LOCATION WHEATLEY MI+MN WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, frigid Mollic Psammaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Wheatley mucky loamy sand - forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--1 to 0 inches; undecomposed hardwood leaf litter.
A--0 to 7 inches; black (10YR 2/1) mucky loamy sand, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak medium granular structure; very friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
Cg1--7 to 20 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly sand; single grain; loose; about 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 22 inches thick)
Cg2--20 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly sand; single grain; loose; about 30 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Osceola County, Michigan: 1 1/4 miles west of Park Lake Corner; 1,640 feet west and 600 feet south of the northeast corner, sec. 11, T. 20 N., R. 8 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Reaction of the A horizon and C1 horizon ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline. The particle-size control section (10 to 40 inches) contains 5 to 35 percent rock fragments.
An O horizon, less than 6 inches thick is in some areas. The organic material has hue of 5YR, 10YR or is neutral, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 0 to 3.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, or is neutral; value of 2 to 4; and chroma of 0 to 2. In cultivated areas the Ap horizon is very dark gray (10YR 3/1) or very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2). The A horizons are mucky sand, mucky loamy sand, mucky sandy loam, sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, or sandy loam. They contain 0 to 15 percent gravel and 0 to 3 percent cobbles.
The Cg horizons have hue of 7.5YR to 5GY or is neutral, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 0 to 2. Chroma of 2 without mottling is due to uncoated sand grains. The C1 horizon is fine sand, sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, gravelly sand, gravelly loamy sand, or stratified gravel and coarse sand. The C1 horizon contains 5 to 25 percent gravel and 0 to 3 percent cobbles. The C2 horizon is gravelly sand, gravelly loamy sand, very gravelly sand, very gravelly loamy sand, or stratified gravel and coarse sand. It contains less than 35 percent gravel at depths of less than 40 inches and up to 70 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles at depths greater than 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cormant and Roscommon series. Cormant soils contain less than 5 percent rock fragments in the 10 to 40 inch control section. Roscommon soils do not have stratified sand and gravel within 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wheatley soils are on nearly level lake terraces, outwash plains, lake plains, or valley trains. Slopes gradients range from 0 to 3 percent. Wheatley soils formed generally in stratified sandy and gravelly glaciofluvial deposits. The mean annual temperature ranges from 43 to 46 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 29 to 34 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Roscommon and Epoufette soils on similar landscape positions. Roscommon soils contain less gravel and Epoufette soils have an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained or very poorly drained. The soil has a seasonal high water table that ranges from 1 foot above the surface to 1 foot below the surface from October to May.Surface runoff is very slow or ponded. Permeability is rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of this soil is in woodland. Major species include northern whitecedar, quaking aspen, black spruce, and balsam fir. Only a small acreage is used as cropland for hay and small grains.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Lower Peninsula and eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northeastern Wisconsin. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Osceola County, Michigan, 1966.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 7 inches; mollic subgroup - zone from surface to 7 inches meets criteria for mollic epipedon except for thickness.