soil survey of keweenaw county area, michigansoil survey of keweenaw county area, michigan natural...

In cooperation withMichigan Department ofAgriculture, MichiganAgricultural ExperimentStation, Michigan StateUniversity Extension, andMichigan TechnologicalUniversity

Soil Survey ofKeweenawCounty Area,Michigan

NaturalResourcesConservationService

United StatesDepartment ofAgriculture

General Soil Map

The general soil map, which is a color map, shows the survey area divided intogroups of associated soils called general soil map units. This map is useful in planningthe use and management of large areas.

To find information about your area of interest, locate that area on the map, identifythe name of the map unit in the area on the color-coded map legend, then refer to thesection General Soil Map Units for a general description of the soils in your area.

Detailed Soil Maps

The detailed soil maps can be useful in planning the use and management of smallareas.

To find information about your area of interest, locate that area on the Index to MapSheets. Note the number of the map sheet and turn to that sheet.

Locate your area of interest on the map sheet. Note the map unit symbols that are inthat area. Turn to the Contents, which lists the map units by symbol and name andshows the page where each map unit is described.

The Contents shows which table has data on a specific land use for each detailedsoil map unit. Also see the Contents for sections of this publication that may addressyour specific needs.

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How To Use This Soil Survey

Additional information about the Nation’s natural resources is available onlinefrom the Natural Resources Conservation Service at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey

This soil survey is a publication of the National Cooperative Soil Survey, a joint effortof the United States Department of Agriculture and other Federal agencies, Stateagencies including the Agricultural Experiment Stations, and local agencies. The NaturalResources Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation Service) hasleadership for the Federal part of the National Cooperative Soil Survey. This survey wasmade cooperatively by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the MichiganDepartment of Agriculture, the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, Michigan StateUniversity Extension, and Michigan Technological University. The survey is part of thetechnical assistance furnished to the Houghton-Keweenaw County Soil and WaterConservation District. The Keweenaw County Board of Commissioners provided financialassistance.

Major fieldwork for this soil survey was completed in 2002. Soil names anddescriptions were approved in 2003. Unless otherwise indicated, statements in thispublication refer to conditions in the survey area in 2002. The most current official dataare available on the Internet.

Soil maps in this survey may be copied without permission. Enlargement of thesemaps, however, could cause misunderstanding of the detail of mapping. If enlarged,maps do not show the small areas of contrasting soils that could have been shown at alarger scale.

Nondiscrimination Statement

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programsand activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and whereapplicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexualorientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of anindividual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibitedbases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means forcommunication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) shouldcontact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaintof discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 IndependenceAvenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Cover Photo Caption

An Area of Arcadian-Michigamme-Rock outcrop complex, 35 to 70 percent slopes,extremely bouldery, overlooking Lake Superior and the Village of Copper Harbor on theleft and Lake Fanny Hooe on the right.

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Contents

How To Use This Soil Survey ....................................................................................... iForeword ..................................................................................................................... ixGeneral Nature of the Survey Area .............................................................................. 1

History and Development ......................................................................................... 1Climate ..................................................................................................................... 3Lakes and Streams .................................................................................................. 4Physiography and Geology ...................................................................................... 4

How This Survey Was Made ........................................................................................ 8General Soil Map Units ............................................................................................ 11

1. Arcadian-Michigamme-Rock Outcrop Association ........................................ 112. Arcadian-Nipissing-Rock Outcrop Association .............................................. 133. Montreal-Paavola-Gratiot Association ........................................................... 144. Skanee-Munising-Gay Association ................................................................ 165. Dawson-Au Gres-Croswell Association ......................................................... 186. Lupton-Tawas-Deford Association ................................................................. 197. Montreal-Paavola-Arcadian Association ........................................................ 218. Garlic-Waiska-Alcona Association ................................................................. 239. Munising-Yalmer-Garlic Association .............................................................. 25

10. Deer Park-Rubicon-Croswell Association ...................................................... 26Detailed Soil Map Units ........................................................................................... 29

