Soil Series Atlas

Kalkaska soil series

Sandy, isotic, frigid Typic Haplorthods

050100150200cm1 ft2 ft3 ft4 ft5 ft6 ftOiOrganic layer · slightly decomposed0–2 cm · 0–1 inATopsoil2–5 cm · 1–2 inELeached layer5–13 cm · 2–5 inBhsSubsoil · humus build-up, iron andaluminum build-up13–18 cm · 5–7 inBs1Subsoil · iron and aluminum build-up18–56 cm · 7–22 inBs2Subsoil · iron and aluminum build-up56–91 cm · 22–36 inBCSubsoil grading to parent material91–130 cm · 36–51 inCParent material130–205 cm · 51–81 in050100150200cmOiOrganic layer ·slightly decomposed0–2 cm · 0–1 inATopsoil2–5 cm · 1–2 inELeached layer5–13 cm · 2–5 inBhsSubsoil · humusbuild-up, iron andaluminum build-up13–18 cm · 5–7 inBs1Subsoil · iron andaluminum build-up18–56 cm · 7–22 inBs2Subsoil · iron andaluminum build-up56–91 cm · 22–36 inBCSubsoil grading toparent material91–130 cm · 36–51 inCParent material130–205 cm · 51–81 in
Typical pedon, to scale: 205 cm (81 in), 8 horizons.

Spodosols — acid soils with a subsoil of humus and iron or aluminum

Kalkaska is mapped on 1.04 million acres in 2 states, 162nd nationally by area. No series covers more of Michigan: it accounts for 3.3% of the state’s mapped soil. Besides it, only Myakka falls in the sandy particle-size class in this atlas. It is the only atlas series whose parent material includes glacial drift. It is the state soil of Michigan.

Depth
Very deep
Drainage
Somewhat excessively drained
Water movement
High

Compare with another seriesSimilar series in the finder

Where Kalkaska is mapped

1,035,444 acres in 30 soil survey areas, from current SSURGO data.

AlabamaArizonaColoradoFloridaGeorgiaIndianaKansasMaineMassachusettsMinnesotaNew JerseyNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOklahomaPennsylvaniaSouth DakotaTexasWyomingConnecticutMissouriWest VirginiaIllinoisNew MexicoArkansasCaliforniaDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaIowaKentuckyMarylandMichigan: 1,031,866 acresMississippiMontanaNew HampshireNew YorkOhioOregonTennesseeUtahVirginiaWashingtonWisconsin: 3,578 acresNebraskaSouth CarolinaIdahoNevadaVermontLouisianaRhode Island

Share of all Kalkaska acres

  1. Michigan100%
  2. Wisconsin0.3%
  • Rank in the state · share of its mapped soil
  • Michigan 1st of 668 · 3.28%

In the field

Drainage

Somewhat excessively drained

Drains fastStays wet

Clarksville and Troup also are somewhat excessively drained.

Soil depth

Very deep

ShallowDeep

Water movement (Ksat)

High

SlowFast

Valentine, Valent, and Windsor also have high Ksat.

Parent material
Glacial drift, glacial outwash
Landform
Outwash plains, valleys/basins, moraines, terraces
Type location
Michigan

How it is classified

  1. OrderSpodosols
  2. SuborderOrthods
  3. Great groupHaplorthods
  4. SubgroupTypic Haplorthods
  5. FamilySandy, isotic, frigid Typic Haplorthodssandy particle-size classisotic mineralogy classfrigid soil temperature regime

Against other Spodosols

Kalkaska makes up 1.75% of all mapped Spodosols — the 8th largest of 717 series in the order.

Solum thickness (topsoil + subsoil)

130 cm over a median of 79 cm

Depth described

205 cm over a median of 152 cm

Its relatives

6 other established series share the family “Sandy, isotic, frigid Typic Haplorthods”

  1. Kalkaska1.0 M
  2. Adams806 k
  3. Pence683 k
  4. Duxbury60 k
  5. Liminga57 k
  6. Stutts37 k
  7. Cusino16 k

Close relatives, at one scale

  1. Kalkaska205 cm · Typic Haplorthods
  2. Tunbridge71 cm · Typic Haplorthods
  3. Chesuncook165 cm · Aquic Haplorthods
  4. Marlow165 cm · Oxyaquic Haplorthods

Horizon by horizon

HorizonLayerDepthThickness
OiOrganic layer: slightly decomposed0–2 cm0–1 in2 cm
ATopsoil2–5 cm1–2 in3 cm
ELeached layer5–13 cm2–5 in8 cm
BhsSubsoil: humus build-up, iron and aluminum build-up13–18 cm5–7 in5 cm
Bs1Subsoil: iron and aluminum build-up18–56 cm7–22 in38 cm
Bs2Subsoil: iron and aluminum build-up56–91 cm22–36 in35 cm
BCSubsoil grading to parent material91–130 cm36–51 in39 cm
CParent material130–205 cm51–81 in75 cm

Sources: USDA–NRCS Official Series Description (revised 2018-05), Soil Classification database and SSURGO. Ranks computed by Soil Series Atlas. Method · Guides