LOCATION PORT BYRON IL+IA MN WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Port Byron silt loam on a north-facing 3 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of 216 meters (710 feet). (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak medium granular structure; friable; many very fine and fine roots throughout; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--20 to 33 cm (8 to 13 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine and fine roots throughout; many faint very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organic coatings on faces of peds; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 61 cm (10 to 24 inches)]
BA--33 to 51 cm (13 to 20 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots between peds; many faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) organic coatings on faces of peds; few distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) dry, silt coatings on faces of peds; few faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) wormcasts; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [0 to 18 cm (0 to 7 inches) thick]
Bw1--51 to 79 cm (20 to 31 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots between peds; common faint brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; few faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) wormcasts; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--79 to 100 cm (31 to 40 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; moderate coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots between peds; common faint brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; few distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) dry, silt coatings on faces of peds; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bw3--100 to 132 cm (40 to 52 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots between peds; few faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; few distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) dry, silt coatings on faces of peds; few fine faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) masses of iron in the matrix; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 61 to 86 cm (24 to 34 inches)]
BC--132 to 150 cm (52 to 60 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; weak medium and coarse prismatic structure; firm; few fine roots between peds; few distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) dry, silt coatings on faces of peds; common fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron in the matrix; few fine dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) coatings of iron-manganese oxides on faces of peds; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [13 to 25 cm (5 to 10 inches) thick]
C1--150 to 168 cm (60 to 66 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; massive; friable; common fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6 and 5/8) masses of iron in the matrix; few fine and medium irregular brown (7.5YR 4/4) and few fine prominent rounded black (N 2.5/) concretions of iron-manganese oxides throughout the matrix; common medium prominent black (5Y 2.5/1) irregular masses of iron-manganese in root channels and pores in the lower 2 inches; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
C2--168 to 196 cm (66 to 77 inches); 50 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and 50 percent pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam; massive; friable; common fine and medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and few medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron in the matrix; few medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; few fine and medium prominent irregular black (N 2.5/) concretions of iron and manganese oxide throughout the matrix; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
C3--196 to 226 cm (77 to 89 inches); 70 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and 30 percent pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt; massive; friable; common fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6 and 5/8) masses of iron in the matrix; few fine faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions in the matrix; few fine prominent rounded black (N 2.5/) concretions of iron-manganese throughout the matrix; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Whiteside County, Illinois; about 3 1/2 miles south and 3 miles east of Albany; 400 feet east and 2,620 feet south of northwest corner, sec. 9, T. 20 N., R. 3 E.; USGS Erie Northwest topographic quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees 44 minutes 13 seconds N., and long. 90 degrees 10 minutes 08 seconds W., NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum is 107 cm (42 inches) to more than 150 cm (60 inches) in thickness. The mollic epipedon is 25 to 50 cm (10 to 20 inches) in thickness.
The Ap and A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 moist or 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is moderately acid to moderately alkaline, depending upon past liming practices.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value typically of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. In some pedons, the upper part of the Bw horizon has value of 3. In some pedons the lower part of the Bw horizon has redoximorphic features or has hue of 2.5Y or both. It typically averages between 20 and 24 percent clay and ranges from 18 to 27 percent. It has less than 1.2 times more clay than the A horizon. It is medium acid to neutral.
The C horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 through 4. It typically is silt loam, but some pedons are silt, sand or loamy sand and a sandy substratum phase is recognized. The C horizon is moderately acid to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Annieville, Biggsville, Dinsmore, Exira, Galva, Keg, Marshall, Monona, Northboro, Ponca, Raddle, Salix, and Truman series. The Annieville, Dinsmore, Exira, Galva, Marshall, Salix soils contain more clay in the B horizon. Biggsville soils contain redoximorphic features in the middle part of the control section. Keg, Raddle, and Truman soils are formed in alluvium and have an irregular decrease in clay with increasing depth. Monona, Ponca, Salix soils have thinner sola. Northboro soils are formed in loess, and the underlying erosional sediments tend to have a redder hue and more sand in the lower part of the solum.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Port Byron soils are on upland ridges, side slopes, and high terraces. Slope gradients are commonly 0 to 10 percent but range up to 30 percent. Port Byron soils typically formed in thick loess. Some pedons are underlain by sand and a sandy substratum phase is recognized. The mean annual temperature ranges from 6 to 12 degrees C (43 to 54 degrees F), and the mean annual precipitation varies from 710 to 940 mm (28 to 37 inches). Frost free days range from 120 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Joy, Mt. Carroll, Tama, and Seaton soils. All these soils are on similar landscapes. The Mt. Carroll and Seaton soils have an argillic horizon and do not have a mollic epipedon. Tama soils have an argillic horizon. Joy soils have an apparent seasonal high water table at 30 to 61 cm (1 to 2 feet).
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained. Runoff is low to high. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is 4.23 to 14.11 micrometers per second (moderate permeability), except it is 42.34 to 141.14 micrometers per second (rapid permeability) in the substratum of soils in the sandy
substratum phase.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Port Byron soils are used for cultivated crops. Corn, soybeans, and small grain are the principal corps. The moderately steep areas are used for pasture. Native vegetation was prairie grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central and northwestern Illinois, central and northeastern Iowa, southeastern Minnesota, and west-central and south-central Wisconsin. LRR?s K and M, MLRA?s 95B, 103, 104, 105, 108, and 115C. The series is of large extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Henderson County, Illinois, 1947.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
mollic epipedon - from 0 to 33 cm (0 to 13 inches) (Ap and A horizons)
cambic horizon - from 51 to 132 cm (20 to 52 inches) (Bw1, Bw2, and Bw3 horizons).