LOCATION MILFORD IL+IN OH WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Milford silty clay loam - on a southeast-facing slope of 1 percent in a cultivated field at an elevation of 196 meters (643 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 inches); black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate very fine and fine subangular and angular blocky structure; firm; many fine roots; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--23 to 46 cm (9 to 18 inches); black (10YR 2/1) silty clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate and strong very fine subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine roots; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 51 cm (10 to 20 inches).]
BA--46 to 56 cm (18 to 22 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; very firm; common fine roots; many distinct black (10YR 2/1) organic coatings on faces of peds; common medium prominent olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) iron-manganese accumulations in the matrix; common medium faint dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) iron depletions in the matrix; neutral; clear smooth boundary.[0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 inches) thick.]
Bg1--56 to 79 cm (22 to 31 inches); gray (5Y 5/1) silty clay loam; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse angular and subangular blocky; very firm; common fine roots; many faint dark gray (5Y 4/1) pressure faces on faces of peds; few fine black (N 2.5/) iron-manganese concretions throughout; many medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) iron-manganese accumulations in the matrix; many medium faint grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
Bg2--79 to 107 cm (31 to 42 inches); gray (5Y 5/1) clay loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse angular blocky; very firm; few fine roots; common medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) iron-manganese accumulations and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
Bg3--107 to 127 cm (42 to 50 inches); dark gray (5Y 4/1) silty clay loam stratified with thin bands of clay loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular and angular blocky; firm; few fine roots; many medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) iron-manganese accumulations and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; neutral; clear wavy boundary.[Combined thickness of the Bg horizon is 64 to 107 cm (25 to 42 inches).]
Cg--127 to 152 cm (50 to 60 inches); gray (5Y 5/1) clay loam stratified with bands of fine sandy loam, silty clay loam, and silty clay; massive; firm; few fine roots; many coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4 and 5/8) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Iroquois County, Illinois; about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) southeast of Gilman; 1,450 feet (442 meters) north and 70 feet (21 meters) east of the southwest corner of sec. 4, T. 26 N., R. 14 W.; USGS Gilman topographic quadrangle; lat. 40 degrees 45 minutes 25 seconds N. and long. 87 degrees 57 minutes 28 seconds W., NAD 27; UTM Zone 16, 0419150 easting and 4512226 northing, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to the base of the cambic horizon ranges from 36 to 60 inches (91 to 152 cm). The mollic epipedon is 25 to 61 cm (10 to 24 inches) thick. In some pedons it does not include the upper part of the B horizon. The particle-size control section averages between 35 and 42 percent clay. The series control section dominantly is slightly acid or neutral but ranges to moderately acid in the upper part and to moderately alkaline in the lower part. Carbonates are in the lower 1/4 of the control section in some pedons. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 5 percent in the control section.
The A, Ap, and/or AB horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, or is neutral; value of 2 to 3; and chroma of 0 to 2. It commonly is silty clay loam or clay loam, but some pedons are silty clay or clay. Some pedons have 8 to 20 inches of silt loam overwash over the genetic A horizon.
The Bg, Btg, and/or BCg horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, or is neutral; value of 4 to 6; and chroma of 0 to 2. Hue of 10YR and neutral colors are less common than the others. It is silty clay loam or silty clay in the upper part and typically grades to clay loam or silty clay loam in the lower part where it is stratified. In some pedons the strata are thin layers that range from clay to fine sandy loam. Some pedons have organic coatings, pressure faces, or distinct clay films on faces of peds in some or all subhorizons.
The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, or is neutral; value of 4 to 6; and chroma of 0 to 2. Hue of 10YR and neutral colors are less common than the others. It dominantly is clay loam or silty clay loam with thin layers ranging from sandy loam to clay.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ashkum, Secondcreek , and Woldale soils. Ashkum soils average more than 30 percent clay in all layers and subhorizons in the lower part of the series control section. Secondcreek soils are greater than 152 cm (60 inches) to the base of the cambic horizon. Woldale soils have very cobbly 2BC and 2Cg horizons in the lower part of the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Milford soils are on low broad summits or in depressions on glacial lake plains thought to be of Wisconsin Age. They formed in lacustrine sediments. Some areas have a thin mantle of outwash overlying the lacustrine sediments. Slope gradients commonly are less than 1 percent, but the range is 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 9 to 11 degrees C (48 to 52 degrees F), mean annual precipitation ranges from 737 to 1016 mm (29 to 40 inches), frost-free period ranges from 140 to 180 days, and elevation ranges from 183 to 305 meters (600 to 1,000 feet) above mean sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Beecher, Bryce, Catlin, Del Rey, Drummer, Elliott, Flanagan, Markham, Martinton, Morley, Selma, and Swygert soils. The moderately well drained Catlin, Markham, and Morley soils and the somewhat poorly drained Beecher, Del Rey, Elliott, Flanagan, Martinton, and Swygert soils are on higher elevations or are more sloping, or both. The poorly drained Bryce, Drummer, and Selma soils are on similar landscape positions nearby. The Bryce soils have a 2B horizon in till and do not have strata in the lower part of the solum. The Drummer soils have less than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Selma soils are fine-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained and very poorly drained. The apparent seasonal high water table is 15 cm (0.5 foot) above the soil surface to 31 cm (1.0 foot) below the surface at some time during the spring in most years. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high (1.41 to 4.23 micrometers/s). Permeability is moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for cultivated crops. Principal crops are corn and soybeans and other crops include small grain and meadow. Native vegetation is marsh grasses and sedges.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. These soils are of large extent in MLRAs 95B, 98, 99, 108A, 110, 111A, 111B, and 111D; more than 345,000 acres (139,620 hectares) correlated.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Iroquois County, Illinois, 1939.
REMARKS: A sandy substratum phase has been recognized for pedons underlain by sand within a depth of 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches). A bedrock substratum phase has been recognized for pedons underlain by bedrock within a depth of 152 cm (60 inches). A till substratum phase has been recognized for pedons underlain by till within a depth of 152 cm (60 inches). These phases will be evaluated during MLRA update activities to determine if new series need to be established.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon 0 to 56 cm (0 to 22 inches) (Ap, A, and BA horizons); cambic horizon 46 to 127 cm (18 to 50 inches) (BA, Bg1, Bg2, and Bg3 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: For laboratory analyses refer to Illinois Nos. 18495-18501.