont, Ott, and Whalan soils have a lithic contact at a depth
of 20 to 40 inches. Caprell, Kendallville, and Theresa soils have carbonates within 40 inches. Douds soils have redox features within the series control section. Kliever, Letort and Lindley soils have mean annual soil temperature greater than 52 degrees F. Mandeville soils have and Norden soils have a
paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Pecatonica and Westville soils have hue of 5YR as coatings or in the matrix in some part of the argillic horizon. Plumcreek soils are stratified in the lower part of the series control
section. Renova soils have more than 50 percent silt in the upper part of the series control section and less than 50 percent silt in the middle and lower parts. Rockbridge soils have rock fragments in the lower part of the Bt horizon
and throughout the 2Bt horizon. Wykoff soils are less than 40 inches deep to the base of soil development and are stratified in the lower part of the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Grellton soils are on ground moraines. Slope ranges from 0 to 20 percent. These soils formed in a mantle of loamy outwash or eolian deposits; in the underlying silty deposits; and, in many places, in till. The origin of the silty deposits is thought to be eolian (loess). Mean annual
precipitation ranges from 28 to 33 inches. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 46 to 50 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing
Kidder and
McHenry soils and the
Friesland and
Plano soils. Kidder and McHenry soils occupy slightly higher positions on landscapes consisting of glacial till with a thin mantle of loess. Friesland and Plano soils have mollic epipedons and occupy
similar positions on the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. The potential for surface runoff ranges from negligible to high. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for cropland. Common crops are corn, small grain, and hay. Native vegetation is deciduous forest with elm, ash, and oak predominant.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central and southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Columbia County, Wisconsin, 1972.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:Ochric epipedon - 0 to 5 inches (Ap); Argillic horizon - 15 to 39 inches (Bt1, 2Bt2, 2Bt3);
There are 1345 acres correlated in Jefferson County, WI with redox features below a depth of 35 inches and 2163 acres correlated in the Winnebago-Boone Counties, IL survey with redox features below 36 inches. A new series is needed
for these moderately well drained Typic Hapludalfs.