LOCATION HATMAKER MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, semiactive, mesic Aeric Endoaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Hatmaker loam - on a 3 percent northwest-facing slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
EB--8 to 15 inches; pale olive (5Y 6/3) loam; few fine distinct gray (10YR 5/1) and common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4, 5/8) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)
2Bt--15 to 19 inches; olive (5Y 5/3) silt loam; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and prominent gray (N 5/0) mottles; strong medium angular blocky structure; firm; few prominent gray (N 5/0) clay films; common coarse dark concretions (Fe and Mn oxides); 10 percent shale fragments, less than 6 inches in length; mildly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
2Btg1--19 to 31 inches; gray (5Y 5/1) silt loam; common medium distinct olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) mottles; strong medium angular blocky structure; firm; common prominent gray (N 5/0) clay films; common coarse dark concretions (Fe and Mn oxides); 10 percent shale fragments less than 6 inches in length; mildly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
2Btg2--31 to 39 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) silt loam; common medium distinct dark gray (N 4/1), olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) mottles; strong medium angular blocky structure; firm; common prominent dark gray (N 4/0) clay films; common coarse dark concretions (Fe and Mn oxides); 16 percent shale fragments less than 6 inches in length; mildly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 10 to 30 inches.)
2C--39 to 60 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) shaly silt loam; common medium distinct olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) and common fine distinct gray (N 5/0) mottles; massive; firm; common coarse dark concretions (Fe and Mn oxides); 20 percent shale fragments less than 6 inches in length; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Branch County, Michigan; about 2 miles south and 1 1/2 miles west of Coldwater; 1,640 feet east and 280 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 6, T. 7 S., R. 6 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum range from 24 to 50 inches. The volume of coarse fragments, mainly small shale fragments, ranges from 0 to 5 percent in the A horizon and 2 to 30 percent in the 2Bt and 2C horizons.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y; value of 4, 5, or 6 to 7 dry; and chroma of 2 or 3. Some pedons have an A horizon, 1 to 4 inches thick, that has hue of 10YR, 5Y, or 2.5Y; value of 4 to 6; and chroma of 2 to 4. The A horizon is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam. It is slightly acid or neutral.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is silt loam or silty clay loam and shaly analogues. It is slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
The 2C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silt loam or silty clay loam and shaly analogues. It is moderately alkaline with slight or strong effervescence.
COMPETING SERIES These are the Aptakisic, Bromer, Coulterville, Creal, Fincastle, Fitchville, Iva, Kendall, Niagara, Reesville, Starks, Stronghurst, Taggart, Tiro, and Waynetown series. All of these lack residuum from shale and shale fragments. In addition, the Aptakisic, Kendall, Niagara, Starks, and Taggart soils have stratified C horizons. Fincastle and Tiro soils have developed in less than 40 inches of loess overlying loamy till. Fitchville soils developed in lacustrine materials. Iva, Reesville, and Stronghurst soils are developed entirely is loess. Taggart soils have 24 to 50 inches of loess or silty sediments over loamy outwash.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hatmaker soils are on moraines. Slopes range from 0 to 6 percent. The soils formed in loamy glaciofluvial materials overlying silty materials weathered from Coldwater shale. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 27 to 37 inches, and mean annual temperature ranges from 48 to 52 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the somewhat poorly drained Locke and very poorly drained Brookston soils. Locke and Brookston soils are in similar landscape positions, but lack residual material above 60 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Surface runoff is slow to medium. Permeability is moderately rapid in the upper material and moderately slow in the underlying material.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated with corn and soybeans, wheat, and alfalfa-brome the principal crops. Small areas are used for woodland, with northern red oak, white oak, and red maple the dominant species.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South Central Michigan. This series is of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Branch County, Michigan, 1984.
REMARKS: Classification adjusted to agree with ST Issue #17 on 6 Sept 94 by CLG.