LOCATION PLATTERIVER MITentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Oxyaquic Udipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Platteriver sand, in a forested area of Crystalia-Platteriver-Dair complex, 0 to 6 percent slopes, on a southwest facing slope at an elevation of 593 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. When described on August 8, 1995, the soil was moist to a depth of 54 inches and saturated below.)
Oa--0 to 1 inches; highly decomposed plant material; extremely acid,abrupt smooth boundary.
A--1 to 3 inches; very dark gray (7.5YR 3/1) sand, gray (7.5YR 5/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine to coarse roots; less than 1 percent gravel; extremely acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
E--3 to 14 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) sand, pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) dry; single grain; loose; common fine to medium roots; less than 1 percent gravel; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. (8 to 13 inches thick)
Bw1--14 to 20 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots; less than 1 percent gravel; extremely acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--20 to 29 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; common medium distinct brown (7.5YR 5/4) masses of iron accumulation; less than 1 percent gravel; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Total thickness of the Bs horizons is 15 to 25 inches)
C--29 to 80 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sand; single grain loose; few fine roots; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; less than 1 percent gravel; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Benzie County, Michigan; about 1 1/2 miles north of Platte Lake in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore; 1,010 feet north and 1,340 feet west of the southeast corner of section 22, T. 27 N., R. 15 W.; U.S.G.S. Beulah topographic quadrangle; latitude 44 degrees, 43 minutes, 46 seconds North and longitude 86 degrees, 4 minutes, 57 seconds West; North American 1927 Datum.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to redoximorphic accumulations is 18 to 40 inches. Less than 90 percent of the minerals are weather resistant. Reaction is extremely acid to slightly acid throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1. It is sand.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is sand.
The Bw horizons have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. Redoximorphic features have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5, and chroma of 4 to 8. The Bw horizons are sand. Some pedons have few small pieces of extremely weakly cemented ortstein. Ortstein occupies less than 5 percent of the Bs horizons.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4. Redoximorphic features have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5, and chroma of 4 to 8. It is sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Abscota, and Denham(T) soils. Other similar soils are the Mooers, Pelkie and Wurtsmith soils. The Abscota soils have an irregular decrease in organic carbon with depth and are on floodplains. The Denham soils are formed on outwash plains from eolian sands, which contains more than 30 percent fine and very fine sands. The Mooers, Pelkie and Wurtsmith soils are frigid.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Platteriver soils formed in eolian and water worked sands and are on low dunes and beach ridges along Lake Michigan. Slope gradients range from 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 47 to 49 degrees F., mean annual precipitation ranges from 30 to 32 inches, and elevation ranges from 580 feet to 630 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Crystalia, Pipestone, Dair, and Adrian soils. The excessively drained Crystalia soils are on higher beach ridges and dunes. The Somewhat poorly drained Pipestone soils are on lower beach ridges. The very poorly drained Dair and Adrian soils are in swales between the ridges.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. The potential for surface runoff potential is negligible. Permeability is rapid. In undisturbed areas the depth to the top of an apparent seasonal high water table ranges from 1.5 to 3.5 feet for some time in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are forested. Natural vegetation is red pine, northern red oak, red maple, quaking aspen, and eastern white pine. Understory vegetation includes bracken fern, blueberry, and bearberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 96 in the northwestern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan. Platteriver soils are of minor extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES PROPOSED: Benzie County, Michigan, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - from 1 to 14 inches (E horizon).
Oxyaquic feature - saturation in the zone from 18 to 40 inches, (Bs and C horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Site of Typical Pedon: Reference Soil number S95MI-019-002, National Soil Survey Laboratory Pedon No. 95P 890, Sample No. 95P 5777 to 5781.