LOCATION BREMER             IA+KS MN MO

BREMER SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Typic Argiaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Bremer silty clay loam, on a nearly level stream terrace, in a cultivated field, at an elevation of 283 meters (930 feet) above sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 centimeters (0 to 8 inches); black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

A--20 to 48 centimeters (8 to 19 inches); black (N 2/0) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the A horizon is 41 to 56 centimeters (16 to 22 inches).]

Bt--48 to 79 centimeters (19 to 31 inches); very dark gray (N 3/0) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) kneaded, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; firm; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; few brown (7.5YR 4/4) concretions; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. [20 to 36 centimeters (8 to 14 inches) thick]

Btg--79 to 107 centimeters (31 to 42 inches); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silty clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak very fine and fine subangular blocky; firm; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; common dark gray (5Y 4/1) organic stains on faces of peds; few very dark gray (N 3/0) coats on faces of prisms; few fine dark concretions; few fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) redoximorphic concentrations; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. [20 to 61 centimeters (8 to 24 inches) thick]

BCg--107 to 127 centimeters (42 to 50 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam; weak coarse angular blocky structure; firm; few roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and on surfaces of a few pores; few fine dark concretions; many medium faint dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) and few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) redoximorphic concentrations; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. [0 to 25 centimeters (0 to 10 inches) thick]

Cg--127 to 152 centimeters (50 to 60 inches); gray (5Y 5/1) silty clay loam; massive; firm; few fine dark concretions; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) redoximorphic concentrations; slightly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 108D-Illinois and Iowa Deep Loess and Drift, Western Central Part, Madison County, Iowa subset; about 2 miles south and 1 mile west of Winterset; 258 meters (845 feet) north and 52 meters (170 feet) east of the southwest corner of section 12, T. 75 N., R. 28 W.; USGS Winterset quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees 17 minutes 43 seconds N. and long. 94 degrees 1 minute 55 seconds W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of mollic epipedon--60 to 91 centimeters (24 to 36 inches)
Depth to carbonates--greater than 152 centimeters (greater than 60 inches)
Content of clay in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--35 to 40 percent
Content of sand in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--less than 15 percent

Ap or A horizon:
Hue--10YR or is neutral
Value--2 or 3
Chroma--0 or 1
Texture--silty clay loam
Clay content--27 to 36 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral

Overwash phase:
Hue--10YR
Value--2 to 5
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silt loam or loam
Clay content--20 to 27 percent
Sand content--15 to 35 percent
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral
Thickness--15 to 46 centimeters (6 to 18 inches)

Bt or Btg horizon:
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y
Value--3 to 5
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content--35 to 45 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral

BCg horizon:
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silty clay loam
Clay content--30 to 40 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral

Cg horizon:
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silty clay loam
Clay content--25 to 40 percent
Sand content--10 to 40 percent
Reaction--moderately acid to slightly alkaline

Some pedons are stratified clay loam or loam

Some pedons have sandy materials below a depth of 150 centimeters (59 inches)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Crossplain, Gregory, Winterset, and Worthenton series.
Crossplain--have carbonates within depths of 41 to 122 centimeters (16 to 48 inches) and have a sand content of more than 15 percent in the particle-size control section
Gregory--are dry at depths between 10 and 30 centimeters (4 to 12 inches) for 70 to 100 consecutive days after the summer solstice
Winterset--have slightly thinner mollic epipedons, slightly higher B/C clay ratios, and have a sand content of less than 20 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Worthenton--have mollic epipedons 18 to 50 centimeters (7 to 20 inches) thick and have carbonates throughout the series control section

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--alluvium
Landform--stream terraces on floodplains
Slopes--0 to 2 percent
Elevation--152 to 427 meters (500 to 1,400 feet) above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--9 to 12 degrees C (49 to 54 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation--76 to 89 centimeters (30 to 35 inches)
Frost-free period--145 to 180 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Colo, Nevin, Wiota, and Zook soils.
Colo--are at lower elevations on floodplains, have a mollic epipedon more than 91 centimeters (36 inches) thick, and have a clay content of 27 to 35 percent in the particle-size control section
Nevin--are at slightly higher elevations on stream terraces, have a clay content of 30 to 35 percent in the particle-size control section, and have a zone of saturation within depths of 0.3 to 1.1 meters (1 to 3.5 feet) in normal years
Wiota--are at the higher elevations on stream terraces, have a clay content of 30 to 35 percent in the particle-size control section, and have a zone of saturation within depths of 1.2 to 1.8 meters (4 to 6 feet) in normal years
Zook--are at lower elevations on floodplains, have a mollic epipedon more than 91 centimeters (36 inches) thick, and have a clay content of 35 to 45 percent in the particle-size control section

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class--poorly drained--saturation occurs within a depth of 0.3 meters (1 foot) during March to June in normal years and is considered apparent
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--moderately high
Surface runoff potential--negligible or low
Flooding--rare for brief periods during the months of February to November from precipitation events and snow melt

USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas are cultivated. The principal crops are corn and soybeans. The natural vegetation is big bluestem, indiangrass, switchgrass, and other grasses of the tall grass prairie.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic section(s)--Dissected till plains, Till plains
MLRA(s)--Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies (104), Iowa and Missouri Deep Loess Hills (107), Illinois and Iowa Deep Loess and Drift (108), Iowa and Missouri Heavy Till Plain (109), Central Claypan Areas (113), and Central Mississippi Valley Wooded Slopes (115)
LRR M; southern and eastern Iowa, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Kansas, and northern Missouri
Extent--moderate

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bremer County, Iowa, 1913.

REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 48 to 107 centimeters (19 to 39 inches) (Bt and Btg horizons);
series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 150 centimeters (0 to 59 inches) (Ap, A, Bt, Btg, BCg, and Cg horizons).

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
mollic epipedon--the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 79 centimeters (0 to 31 inches) (Ap, A, and Bt horizons);
argillic horizon--the zone from a depth of 48 to 107 centimeters (19 to 42 inches) (Bt and Btg horizons);
aquic moisture regime.

Lab data (Iowa State University) from the typical pedon location supports Vertic subgroup, yet other pedons do not have a linear extensibility of 6.0 cm within a depth of 100 cm.

Series differentia between Bremer series and Winterset series needs further study.

Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, ninth edition, 2003.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Laboratory data--Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa