LOCATION MACOMB MI+NYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, mesic Aquollic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Macomb loam, cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; many fine roots; 3 percent gravel; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
E--8 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; 3 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--11 to 19 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine roots; continuous brown (10YR 5/3) clay films on the surfaces of peds and in pores; less than 5 percent gravel; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
Bt2--19 to 29 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and gray (5Y 6/1) mottles; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; continuous grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on surfaces of peds and in pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt irregular boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
2C1--29 to 33 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sand; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and gray (5Y 6/1) mottles; single grain; loose; 40 percent gravel; slightly alkaline; slight effervescence; abrupt wavy boundary.
3C2--33 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam; common medium prominent gray (5Y 6/1) mottles; massive; firm; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline; slight effervescence.
TYPE LOCATION: Washtenaw County, Michigan; about 1 1/2 miles north and 1/2 mile east of Delhi Mills; 660 feet south and 430 feet west of the northeast corner of the southeast 1/4, sec. 35, T. 1 S., R. 5 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness and depth to carbonates ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The solum ranges from moderately acid to neutral. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 20 percent by volume in the solum, from 20 to 60 percent by volume in the 2C, and from 1 to 10 percent in the 3C horizon.
The Ap horizon has value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 or 2. The E horizon, where present, has value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 2 or 3. The A and E horizons are loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam.
The Bt1 horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 3 to 6. It is clay loam, loam, or sandy clay loam.
The Bt2 horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is clay loam, gravelly clay loam, sandy clay loam, gravelly sandy clay loam, or loam.
The 2C horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 6 and chroma of 3 or 4. It is gravelly sand, gravelly loamy sand or gravelly sandy loam.
The 3C horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 and chroma of 4 to 6. It is clay loam, loam or silty clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alida, Ashippun, Glenhall, Kasson, Kibbie, Lineville, Locke, Lourdes, Montmorenci, Mosel, Newry, Oran, and Symco series in the same family and the Brady, Cadmus, Conover, Matherton, and Metamora series in closely related families. Alida, Kasson and Locke soils are more acid. Ashippun soils are less acid and have shale fragments in their sola. Glenhall and Newry soils have thicker sola. Kibbie soils formed in stratified very fine sands and silts and also lack coarse fragments. Oran soils typically have thicker sola and do not have gravelly 2C horizons. Montmorenci and Symoc soils lack the 2C horizon of gravelly sand. Mosel soils formed in 20 to 36 inches of coarse textured outwash and the underlying lacustrine sediments. Brady soils have coarser textured sola. Cadmus soils lack low chroma mottles in the upper 10 inches of the argillic horizon. Conover soils lack the gravelly 2C horizon. Matherton soils have contrasting textures with sand and gravel 2C horizons extending below 40 inches. Metamora soils have fewer coarse fragments in all or part of the B horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Macomb soils are on nearly level and very gently sloping areas of till plains and lake plains that have a thin covering of gravelly outwash. Slopes range from 0 to 6 percent, but typically are 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 29 to 37 inches, and the mean annual temperature ranges from 45 to 50 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Berville, Blount, Cadmus, Conover, Ionia, Kendallville, and Matherton soils. The Macomb soils are in a drainage sequence with the well drained Kendallville soils, the moderately well drained Cadmus soils, and the poorly drained Berville soils. The finer textured Blount soils and the Conover soils, which do not have gravelly 2C horizons, are associated on till plains. The well drained Ionia soils and somewhat poorly drained Matherton soils, which are fine loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, are assoicated where till plains join outwash plains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Surface runoff is slow. Permeability is moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated. Corn, soybeans, small grains, and legume-grass hay are the principal crops. Some areas are used for permanent pasture or forest. The native vegetation is hardwoods; principally American elm, white ash, American basswood, red maple, hickory, and swamp white oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Michigan. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Tuscola County, Michigan, 1926.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 8 inches (Ap horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from 11 to 29 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).