2—Lupton and Tawas soils, 0 to 1 percent slopes ................................................. 303—Dawson and Loxley soils, 0 to 1 percent slopes ............................................... 316—Skandia-Burt complex, 0 to 2 percent slopes ................................................... 3310—Cathro-Sabattis complex, 0 to 2 percent slopes, stony .................................. 3413—Tawas-Deford complex, 0 to 4 percent slopes ................................................ 3515B—Dawson-Croswell complex, 0 to 8 percent slopes ........................................ 3720E—Rock outcrop, gently sloping to steep .......................................................... 3821G—Rock outcrop-Arcadian complex, 40 to 90 percent slopes, extremely

bouldery ........................................................................................................... 3939A—Betsy Bay-Burt-Deford complex, 0 to 3 percent slopes................................ 4047A—Zeba-Jacobsville complex, 0 to 3 percent slopes, stony .............................. 4251C—Arcadian-Nipissing-Rock outcrop complex, dissected, 1 to 12 percent

slopes, very stony ............................................................................................ 4351E—Arcadian-Nipissing-Rock outcrop complex, dissected, 8 to 35 percent

slopes, very stony ............................................................................................ 4552C—Arcadian-Dishno-Rock outcrop complex, dissected, 1 to 12 percent

slopes, very bouldery ...................................................................................... 4652E—Arcadian-Dishno-Rock outcrop complex, dissected, 8 to 35 percent

slopes, very bouldery ...................................................................................... 4853E—Arcadian-Michigamme-Rock outcrop complex, 8 to 35 percent slopes,

extremely bouldery .......................................................................................... 4953F—Arcadian-Michigamme-Rock outcrop complex, 35 to 70 percent slopes,

extremely bouldery .......................................................................................... 5155B—Chocolay very cobbly fine sandy loam, 1 to 8 percent slopes, very

flaggy ............................................................................................................... 52

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100B—Waiska cobbly loamy sand, 0 to 8 percent slopes...................................... 53100D—Waiska cobbly loamy sand, 8 to 15 percent slopes ................................... 54102C—Waiska-Garlic complex, dissected, 1 to 12 percent slopes, very

bouldery ........................................................................................................... 55102E—Waiska-Garlic complex, dissected, 8 to 35 percent slopes, very

bouldery ........................................................................................................... 57102F—Waiska-Garlic complex, dissected, 15 to 60 percent slopes, very

bouldery ........................................................................................................... 58110B—Shelldrake-Croswell complex, 0 to 8 percent slopes .................................. 60111B—Deer Park sand, 0 to 8 percent slopes ....................................................... 61111D—Deer Park sand, 6 to 18 percent slopes ..................................................... 62111E—Deer Park sand, 8 to 35 percent slopes ..................................................... 63111F—Deer Park sand, 35 to 70 percent slopes ................................................... 64112C—Deer Park-Croswell complex, 1 to 12 percent slopes ................................ 65113C—Rubicon-Croswell complex, 1 to 12 percent slopes ................................... 66120B—Garlic fine sand, 0 to 8 percent slopes ....................................................... 68120D—Garlic fine sand, 8 to 15 percent slopes..................................................... 69120E—Garlic fine sand, 15 to 35 percent slopes ................................................... 70125A—Croswell-Au Gres complex, 0 to 3 percent slopes ...................................... 71126B—Au Gres-Deford-Croswell complex, 0 to 6 percent slopes .......................... 72127A—Au Gres-Kinross complex, 0 to 3 percent slopes ....................................... 74130C—Garlic-Alcona complex, dissected, 1 to 12 percent slopes ........................ 75130E—Garlic-Alcona complex, dissected, 8 to 35 percent slopes ......................... 77133C—Keweenaw-Garlic complex, 1 to 12 percent slopes ................................... 78133E—Keweenaw-Garlic complex, 8 to 35 percent slopes .................................... 79133F—Keweenaw-Garlic complex, 15 to 60 percent slopes .................................. 81136B—Borgstrom-Ingalls complex, 0 to 6 percent slopes ..................................... 82142C—Wallace-Rubicon complex, 1 to 12 percent slopes .................................... 84142F—Wallace-Rubicon complex, 12 to 50 percent slopes ................................... 85155C—Montreal-Paavola-Waiska complex, dissected, 1 to 12 percent slopes,

rocky, very bouldery......................................................................................... 86155E—Montreal-Paavola-Waiska complex, dissected, 8 to 35 percent slopes,

rocky, very bouldery......................................................................................... 88158A—Arnheim-Sturgeon-Pelkie complex, 0 to 3 percent slopes .......................... 90161F—Trimountain-Lac La Belle-Waiska complex, dissected, 15 to 60 percent

slopes, rocky, very bouldery ............................................................................ 92162F—Trimountain-Lac La Belle-Michigamme complex, dissected, 15 to 60

percent slopes, very rocky, extremely bouldery ............................................... 94166B—Gratiot-Sabattis complex, 0 to 4 percent slopes, rocky, very bouldery ....... 96173C—Montreal-Paavola-Dishno complex, dissected, 1 to 12 percent slopes,

very rocky, very bouldery ................................................................................. 97173E—Montreal-Paavola-Dishno complex, dissected, 8 to 35 percent slopes,

very rocky, very bouldery ................................................................................. 99174B—Montreal-Dishno-Gratiot complex, 0 to 8 percent slopes, rocky, very

bouldery ......................................................................................................... 101177A—Assinins sand, 0 to 4 percent slopes ........................................................ 103183C—Munising-Abbaye-Yalmer complex, dissected, 1 to 12 percent slopes,

stony .............................................................................................................. 104183E—Munising-Abbaye-Yalmer complex, dissected, 8 to 35 percent slopes,

stony .............................................................................................................. 106184C—Munising-Yalmer complex, dissected, 1 to 12 percent slopes .................. 108184E—Munising-Yalmer complex, dissected, 8 to 35 percent slopes .................. 109185B—Munising-Skanee complex, dissected, 1 to 8 percent slopes ................... 111185C—Munising-Skanee complex, dissected, 4 to 18 percent slopes ................ 112

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187A—Skanee-Gay complex, 0 to 3 percent slopes ............................................ 114192B—Nipissing-Arcadian-Rock outcrop complex, 0 to 8 percent slopes,

very stony ...................................................................................................... 115194B—Copper Harbor extremely gravelly sandy loam, 0 to 4 percent slopes,

very stony ...................................................................................................... 116195B—Copper Harbor-Bete Grise complex, 0 to 4 percent slopes, stony ........... 118196B—Bete Grise-Tawas complex, 0 to 4 percent slopes, stony ......................... 119301—Udorthents-Udipsamments, nearly level to very steep ............................... 121302—Histosols and Aquents, ponded .................................................................. 121303—Aquents and Dumps, stamp sand .............................................................. 122310—Dumps, mine .............................................................................................. 122311—Dumps, stamp sand.................................................................................... 123312—Pits, borrow................................................................................................. 123313—Dumps, sawdust ......................................................................................... 123

Use and Management of the Soils ........................................................................ 125Interpretive Ratings .............................................................................................. 125

Rating Class Terms.......................................................................................... 125Numerical Ratings ........................................................................................... 125

Crops and Pasture ............................................................................................... 126Land Capability Classification .......................................................................... 128Prime Farmland ............................................................................................... 129

Hydric Soils .......................................................................................................... 130Woodland Productivity and Management ............................................................. 132

Forest Habitat Types ........................................................................................ 134Plant Communities on Selected Soils .............................................................. 136

Windbreaks and Environmental Plantings............................................................ 136Recreation............................................................................................................ 137Wildlife Habitat ..................................................................................................... 139Engineering .......................................................................................................... 141

Building Site Development ............................................................................... 141Sanitary Facilities ............................................................................................. 143Construction Materials ..................................................................................... 145Water Management ......................................................................................... 146

