LOCATION SAYBROOK           IL+WI
Established Series
Rev. SLE-TJE-AAC
09/2008

SAYBROOK SERIES


The Saybrook series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils formed in loess or other silty material and in the underlying loamy calcareous till on till plains. Slope gradients range from 0 to 20 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 889 mm (35 inches) and mean annual temperature is about 10 degrees C (50 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Oxyaquic Argiudolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Saybrook silt loam - on a south-facing convex slope of 3 percent in a cultivated field at an elevation of 698 feet above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 inches); black (10YR 2/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.

AB--25 to 38 cm (10 to 15 inches); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) and brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Ap, A, or AB horizons is 38 to 51 cm (15 to 20 inches).]

Bt1--38 to 53 cm (15 to 21 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common distinct very dark brown (10YR 2/2) organo-clay films on faces of peds; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bt2--53 to 66 cm (21 to 26 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bt3--66 to 76 cm (26 to 30 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; common distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common prominent irregular black (7.5YR 2.5/1) extremely weakly cemented iron-manganese accumulations throughout; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bt4--76 to 81 cm (30 to 32 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; common prominent irregular black (7.5YR 2.5/1) extremely weakly cemented iron-manganese accumulations throughout; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 15 to 51 cm (6 to 20 inches).]

2Bt5--81 to 91 cm (32 to 36 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few distinct brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common medium prominent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; common distinct irregular black (7.5YR 2.5/1) extremely weakly cemented iron-manganese accumulations throughout; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [8 to 38 cm (3 to 15 inches) thick]

2C--91 to 152 cm (36 to 60 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam; massive; friable; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; many medium prominent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; common distinct irregular black (7.5YR 2.5/1) extremely weakly cemented iron-manganese accumulations throughout; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Bureau County, Illinois; about 3.5 miles south of Manlius; 2,500 feet south and 1,300 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 3, T. 16 N., R. 7 E.; USGS Manlius topographc quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees 24 minutes 7.2 seconds N., and long. 89 degrees 40 minutes 48.8 seconds W.; NAD 27; UTM Zone 16T 0275946 easting 4586856 northing; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 61 to 102 cm (24 to 40 inches). The thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 25 to 51 cm (10 to 20 inches). The depth to till ranges from 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches). The depth to carbonates is less than 102 cm (40 inches) and generally is a few inches less than the thickness of the base of the argillic horizon. The particle-size control section averages between 25 and 35 percent clay.

The Ap or A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral.

Some pedons have a BA horizon.

The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 1 to 6. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. Average clay content ranges from 25 to 35 percent. Low chroma is associated with low value. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral.

The 2Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is clay loam, loam, silty clay loam, or silt loam. Clay content ranges from 20 to 35 percent and sand content ranges from 15 to 45 percent. Gravel content is less than 15 percent. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline and commonly is most acid in the upper part.

Some pedons have a 2BC horizon.

The 2C horizon has colors similar to the 2Bt horizon. It is loam. Clay content ranges from 20 to 27 percent and sand content ranges from 25 to 45 percent. Silt content is less than 50 percent. Gravel content is less than 15 percent. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Assumption, Aviston, Barrington, Blackberry, Buckhart, Catlin, Clare, Dana, Danabrook, Geryune, Graymont, Harrison, Keltner, and Totanang soils. Assumption, Aviston, Blackberry, Buckhart, Catlin, Clare, Dana, Harrison, and Totanang soils have argillic horizons that extend to depths greater than 40 inches. Barrington soils have subhorizons in the lower part of the series control section that have more than 45 percent sand. Danabrook and Geryune soils have less than 20 percent clay in the lower part of the series control section. Graymont soils average less than 20 percent sand and more than 50 percent silt in the lower part of the series control section. Keltner soils have a paralithic contact in the lower part of the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Saybrook soils are on till plains. Slopes commonly are 2 to 7 percent and range from 0 to 20 percent. Saybrook soils formed in 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches) of loess or other silty material and in the underlying loamy calcareous till of Wisconsinan age. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 8 to 12 degrees C (46 to 54 degrees F)., mean annual precipitation ranges from 737 to 914 mm (29 to 36 inches), frost free days range from 160 to 180 days, and elevation ranges from 207 to 311 meters (680 to 1020 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brenton, Catlin, Drummer, Flanagan, Lisbon, and La Rose soils. Catlin soils are on similar nearby landforms where the loess mantle is thicker. The Lisbon soils are the somewhat poorly drained member of a drainage sequence with Saybrook soils. The Brenton, Drummer, and Flanagan soils all are on nearly level or gently sloping parts of the landscape and have lower chroma in the upper part of the B horizon. La Rose soils typically have steeper slopes, a higher content of sand in the solum, and carbonates within a depth of 61 cm (24 inches).

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. A perched seasonal high water table is at a depth of 61 to 107 cm (2.0 to 3.5 feet) at some time between February and April in normal years. The potential for surface runoff is low or medium. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high to high (4.23 to 14.11 micrometers per second) in the solum and moderately slow (1.41 to 4.23 micrometers per second) in the substratum. Permeability is moderate in the solum and moderately slow in the substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used to grow corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, and hay. Native vegetation is prairie grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and northern Illinois and south-central Wisconsin. Saybrook soils are extensive (more than 220,000 acres correlated) in MLRAs 95B, 108, and 110.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ford County, Illinois, 1929.

REMARKS: Previously correlated Saybrook soils that developed in silt loam glacial till in eastern Illinois are part of the glacial moraine in which the Graymont series has been established. MLRA 108 update activities should determine the feasibility of recorrelating "silt loam/silty clay loam till Saybrook to the Graymont series. The differentiating criteria would be greater than or less than about 50 percent silt in the glacial till.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to 38 cm (15 inches). (Ap and AB horizons);
argillic horizon - the zone from 38 to 91 cm (15 to 36 inches) (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, and 2Bt5 horizons)


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.