LOCATION SIDELL IN+ILEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Argiudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Sidell silt loam on a nearly level slope of 1 percent in a cultivated field (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated).
Ap--0 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; medium acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--9 to 12 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; common very fine pores; medium acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 10 to 15 inches.)
Bt1--12 to 17 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine pores; thin continuous very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay films on the faces of peds; medium acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2-17 to 22 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many very fine pores; thin continuous very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay films on the faces of peds; medium acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt3--22 to 29 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many very fine pores; thin continuous dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay films on the faces of peds; medium acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 10 to 30 inches.)
2Bt4--29 to 34 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many very fine pores; thin continuous dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay films on the faces of peds; 1 percent gravel; medium acid; clear smooth boundary.
2Bt5--34 to 39 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine roots; many very fine pores; thin continuous dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) clay films on the faces of peds; 1 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
2Bt6--39 to 46 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; many very fine pores; thin continuous dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) clay films on the faces of peds; 1 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 12 to 35 inches.)
3Bt7--46 to 56 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay loam; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; common very fine pores; thin continuous dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) clay films on the faces of peds; 5 percent gravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
3Bt8--56 to 77 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; thin discontinuous dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on the faces of peds; 5 percent gravel; slight effervescence; mildly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness at the 3Bt horizon is 3 to 20 inches.)
3C--77 to 80 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; massive; friable; 5 percent gravel; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Tippecanoe County, Indiana; 140 feet west and 175 feet north of the center of Sec. 21, T. 22N., R. 4W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is 60 to 80 inches. Thickness of the silty material is 24 to 40 inches. Depth to the 3Bt horizon is 45 to 60 inches.
The Ap and A horizons have hue of 10YR, value of 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. The Ap ranges from strongly acid to neutral depending on liming history.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. It is silt loam or silty clay loam and ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. It is clay loam or sandy loam and is very strongly acid to slightly acid. The gravel content ranges from 0 to 10 percent.
The 3Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is clay loam or loam and ranges from slightly acid to mildly alkaline. Gravel content ranges from 2 to 10 percent.
The 3C horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. Gravel content ranges from 2 to 10 percent. It contains free carbonates.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ashdale, Assumption, Barrington, Broadwell, Catlin, Cotter, Dana, Dinsdale, Douglas, Elkhart, Elmont, Harrison, Healing, Keltner, Mendota, Ogle, Plano, Proctor, Reading, Richwood, Ripon, Saybrook, Tama, Toddville, Troxel, Waupecan, and Wiota series in the same family. The Ashdale, Elmont, Keltner, and Ripon soils have more clay in the lower part of the B horizon and are underlain by bedrock. Assumption soils have the lower part of the solum formed in a Paleosol. Barrington, Elkhart, Mendota, and Saybrook soils have thinner sola and free carbonates within a depth of 40 inches. Broadwell soils contain more sand in the lower part of the solum. Catlin and Plano soils fromed in more than 40 inches of silty material. Cotter, Reading, and Troxel soils have mollic epipedons more than 24 inches thick. Dana soils have gray mottles in the lower part of the solum. Dinsdale soils have thinner Bt horizons. Douglas, Harrison, Healing, Tama, and Wiota soils have less sand and gravel in the lower part of the sola and do not have 2B horizons. Ogle soils have redder hue in the lower part of the sola. Proctor and Richwood soils formed in stratified silty sediments, and do not have 3B horizons. Toddville and Wiota soils formed in silty alluvial sediments and have less sand in the lower part of the sola. Waupecan soils contain more gravel in the lower part of the sola and in the C horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sidell soils are on Wisconsin age till plains. The slope gradient is 0 to 12 percent. Soils formed in 24 to 40 inches of silty material and the underlying loamy glaciofluvial material and glacial till. Mean annual temperature ranges from 49 to 52 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 38 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Lauramie (proposed series) and
Mellott soils. The well drained Lauramie and Mellott soils have dark colored surface layers less than 10 inches thick. Lauramie soils have more sand in
the upper part of the sola and are on more sloping areas in the landscape. Mellott soils are on similar landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cropped to corn, soybeans, or small grain. A few areas are used for legume hay or pasture. Native vegetation was tall prairie grasses, chiefly big bluestem.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central Indiana and Illinois. The Sidell series is of moderate extent
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Vermillion County, Illinois, 1930.
REMARKS: This soil is considered prime farmland. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of approximately 12 inches (Ap, A horizon)
Argillic horizon: the zone from approximately 12 to 77 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, 2Bt4, 2BtS, 2Bt6, 3Bt7, 3Bt8 horizon)
This draft changes the concept of the series from one formed in loess and till to one formed in silty material, loamy glaciofluvium, and glacial till. Sidell has been correlated in Fountain, Tippecanoe, and Franklin (261 acres) counties in Indiana. The recent survey of Tippecanoe County pointed out there are not mappable areas of Sidell as defined by the 1/79 draft. Spot checking shows that the glaciofluvium is also present in Fountain County.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 6/87.