Soil Properties ........................................................................................................ 149Engineering Index Properties ............................................................................... 149Physical Properties .............................................................................................. 150Chemical Properties ............................................................................................ 151Water Features .................................................................................................... 152Soil Features ........................................................................................................ 154Characterization Data for Selected Soils ............................................................. 155

Classification of the Soils ..................................................................................... 157Soil Series and Their Morphology ........................................................................ 157

Abbaye Series ................................................................................................. 158Alcona Series .................................................................................................. 158Arcadian Series ............................................................................................... 160Arnheim Series ................................................................................................ 160Assinins Series ................................................................................................ 160Au Gres Series ................................................................................................ 161Bete Grise Series ............................................................................................ 162Betsy Bay Series ............................................................................................. 163Borgstrom Series ............................................................................................. 163Burt Series ....................................................................................................... 164Cathro Series ................................................................................................... 165Chocolay Series ............................................................................................... 165

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Copper Harbor Series ...................................................................................... 166Croswell Series ................................................................................................ 166Dawson Series ................................................................................................ 167Deer Park Series ............................................................................................. 168Deford Series ................................................................................................... 168Dishno Series .................................................................................................. 168Garlic Series .................................................................................................... 169Gay Series ....................................................................................................... 170Gratiot Series ................................................................................................... 171Ingalls Series ................................................................................................... 172Jacobsville Series ............................................................................................ 173Keweenaw Series ............................................................................................ 173Kinross Series ................................................................................................. 174Lac La Belle Series .......................................................................................... 175Loxley Series ................................................................................................... 176Lupton Series .................................................................................................. 176Michigamme Series ......................................................................................... 177Montreal Series ............................................................................................... 177Munising Series ............................................................................................... 178Nipissing Series ............................................................................................... 180Paavola Series ................................................................................................. 180Pelkie Series .................................................................................................... 181Rubicon Series ................................................................................................ 182Sabattis Series ................................................................................................ 182Shelldrake Series ............................................................................................. 183Skandia Series ................................................................................................ 183Skanee Series ................................................................................................. 184Sturgeon Series ............................................................................................... 184Tawas Series ................................................................................................... 185Trimountain Series ........................................................................................... 186Waiska Series .................................................................................................. 187Wallace Series ................................................................................................. 187Yalmer Series................................................................................................... 190Zeba Series ..................................................................................................... 190

Formation of the Soils ........................................................................................... 193Factors of Soil Formation ..................................................................................... 193

Parent Material ................................................................................................ 193Plant and Animal life ........................................................................................ 194Climate ............................................................................................................ 194Relief ............................................................................................................... 195Time ................................................................................................................. 195

Processes of Soil Formation ................................................................................ 195References .............................................................................................................. 197Glossary .................................................................................................................. 199Tables ...................................................................................................................... 211

Table 1.—Temperature and Precipitation ............................................................. 212Table 2.—Freeze Dates in Spring and Fall ........................................................... 213Table 3.—Growing Season .................................................................................. 213Table 4.—Acreage and Proportionate Extent of the Soils .................................... 214Table 5.—Woodland Management and Productivity ............................................. 216Table 6.—Equipment Limitations on Woodland .................................................... 238Table 7.—Plant Communities on Selected Soils .................................................. 252Table 8.—Windbreaks and Environmental Plantings ............................................ 279Table 9a.—Recreational Development ................................................................. 292

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Table 9b.—Recreational Development ................................................................. 306Table 10.—Wildlife Habitat ................................................................................... 320Table 11a.—Building Site Development ............................................................... 329Table 11b.—Building Site Development ............................................................... 343Table 12a.—Sanitary Facilities ............................................................................. 359Table 12b.—Sanitary Facilities ............................................................................. 377Table 13a.—Construction Materials ..................................................................... 393Table 13b.—Construction Materials ..................................................................... 412Table 14a.—Water Management .......................................................................... 423Table 14b.—Water Management .......................................................................... 440Table 15.—Engineering Index Properties ............................................................. 454Table 16.—Physical Properties of the Soils ......................................................... 516Table 17.—Chemical Properties of the Soils ........................................................ 533Table 18.—Soil Moisture Status by Depth ............................................................ 550Table 19.—Water Features .................................................................................. 569Table 20.—Soil Features ...................................................................................... 585Table 21.—Classification of the Soils ................................................................... 594

