LOCATION OWEGO              IA+NE SD

OWEGO SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, nonacid, mesic Vertic Endoaquepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Owego silty clay, on a 1/2 percent slope, in a cultivated field, at an elevation of 1,080 feet above sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 8 inches; very dark gray (5Y 3/1) silty clay, gray (5Y 5/1) dry; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; firm; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common fine faint olive gray (5Y 4/2) redoximorphic depletions; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)

Bg--8 to 14 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) silty clay; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; firm; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common fine faint olive gray (5Y 4/2) and common fine prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) redoximorphic concentrations; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)

2Cg--14 to 23 inches; about 50 percent light olive gray (5Y 6/2) and about 50 percent pale olive (5Y 6/3) silt loam; massive; friable; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; common fine prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4), yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), and strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) redoximorphic concentrations; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)

3Ab--23 to 32 inches; black (5Y 2/1) silty clay; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; firm; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many distinct black (N 2/0) organic coats on vertical faces of peds; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and common fine prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) redoximorphic concentrations; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)

3Bgb1--32 to 43 inches; very dark gray (5Y 3/1) silty clay; moderate very fine prismatic structure parting to moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky; firm; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many distinct black (N 2/0) organic coats on vertical faces of peds; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) redoximorphic concentrations; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

3Bgb2--43 to 55 inches; olive gray (5Y 4/2) silty clay; moderate very fine prismatic structure parting to moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky; firm; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few distinct very dark gray (5Y 3/1) organic coats on vertical faces of peds; common faint dark gray (5Y 4/1) coats on vertical faces of peds; common fine prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4 and 2.5Y 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; very slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary.

3Bsskgb--55 to 66 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) silty clay; moderate fine prismatic structure; firm; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many faint very dark gray (5Y 3/1) intersecting slickensides; common fine rounded very pale brown (10YR 8/2) carbonate nodules; common fine distinct dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) redoximorphic depletions; very slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 3Bgb and 3Bsskgb horizons is 20 to 35 inches.)

3BCssgb--66 to 77 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) clay; massive; firm; common very fine tubular pores; common faint very dark gray (5Y 3/1) nonintersecting slickensides; common medium rounded very pale brown (10YR 8/2) carbonate nodules; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; very slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

3Cg--77 to 80 inches; gray (5Y 5/1) clay; massive; firm; common very fine tubular pores; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Woodbury County, Iowa; about 2 miles north of Salix; about 1,175 feet south and 2,520 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 23, T. 87 N., R. 47 W.; USGS Salix quadrangle; lat. 42 degrees 20 minutes 28.3 seconds N. and long. 96 degrees 16 minutes 53.3 seconds W., NAD 83

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to carbonates--12 to 24 inches
Content of clay in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--35 to 45 percent
Content of sand in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--1 to 10 percent

A or Ap horizon:
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y
Value--3
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silty clay
Clay content--40 to 56 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--0 to 15 percent
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral
Moist bulk density--1.20 to 1.35 g/cc

Overwash phases:
Texture--silt loam
Clay content--24 to 27 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--neutral to moderately alkaline
Moist bulk density--1.25 to 1.30 g/cc
Thickness--10 to 20 inches

Bg horizon:
Hue--2.5Y or 5Y
Value--4
Chroma--1
Texture--silty clay
Clay content--40 to 51 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--0 to 15 percent
Reaction--slightly acid or neutral
Moist bulk density--1.20 to 1.35 g/cc

2Cg horizon:
Hue--2.5Y or 5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--1 to 3
Texture--silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, or loam
Clay content--15 to 30 percent
Sand content--15 to 30 percent, mostly fine sand or sand coarser than fine sand
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Moist bulk density--1.30 to 1.40 g/cc

3Ab horizon:
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y
Value--2 or 3
Chroma--1
Texture--silty clay
Clay content--45 to 58 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Moist bulk density--1.35 to 1.45 g/cc

3Bgb or 3Bsskgb horizon:
Hue--2.5Y or 5Y
Value--3 to 6
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silty clay
Clay content--45 to 58 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Moist bulk density--1.35 to 1.45 g/cc

3Cssg or 3Cg horizons:
Hue--5Y or is neutral
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--0 to 2
Texture--silty clay or clay
Clay content--48 to 70 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Moist bulk density--1.35 to 1.45 g/cc

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Karnak series.
Karnak--do not have carbonates in the series control section

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--clayey and silty alluvium
Landform--flood plains
Slopes--0 to 2 percent
Elevation--700 to 1,200 feet above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--47 to 52 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation--26 to 32 inches
Frost-free period--145 to 175 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Albaton, Blake, Modale, and Onawa soils.
Albaton--are in landform positions similar to those of the Owego soils and have a clay content of 50 to 60 percent in the particle-size control section
Blake--are in the slightly higher landscape positions and have a clay content of 22 to 35 percent in the particle-size control section
Modale--are in slightly higher landscape positions and have a clay content of 10 to 18 percent in the upper third to upper half of the particle-size control section
Onawa--are in slightly higher landscape positions and have a clay content of 10 to 18 percent in the lower half to lower two thirds of the particle-size control section

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class--poorly drained--a saturated zone occurs within a depth of 1 foot during March to June in most years and is considered apparent
Permeability--very slow
Surface runoff potential--very low
Flooding--occasional or rare flooding for brief periods during the months of February to November from precipitation events and snowmelt and flooding from streambank overflow is limited where dams and levees protect areas

USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas are cultivated. The principal crops are corn, small grains, and soybeans. Most areas are drained by surface ditches or land grading. The native vegetation is big bluestem, little bluestem, western wheatgrass, prairie cordgrass, sedges, river bulrush and other species of the tall grass prairie that are tolerant of excessive wetness.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
LRR M, MLRA 107; flood plains in the Missouri River valley in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. This series is of small extent.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Woodbury County, Iowa, 1972.

REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 10 to 40 inches (Bg, 2Cg, 3Ab, and 3Bgb1 horizons);
series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 66 inches (Ap, Bg, 2Cg, 3Ab, 3Bgb1, 3Bgb2, and 3Bsskgb horizons).

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
ochric epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 8 inches (Ap horizon);
cambic horizon--the zone from a depth of 8 to 14 inches (Bg horizon);
aquic moisture regime.

Vertic subgroup based on linear extensibility greater than 6.0 cm between the surface and a depth of 100 cm.

Taxonomy version--second edition, 1999.

Refer to DMUid 280,710 in NASIS for property data.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Laboratory data--Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa pedon 99-IA-193-015A.