LOCATION OTISCO MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, frigid Argic Endoaquods
TYPICAL PEDON: Otisco loamy sand - on a 1 percent convex slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; black (10YR 2/1) loamy sand; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak coarse granular structure; very friable; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
E--7 to 9 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sand; very weak coarse granular structure; very friable; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
Bs--9 to 17 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common coarse faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron accumulations; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
E'--17 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common coarse distinct dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) iron accumulations; moderately acid; diffuse wavy boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
E and Bt--24 to 29 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sand (E), reddish brown (5YR 4/3) loamy sand (Bt); weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; loamy sand bands are 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch thick separated by about 1 inch of sandy material; few coarse faint dark brown (7.5YR 4/4)iron accumulations; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 31 inches thick)
Bt1--29 to 35 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) fine sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few coarse faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron accumulations; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--35 to 44 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) loamy sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 0 to 18 inches.)
C--44 to 60 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) sand; single grain; loose; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Delta County, Michigan; about 4 miles south of the town of Bark River; 2240 feet east and 100 feet north of the southwest corner, sec. 29, T. 38 N., R. 24 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 24 to 65 inches. The reaction ranges from extremely acid to slightly acid in the upper part of the profile and moderately acid to moderately alkaline in the lower part of the profile. Rock fragments range from 0 to 5 percent throughout the pedon. The 10 to 40 inch particle control section average is sandy.
The Ap horizon has a hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 through 4, and chroma of 1 through 3. Uncultivated areas have an A horizon with a hue of 10YR or is neutral; value of 2 and chroma of 0 or 1, 1 to 4 inches thick. The A horizons have a texture of sand, loamy sand, mucky sand, or sandy loam.
The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 1 through 3. It is sand or loamy sand.
The Bs horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value of 3 or 5; and chroma of 3 to 6. The value and chroma of 3 do not occur together. It is sand or loamy sand.
Some pedons have a Bhs horizon hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 3. It is sand or loamy sand.
The E' and the E part of the E and Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 3 or 4. It is sand or loamy sand. Some pedons have an E/B horizon.
The Bt part of the E and Bt horizon and the Bt horizon have hue of 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture ranges from loamy sand to sandy clay loam. There are gravelly loamy sand lenses in some Bt horizons.
The C horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR and 10YR, value of 5 through 7 and chroma of 2 to 6. It is sand or loamy sand. Thin color bands and up to 7 percent gravel lenses occur in the C horizon in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Gladwin and Pequaming soils. Gladwin soils have carbonates above a depth of 40 inches and have more than 5 percent in the lower part control section. Pequaming soils do not have E and Bt horizons and are more acid in the lower part of the profile.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Otisco soils occupy level to gently sloping areas on outwash plains, lake plains, till plains and low moraines of Wisconsinan Age. Slopes range from 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from about 26 to 33 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 41 to 44 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The well drained Blue Lake and Montcalm soils form a drainage sequence with Otisco. The excessively drained Rubicon and somewhat excessively drained Kalkaska, the somewhat poorly drained Au Gres and the poorly drained Roscommon soils are other common associates.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. The potential surface runoff is low. An apparent water table is at a depth of 0.5 to 1.5 feet from November to May. Permeability is moderately rapid or rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Otisco soils are used for growing corn, wheat, oats, white beans, hay, permanent pasture, and woodland. Common tree species include red maple, balsam fir, quaking aspen and American elm.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern half of the Lower Peninsula and eastern half of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sanilac County, Michigan, 1955. Source of name is township in Ionia County, Michigan.
REMARKS: This revision was to lower the reaction of the E, separate the Bs horizons, add a hue of 2.5YR to the Bhs horizon. It also updated the redox features and the competing series. Classification adjusted to agree with ST Issue #17 on 6 Sept 94 by CLG.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 7 inches (Ap horizon).
Albic horizon - the zone from 7 to 9 inches and 17 to 29 inches (E, E', and E part of E&Bt horizon).
Spodic horizon - the zone from 9 to 17 inches (Bs horizon).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 24 to 44 inches (Bt part of E and Bt horizon, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).