Interpretive Groups ................................................................................................ 595

Issued 2006

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Soil surveys contain information that affects land use planning in survey areas. Theyinclude predictions of soil behavior for selected land uses. The surveys highlight soillimitations, improvements needed to overcome the limitations, and the impact ofselected land uses on the environment.

Soil surveys are designed for many different users. Farmers, foresters, andagronomists can use the surveys to evaluate the potential of the soil and themanagement needed for maximum food and fiber production. Planners, communityofficials, engineers, developers, builders, and home buyers can use the surveys toplan land use, select sites for construction, and identify special practices needed toensure proper performance. Conservationists, teachers, students, and specialists inrecreation, wildlife management, waste disposal, and pollution control can use thesurveys to help them understand, protect, and enhance the environment.

Various land use regulations of Federal, State, and local governments may imposespecial restrictions on land use or land treatment. The information in this report isintended to identify soil properties that are used in making various land use or landtreatment decisions. Statements made in this report are intended to help the landusers identify and reduce the effects of soil limitations on various land uses. Thelandowner or user is responsible for identifying and complying with existing laws andregulations.

Great differences in soil properties can occur within short distances. Some soils areseasonally wet or subject to flooding. Some are too unstable to be used as afoundation for buildings or roads. Clayey or wet soils are poorly suited to use as septictank absorption fields. A high water table makes a soil poorly suited to basements orunderground installations.

These and many other soil properties that affect land use are described in this soilsurvey. Broad areas of soils are shown on the general soil map. The location of eachsoil is shown on the detailed soil maps. Each soil in the survey area is described, andinformation on specific uses is given. Help in using this publication and additionalinformation are available at the local office of the Natural Resources ConservationService or the Cooperative Extension Service.

Ronald WilliamsState ConservationistNatural Resources Conservation Service

Foreword

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KEWEENAW COUNTY is in the northwestern tip of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (fig. 1). Itis bordered on the south by Houghton County. The Isle Royale archipelago innorthwestern Lake Superior is not included in this survey. The survey area has an areaof 365 square miles, or about 237,453 acres. Eagle River is the county seat ofKeweenaw County. The population concentration is in the southern part of AllouezTownship. In 2000, the population of Keweenaw County was 2,301. Most income isderived from employment in education, government services, tourism, and retail trade.Timber management and recreation are large economic enterprises in the county.

Soil scientists have determined that there are about 46 kinds of soil in the surveyarea. The soils range widely in natural drainage, slope, depth, and othercharacteristics.

The undulating to steep soils in the survey area are dominantly well drained tomoderately well drained and are shallow to deep over bedrock. The level and nearlylevel soils are dominantly very deep and somewhat poorly drained to very poorlydrained. Textures range from sand to loam. Erosion generally is a severe hazard inunprotected areas, and measures are needed to control erosion and minimizesedimentation in lakes and streams. In most areas the soil resource is used for forestproducts. The well drained soils, which make up about one-third of the county, areused for recreation and building site development.

General Nature of the Survey AreaThis section provides general information about the survey area. It describes history

and development, climate, lakes and streams, and physiography and geology.

