LOCATION GARMORE IAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Garmore loam on a convex slope of about 2 percent gradient - cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; black (10YR 2/1) loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; common fine roots; about 2 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.
A1--6 to 11 inches; black (10YR 2/1) loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; common fine roots; about 2 percent gravel; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
A2--11 to 17 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; about 2 percent gravel; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 14 to 20 inches.)
AB--17 to 21 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; about 2 percent gravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bw1--21 to 36 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; dark brown (10YR 3/3) coatings on faces of peds; about 3 percent gravel; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw2--36 to 43 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; about 3 percent gravel; few fine distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) Fe depletions and few fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) Fe concentrations; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bw3--43 to 49 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; about 3 percent gravel; common medium distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and few fine prominent grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) Fe depletions; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 20 to 40 inches.)
BC--49 to 62 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) loam; weak coarse prismatic structure; friable; few oxide stains on vertical faces; few dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) coatings on faces of peds; about 5 percent gravel; few fine distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) Fe depletions; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
C--62 to 80 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) loam; massive; friable; about 5 percent gravel; few fine distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) Fe depletions and few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) Fe concentrations; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Humboldt County, Iowa; about 1 1/2 miles south and 3 1/2 miles east of Gilmore City; 1,250 feet east and 75 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 14, T. 91 N., R. 30 W., USGS Unique, Iowa Topographic Quadrangle, lat. 42 degrees 42 minutes 07 seconds N., long. 94 degrees 21 minutes 42 seconds W. NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to carbonates is 50 to 70 inches. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick. The upper part of the B horizon typically is medium or strongly acid and the lower part is strongly acid to slightly acid. Coarse fragments of mixed lithology comprise about 2 to 10 percent of the volume of the control section.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loam, clay loam or silt loam. Reaction is strongly acid to neutral.
The AB horizon is similar to the A but includes value of 3.
The Bw horizon has 10YR hue, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 through 6. Texture is loam or clay loam with a clay content of about 24 to 30 percent. It is strongly acid to neutral.
The BC and C horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 or 6. It is loam. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. The moist bulk density is 1.4 to 1.6 g/cc.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Aredale,
Clarion,
Everly,
Farrar,
Kenyon,
Moneta,
Ocheyedan and
Omsrud series.
The Aredale, Everly, and Kenyon series has moist bulk density of more than 1.6 g/cc in the lower third of the series control section. Clarion soils have carbonates at depths of less than 50 inches (The Garmore series was set up originally to show areas where bedrock was within 15 feet or so but is this is not series criteria). Farrar soils have a stratified upper mantle and a lithologic discontinuity within the series control section. Moneta soils have carbonates above depths of 10 inches and has a moist bulk density of more than 1.6 g/cc in the lower third of the series control section. Ocheyedan soils formed in stratified sediment and lack glacial till material in the upper two thirds of the series controls section. Omsrud soils lack saturation in the lower third of the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Garmore soils are on plane or slightly convex slopes on intermediate levels of uplands below undulating convex highs or knolls and above the poorly defined swales. Slope gradients range from 0 to 5 percent. They formed in friable loam to clay loam glacial till of Wisconsinan age. The glacial till is about 10 to 15 feet thick and is underlain by limestone bedrock. Mean annual air temperature ranges from about 45 to 52 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from about 28 to 32 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Clarion and Nicollet soils and the Faxon and Rolfe soils. Faxon soils are underlain by limestone bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Rolfe soils have lower chroma in the B horizons, contain more clay in the B horizons, and are poorly or very poorly drained. Clarion and Nicollet soils are upslope from Garmore soils. Faxon soils are in swales and Rolfe soils are in depressions below Garmore soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Permeability is moderate. Surface runoff is low. Seasonal high saturation occurs at depths as high a 4 feet in spring in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Commonly cultivated to corn, hays, small grains, and soybeans. Native vegetation is tall prairie grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA-103. Central and north central Iowa. This series is inextensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Humboldt County, Iowa, 1958.