LOCATION LOCKE MI+WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, mesic Aquollic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Locke fine sandy loam - on a 2 percent south-facing concave slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable about 5 percent gravel; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 14 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; many medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) and many medium faint brown (10YR 5/3) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and very dark brown (10YR 2/2) clay films on faces of peds; about 6 percent gravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--14 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4,4/6) and few fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and common distinct gray (10YR 6/1) clay films on faces of peds; about 2 percent gravel; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 8 to 26 inches)
Btk--24 to 37 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam; many medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) and medium faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and grayish brown (10YR 5/2) mottles; weak coarse platy structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; common faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay films on faces of peds; common distinct light gray (10YR 6/1) lime pendents on rock fragments; about 4 percent gravel; strong effervescence on ped coats; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
C--37 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam; many medium faint light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) mottles; massive; friable; common medium distinct light gray (10YR 6/1) soft masses of carbonates; about 4 percent gravel; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Hillsdale County, Michigan, about 4 miles west of the village of Reading, 940 feet east and 80 feet north of the southwest corner of section 19, T. 7 S., R. 4 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 20 to 40. Gravel content ranges from 2 to 15 percent and cobbles range from 0 to 6 percent throughout the pedon. The upper part of the solum ranges from strongly acid to neutral, and the lower part ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline. The control section ranges from moderately acid to moderately alkaline.
The Ap horizon has value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Uncultivated areas have thin 4 to 6 inch A horizons with similar colors and textures.
Some pedons have an E horizon with hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. The A and E horizons are sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam.
Some pedons have EB horizons. The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is sandy loam, loam, or sandy clay loam. The Btk horizon has colors and textures similar to the Bt horizon. The clay content of the Bt and Btk horizon averages between 18 to 25 percent. Some pedons do not have Btk horizons.
The C horizon has value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is mainly sandy loam or fine sandy loam but pockets and lenses of sand or loamy sand are in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alida, Ashippum, Kasson, Kibbie, Lineville, Lourdes, Macomb, Montmorenci, Mosel, Newry, Oran and Symco series. Similar soils are the Capac, Conover, and Crosier series. Alida soils are very strongly acid or strongly acid in the control section. Ashippum and Macomb soils have more than 25 percent clay in the control section. Kasson soils do not have free carbonates within 40 inches and are very strongly acid or extremely acid in the upper part of the control section. Kibbie soils have subhorizons that have more than 60 percent silt and less than 2 percent gravel in the control section.. Lineville and Oran soils do not have free carbonates within 40 inches. Lourdes soils have more than 30 percent clay in the control section. Montmorenci soils contain more than 25 percent clay in the control section. Mosel soils have more than 27 percent clay and less than 30 percent fine sand or coarser in the lower part of the series control section. Newry soils are deeper to free carbonates in the control section. Capac, Conover, and Crosier soils have more than 25 percent clay in the control section. In addition, Capac, Conover, and Crosier soils have low chromas immediately below the Ap horizon. Symco soils typically average more than 25 percent clay in the control section and more than 18 clay in the C horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Locke soils are on nearly level areas of ground moraines of Wisconsinan age. Slopes are commonly between 0 and 2 percent and range from 0 to 6 percent. They formed in till. Mean annual precipitation is 30 to 36 inches, mean annual temperature ranges from 47 to 50 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Barry, Brady, Dryden, Gilford, Kidder, Lapeer, and Wasepi soils. The well drained Lapeer and Kidder soils, the moderately well drained Dryden, and the poorly or very poorly drained Barry soils are in the same drainage sequence. Wasepi, Gilford, and Brady soils are in nearby narrow drainageways.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Depth to the seasonal high water table ranges from 1 to 2 feet. Surface runoff is slow. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: A large part is cropped to beans, corn, hay, or small grains. A small part is in permanent pasture or woodland. Native vegetation was forest of American basswood, red maple, white ash, northern red oak, and white oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Michigan and east-central Wisconsin. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lapeer County, Michigan, 1966.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 9 inches (Ap horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from 9 to 24 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizon); aquic feature - mottles with chroma of 2 or less in upper 10 inches of the Bt; mollic feature - value moist of less than 3 or less than 5 (dry) in the Ap horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: See NSSL sample S84MI-059-001 for laboratory data.