LOCATION BADAXE MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, semiactive, mesic Aquic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Badaxe fine sandy loam - on a nearly level slope of 1 percent in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak coarse granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; 5 percent gravel and cobbles; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--10 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; 5 percent gravel and cobbles; mildly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--15 to 20 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loam; many medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; thin discontinuous dark yellowish brown (l0YR 4/4) clay films on faces of some peds; 10 percent gravel and cobbles; mildly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--20 to 27 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy loam; common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) mottles; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; thin discontinuous dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; 10 percent gravel and cobbles; mildly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 11 to 22 inches.)
2Cd1--27 to 36 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam; common medium distinct gray (10YR 6/1) and common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak thick platy structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; very firm; 10 percent gravel and cobbles; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; diffuse wavy boundary.
2Cd2--36 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam; weak thick platy structure; very firm; 10 percent gravel and cobbles; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Huron County, Michigan; about 2 miles west and 2 miles south of Harbor Beach; 1,100 feet south and 1,545 feet east of the northwest corner, sec. 22, T. l6 N., R. l5 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness typically is 20 to 30 inches and ranges from 17 to 40 inches. The depth to very firm dense till ranges from 24 to 40 inches. Reaction throughout the solum ranges from slightly acid to mildly alkaline. Gravel content ranges from 2 to 15 percent throught the pedon. Cobble content ranges from 0 to 25 percent in the A horizon and from 0 to 8 percent throughout the rest of the pedon.
The Ap horizon has 10YR or 7.5YR hue, value of 3 or 4 and chroma of 2 or 3. It is typically fine sandy loam but ranges to sandy loam, loam, cobbly sandy loam or loamy sand.
The Bt horizon has 10YR or 7.5YR hue, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 3 or 4. It is sandy loam or loam.
The 2C horizons have hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 2 to 4. They are loam or clay loam calcareous till. It has thick platy structure or is massive.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bronson and Roby series in the same family. Other closely related series are the Metamora and Owosso soils. Bronson soils have thicker sola and are underlain by gravelly sand. Roby soils are more acid and are underlain with stratified material. Metamora and Owosso soils are fine-loamy. In addition, Metamora soils have a mollic epipedon and Owosso soils lack gray mottles in the upper 10 inches of the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Badaxe soils are on nearly level and gently sloping areas of till plains and moraines. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. These soils formed in sandy loam material underlain by calcareous, loamy glacial till of Wisconsinan Age. Mean annual temperature ranges from 45 to 50 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation is 29 to 37 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Shebeon and Kilmanagh soils, which lack the sandy loam layer overlying the loam till, are commonly nearby.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Surface runoff is slow or medium. Permeability is moderate in the solum and very slow in the C horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of these soils are cultivated. Corn, beans, small grains, sugar beets, and hay are the principal crops.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Thumb area of lower Michigan. The series is of moderate extent, with a total of about 20,000 acres.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Huron County, Michigan; 1978.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 10 inches (Ap horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from 15 to 27 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).