History and Development

Keweenaw County has a history dating back before the arrival of European settlers.There is evidence of past Native American activity in the area, including villages, burialgrounds, camps, mounds, and mining pits. The Native Americans in Keweenaw Countyhave been predominantly the Chippewa and Ojibway peoples. Most of their earlysettlements and structures were located near the Gratiot, Montreal, and Tobacco

Soil Survey of

Keweenaw County Area,Michigan

By Stephen W. Tardy, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Fieldwork by Ken Wikgren and Stephen Tardy, Natural ResourcesConservation Service

United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources ConservationService, in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Agriculture,Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, Michigan State UniversityExtension, and Michigan Technological University

2 Soil Survey of

Rivers and Lake Superior. They established the first routes in the county in the form oftrails, paths, and portages, which connected their activities. These activities includedthe mining of copper in shallow excavations in surface deposits for local use and tradeabroad. Many of these same routes serve as roads and highways in KeweenawCounty today. The area was referred to by the Native people as “Kee-wee-naw,”meaning the crossing or portage. The Keweenaw Peninsula was used as a shorterroute from the presentday Keweenaw Bay to western Lake Superior. The 1836 Treatyof Washington and the 1842 Treaty of La Pointe ceded some 30,000 square miles ofland rights to the United States Government. This treaty included all land in KeweenawCounty, which was then part of the Wisconsin Territory.

The first attempts by Europeans to visit the area were made by the French around1614. In 1730, following reports of copper ore deposits in the area, Frenchbusinessmen from the East Coast and southern Michigan tried but failed to make aprofit in copper extraction. Michigan became a State in 1837, thereby gaining control ofthe Upper Peninsula. After Douglas Houghton surveyed the area in 1840 andconfirmed the presence of copper, there was an influx of settlers. In 1843, a land officewas established in Copper Harbor. With the issuing of the first mineral leases thatsame year, the modern mining era began.

The earliest successful commercial mining took place in 1844 at Fort Wilkins and in1845 at the Cliff Mine south of Eagle River. With the growth of the mining industrycame the need for transportation of mineral ore, timber, and supplies for workers andtheir families. Eagle River, Copper Harbor, and Eagle Harbor served as the firstshipping ports for minerals and supplies for nearby mines.

The current boundaries of Keweenaw County were established on March 11, 1861.In the years immediately following the Civil War, the lakes, rivers, and streams ofKeweenaw County served as highways for the transportation of copper and lumber out

Figure 1.—Location of the survey area in Michigan.

Keweenaw County Area, Michigan 3

of the county to sawmills on Portage Lake in Houghton County. By 1873, narrow-gauge railroads served the mining and lumbering industry and related settlementssouth of Keweenaw County.

The bulk of the mining took place from 1870 to 1930. Mining served as the maineconomic enterprise until the 1930s, when mines south of Keweenaw Countysupplanted the local mining industry. Timber management and harvesting, along withthe more recent tourist and recreational industry, continue to be major enterprises inthe county.

The first census of population, in 1870, showed 4,205 residents in KeweenawCounty. From 1845 to 1910, the population grew at a steady pace until it peaked at7,156 residents in 1910. After 1910, mines started to close and the population growthreversed. The population decreased by an average of 70 individuals per year until1990, when a low of 1,701 residents was recorded. In more recent years, tourism,recreation, and retirement settlement have reversed this trend.

Forest fires in the 1900s prompted the private land companies and the PublicDomain Commission to institute fire patrols and other conservation measures. From1933 to 1941, conservation measures were applied in conjunction with the CivilianConservation Camps. This program contributed much of the local park system,reforestation, recreation, and lodging facilities available to the public.

Climate

Table 1 gives data on temperature and precipitation for the survey area as recordedat Houghton, Michigan, in the period 1971 to 2000. Table 2 shows probable dates ofthe first freeze in fall and the last freeze in spring. Table 3 provides data on length ofthe growing season.

In winter, the average temperature is 17.3 degrees F and the average dailyminimum temperature is 11.2 degrees. The lowest temperature on record, whichoccurred at Houghton on January 21, 1984, was -26 degrees. In summer, the averagetemperature is 63.4 degrees and the average daily maximum temperature is 73.1degrees. The highest temperature, which occurred at Houghton on July 7, 1988, was102 degrees.

Growing degree days are shown in table 1. They are equivalent to “heat units.”During the month, growing degree days accumulate by the amount that the averagetemperature each day exceeds a base temperature (40 degrees F). The normalmonthly accumulation is used to schedule single or successive plantings of a cropbetween the last freeze in spring and the first freeze in fall.

