LOCATION RACOON IL+IA MOEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Endoaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Racoon silt loam - nearly level in a cultivated field at an elevation of 425 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; common very fine very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) soft accumulations of iron and manganese oxides throughout; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Eg1--6 to 10 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; weak thin platy structure; firm; common very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) soft accumulations of iron and manganese oxides throughout; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.
Eg2--10 to 14 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; weak medium platy structure parting to weak fine granular; friable; common fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and few fine faint light gray (10YR 7/1) iron depletions in the matrix; common very fine very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) soft accumulations of iron and manganese oxides throughout; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Eg3--14 to 30 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) silt loam; weak medium platy structure parting to weak fine granular; friable; common very fine tubular pores; few grayish brown (10YR 5/2) krotovina; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of iron oxides in the matrix; many fine and very fine black (10YR 2/1) soft accumulations of iron and manganese oxides throughout; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Eg horizon is 16 to 30 inches.)
Btg1--30 to 37 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) silty clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky, firm; few very fine tubular pores; common distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of iron oxides in the matrix; common fine black iron and manganese oxide concretions; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Btg2--37 to 47 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; firm; common distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; many fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron oxides and few fine faint light gray (10YR 7/1) iron depletions in the matrix; common fine black iron and manganese oxide; concretions; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Btg3--47 to 59 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) silty clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; firm; few faint gray (10YR 5/1) and common prominent dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron oxides in the matrix; few fine black iron and manganese oxide concretions; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Btg horizon is 20 to 40 inches.)
Cg--59 to 73 inches; gray (5Y 6/1) and gray (10YR 6/1) silt loam; massive; friable; many coarse distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions and many coarse prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron oxides in the matrix; slightly acid increasing to neutral in the lower part.
TYPE LOCATION: Saline County, Illinois; about 1 mile southeast of West End; 135 feet north and 2,095 feet east of the center of sec. 30, T. 7, S., R. 5 E.; USGS Akin, Il. quadrangle; lat. 37 degrees 53 minutes 07 seconds N. and long. 88 degrees 41 minutes 25 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to the top of the argillic horizon ranges from 24 to 36 inches. The depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 40 to 80 inches. The particle-size control section averages between 27 and 35 percent clay, less than 10 percent sand, and less than 2 percent gravel.
The Ap or A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 6 (5 to 7 dry), and chroma of 2 or 3. It is silt loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral.
The Eg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Redox features have hue of 5YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 8. Texture is silt loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral, with reactions of slightly acid or neutral in the upper part of pedons that have been limed.
The Btg horizon is neutral or has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 4 to 7; and chroma of 0 to 2. Redox features have hue of 5YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 8. Texture dominantly is silty clay loam, but is silt loam in upper or lower subhorizons. Clay content ranges from 24 to 38 percent in individual subhorizons. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid.
The Cg horizon has hue of 5Y, 2.5Y, or 10YR; value of 4 to 7; and chroma of 1 or 2. It is dominantly silt loam or loam. In some pedons it is stratified. The strata are loamy fine sand to silty clay. It averages between 10 and 35 percent sand and between 18 and 30 percent clay. Individual horizons or strata have as much as 80 percent sand or as much as 42 percent clay. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blanchester, Cobbsfork, Hoosierville, Moniteau, Odne, Peoga, Sebring, Sunken, and Whitson series. Blanchester, Cobbsfork, Hoosierville, Moniteau, Odne, Peoga, Sebring, and Whitson soils have the top of the argillic horizon within a depth of 24 inches. Sunken soils have electrical conductivity average of more than 2 mmhos/cm3 in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Racoon soils are on nearly level foot slopes or in depressions on terraces, lake plains, till plains, and high flood plains. They formed in a mixture of loess and silty local alluvium. Slopes typically are concave, but range to plane or convex and have gradients of 0 to 3 percent. The mean annual temperature ranges from about 53 to 57 degrees F., mean annual precipitation ranges from about 34 to 48 inches, frost free days ranges from 170 to 200, and elevation ranges from 350 to 700 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ava, Banlic, Bluford, Bonnie, Cisne, Creal, Weir, and Wynoose soils. The moderately well drained Ava, the somewhat poorly drained Bluford, and the poorly drained Cisne soils are on higher lying positions of till plains. The somewhat poorly drained Banlic soils are adjacent to or slightly lower than Racoon soils on very low terraces or high flood plains. The poorly drained Bonnie soils are on flood plains below Racoon soils. The somewhat poorly drained Creal soils are commonly on slightly higher foot slopes. The poorly drained Weir and Wynoose soils are on till plains typically higher than Racoon soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. The potential for surface water runoff is low or negligible. Permeability is slow. In the undrained condition, these soils have an apparent water table 1 foot above the surface to 0.5 foot below at some time between January and June in most years. Where drained, the water table is 0.5 foot above the surface to 1 foot below at some time between March and June in most years. A flooded phase is recognized with rare to occasional flooding for brief periods in the spring.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used to grow corn and soybeans. Native vegetation is hardwood forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. Extent is moderate in MLRA'S 109, 113, 114, 115, and 116 (about 82,000 acres correlated).
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clinton County, Illinois, 1931.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 30 inches (Ap and Eg horizons); albic horizon the zone from a depth of 6 to 30 inches (Eg horizons); argillic horizon - the zone from a depth of 30 to 59 inches (Btg horizons); aquic conditions - chroma of 1 or 2 and redox concentrations in all layers below the Ap horizon.