LOCATION OWOSSO MI+INEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Owosso sandy loam - on a 4 percent convex slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
A2--10 to 12 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy loam; weak medium platy structure; very friable; many fine roots; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
B1--12 to 15 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine roots; 1 percent pebbles; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
B21--15 to 20 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine roots; 2 percent pebbles; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
B22t--20 to 25 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) thin clay films on faces of peds; 2 percent pebbles; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
IIB23t--25 to 29 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) thin clay films on faces of peds; 2 percent pebbles; few cobblestones; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
IIC1--29 to 35 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; 3 percent pebbles; few cobblestones; slight effervescence; mildly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
IIC2--35 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; massive; friable; light gray (10YR 7/2) lime coatings; 3 percent pebbles; few cobblestones; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Washtenaw County, Michigan; about 3 1/2 miles south and 1 mile east of Dexter; 1,520 feet north and 90 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 20, T. 2 S., R. 5 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 24 to 50 inches and coincides with depth to free carbonates. The solum ranges from neutral to strongly acid. The A2 and B1 horizons typically are slightly acid or medium acid, and the B2 and IIBt horizons typically are slightly acid or neutral but range to moderately alkaline. Coarse fragments range from 0 to 15 percent in the A and B horizons, and from 2 to 5 percent in the IIB and IIC horizons.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. The value is 6. Some pedons have an A1 horizon, 1 to 4 inches thick that has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. The A2 horizon has hue of 10YR, value or 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 or 6. The A horizon is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loamy sand.
The B1 horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loamy sand. The B2 horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value or 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam. The IIB2 horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam.
The IIC horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is loam, clay loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Belmont, Belmore, Chili, Coggon, Conestoga, Council, Douds, El Dara, Gallman, Grellton, Hayden, Hebron, Hickory, High Gap, Hollinger, Kalamazoo, Kanawha, Kendallville, Kidder, Kosciusko, LeRoy, Letort, Lindley, Mandeville, Martinsville, McHenry, Miami, Mifflin, Military, Norden, Ockley, Pecatonica, Princeton, Rawson, Relay, Renova, Richland, Riddles, Rockbridge, Roseville, Sisson, Strawn, Summitville, Teanaway, Theresa, Wawasee, Westville, Whalan, and Woodbine series in the same family and the Metamora, Metea, Seward, Tustin, and Ubly soils. Belmore, Chili, Kalamazoo, Kosciusko, Ockley, Richland, and Rockbridge soils contain more coarse fragments. Belmont, Coggon, Conestoga, Council, El Dara, Grellton, Hayden, Hebron, Hickory, Kendallville, Kidder, LeRoy, Letort, Lindley, Mandeville, McHenry, Miami, Pecatonica, Rawson, Relay, Renova, Riddles, Strawn, Summitville, Teanaway, Theresa, and Westville soils contain less sand and more clay in the upper part of the solum. Douds, Martinsville, Princeton, and Sisson soils contain more very fine sand and silt. In addition, Douds soils are stratified. Gallman and Kanawha soils have thicker sola and more coarse fragments throughout. High Gap, Hollinger, Mifflin, Military, Norden, Roseville, Whalan, and Woodbine soils have bedrock between depths of 20 and 60 inches. Wawasee soils have sandy loam surface layer less than 20 inches thick. Metamora soils have low chroma mottles in the argillic horizon. Metea soils have sand or loamy sand texture in the upper part of the solum. Seward and Tustin soils have clayey IIBt and IIC horizons. Ubly soils have spodic horizons above the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Owosso soils are on till plains and moraines of Wisconsinan age. The slope gradient commonly is 2 to 12 percent but the range is 0 to 25 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 29 to 37 inches, the mean annual temperature ranges from 47 to 53 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature is about 70 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The somewhat poorly drained Metamora soils and the poorly or very poorly drained Corunna soils are in a drainage sequence with Owosso soils. The competing Kendallville, Metea, and Miami soils and the very poorly drained Brookston and the somewhat poorly drained Conover soils are associated on moraines. Boyer and Oshtemo soils are on adjoining outwash plains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow to rapid, depending on slopes. Permeability is moderately rapid in the sandy loam A and B horizons, and moderately slow in the IIB and IIC horizons.
USE AND VEGETATION: A large part, especially on slopes of less than 12 percent, is under cultivation. The principal crops are corn, small grains, soybeans, and hay. A smaller part is in permanent pasture or forest. The native vegetation was forest, chiefly of oaks, hickory, beech, and maple.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Michigan and northern Indiana. The soils of this series are of moderate extent, about 50,000 acres.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ionia County, Michigan, 1965.