LOCATION CROWRIVER MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Calciaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Crowriver fine sandy loam on a nearly level rim of a depression in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted).
Apk--0 to 9 inches; black (N 2/0) fine sandy loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak very fine subangular blocky; very friable; 1 percent gravel; 3 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
Ak--9 to 13 inches; black (N 2/0) fine sandy loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak very fine subangular blocky; very friable; 1 percent gravel; 3 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of A horizons is 10 to 16 inches)
ABk--13 to 17 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak very fine subangular blocky; very friable; few light olive gray (5Y 6/2) carbonate coats on faces of peds; 2 percent gravel; 4 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bkg1--17 to 29 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) Fe concentrations; common fine, irregular, soft, white (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate concentrations; 3 percent gravel; 6 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Bkg2--29 to 45 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) Fe concentrations; common, fine, irregular, soft, white (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate concentrations distributed uniformly throughout the horizon; about 3 percent gravel; 8 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Bkg3--45 to 60 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak thin platy; very friable; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) Fe concentrations; common, fine, irregular, soft, white (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate concentrations distributed uniformly throughout the horizon; 4 percent gravel; 8 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Meeker County, Minnesota; About 8 miles north and 3 miles west of Grove City; about 200 feet south and 1100 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 29, T. 121 N., R. 32 W. USGS Lake Koronis quadrangle, latitude 45 degrees and 16 minutes N; longitude 94 degrees, 43 minutes and 30 seconds W., NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 10 to 16 inches thick. Rock fragments of mixed lithology range from about 2 to 6 percent in the A horizon and increase to about 10 to 15 percent in the lower part of the Bk horizons. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Calcium carbonate equivalent of the Ak and upper Bk horizons centers on about 25 percent and ranges from 20 to 35 percent. The lower part of the Bkg horizon has 10 to 20 percent. The upper part of the particle size control section has 18 to 23 percent clay. The particle size control section averages between 14 and 18 percent clay and 35 and 55 percent fine sand and coarser sand. The lower one half of the series control section is saturated for 21 days beyond the summer solstice in 6 years out of 10.
The Ak horizons have hue of 10YR or are neutral, with value of 2 or 3, 4 to 6 dry, and chroma of 0 or 1. The Ak horizon is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam or sandy clay loam.
The ABk horizon has hue of 10YR, 5Y, or is neutral, with value of 3 or 4 and chroma of 0 or 1. It is fine sandy loam, loam, or sandy clay loam.
The Bkg1 horizon has hue of or 5Y, 2.5Y, or 10YR; value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 1 or 2. It commonly is loam, fine sandy loam or sandy loam and less commonly sandy clay loam.
The Bkg2 and Bkg3 horizons have hue of 5Y or 2.5Y; value of 4 to 6 with chroma of 2 to 4. It is commonly is fine sandy loam or sandy loam but some pedons have thin subhorizons of loam. High chroma redoximorphic features are common.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cullison, Fedora, and Ironton soils. Cullison, Fedora, and Ironton soils do not have rock fragments in the particle size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Crowriver soils have slightly convex to plane slope positions and are on rims of depressions. Slope gradient ranges from 0 to 2 percent. They have formed in loamy glacial till thought to be from the Wadena Lobe of the Late Wisconsin glaciation. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 45 to 48 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 24 to 28 inches. The number of frost free days ranges from 140 to 155. Elevation ranges from 1050 to 1250 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Forestcity, Grovecity, Koronis, Lundlake, Marcellon, Sunburg, Swedegrove, Uniongrove, and Wadenill soils. Koronis, Sunburg and Wadenill are well drained. Koronis and Wadenill are on back slopes, shoulders and summits. Sunburg soils are calcareous throughout and are on shoulders. Somewhat poorly and moderately well drained Grovecity soils and somewhat poorly drained Marcellon soils are on summits. Forestcity soils are on footslopes and are not calcareous. Swedegrove and Uniongrove are nearby on nearly level landscape positions. Swedegrove has less carbonates in the upper part of the solum. Uniongrove does not have carbonates in the upper part of the solum. Very poorly drained Lundlake soils are in depressions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Surface runoff is moderately low. Permeability is moderately rapid. The apparent water table is at 0.5 to 1.5 at some time during November to July in most years when undrained.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly drained and cropped to corn and soybeans. A few areas are in pasture. Native vegetation is tall grass prairie.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and South central Minnesota. This series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Meeker County, Minnesota, 1995
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 13 inches (Apk and Ak horizons); Calcic horizon - the zone between 9 and 29 inches (Ak, ABk, and Bkg1 horizons). Other features are: aquic moisture condition - redoximorphic features and saturation below the mollic epipedon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station Central File Code numbers 4414, 4517 and 4518 for results of laboratory analyses of some pedons of this series. Soil Interpretations Record Number is MN0691.