The average annual total precipitation is 33.68 inches. Of this total, 14.28 inches, orabout 42 percent, usually falls in May through September. The growing season formost crops falls within this period. The heaviest 1-day rainfall during the period ofrecord was 3.23 inches on August 30, 1995. Thunderstorms occur on about 29 dayseach year, and most occur between June and September.

The average seasonal snowfall is 218.5 inches. The greatest snow depth at any onetime was 57 inches recorded on January 27, 1957. On average, 148 days per yearhave at least 1 inch of snow on the ground. The heaviest 1-day snowfall on record was26.5 inches recorded on January 18, 1996.

The average relative humidity in midafternoon is about 55 percent in May andnearly 75 percent in December. Humidity is higher at night, and the average at dawn isabout 80 percent in most months, except from June to September, when it is nearly 90percent. The sun shines 60 percent of the time possible in summer and 34 percent inwinter. The prevailing wind is from the northwest for much of the year, but it is from thesouth during much of the summer. Average windspeed is highest, around 12 miles perhour, during March and April.

4 Soil Survey of

Lakes and Streams

There are three watersheds in the survey area. These are the Gratiot, Montreal, andTobacco Rivers, which drain into Lake Superior. The Gratiot watershed is in thesouthwest corner of Keweenaw County, north of Ahmeek and Mohawk. The Montrealwatershed is in the east-central part of the county from the settlement of Delaware toBete Grise Bay. The Tobacco watershed encompasses the area south and east ofMohawk in Sherman Township and ends by the Village of Gay in the southwest cornerof Keweenaw County. Other waterways are the Trap Rock River, the Betsy River, theSilver River, Squatters Creek, Jacobs Creek, and Black Creek.

There are about 10,158 acres of water in Keweenaw County. The three largest lakesare Gratiot Lake, Lake Medora, and Lac La Belle. Gratiot Lake and Lake Medora arelandlocked, and Lac La Belle, to the east, is connected to Lake Superior andKeweenaw Bay by a short canal (fig. 2).

Physiography and Geology

The topography of the survey area is dramatic, characterized by steep bedrockcliffs, ridges, and dissected moraines occurring in stark contrast to Lake Superior andvarious inland lakes, swamps, and marshes. Elevation ranges from 1,540 feet abovesea level to 597 feet above sea level at the Lake Superior shore. The physiography ofthe region is the result of continental glaciation (strongly influenced by the bedrock)and the subsequent deposition of soil parent materials by ice, water, wind, and gravity.

Figure 2.—Typical building site development along Lac La Belle.


Bedrock geology consists of five major stratigraphic units: the Portage Lake LavaSeries, Copper Harbor conglomerate, Nonesuch shale, Freda sandstone, andJacobsville sandstone (fig. 3).

The Portage Lake Lava Series is of Middle Keweenawan age. It consists primarily ofbasalt and andesite lava flows interbedded with conglomerates. Copper has filledcavities in the series, forming the largest deposit of native copper in the world. TheCopper Harbor conglomerate overlies the Portage Lake Lava Series. The Nonesuchshale and Freda sandstone are of Late Keweenawan age and overlie the CopperHarbor conglomerate.

The Jacobsville sandstone is generally considered to be Early and MiddleCambrian in age. It consists of feldspathic and quartzose sandstone with layers ofshale and conglomerate. Along the Lake Superior shore at Point Isabelle, cliffs ofJacobsville sandstone exhibit beautiful red and white streaks resulting from oxidation,reduction, and leaching of iron.

The Keweenawan rocks represent sequences of lava flows, erosion, andsedimentation. They were folded to form the Lake Superior Syncline. The crust saggedas material accumulated, tilting the rock layers, which now dip downward from theKeweenaw Peninsula to the northwest under Lake Superior and reemerge on IsleRoyale to form a mirror image of the tilted bedrock. Faults developed as the outerlayers were thrust up. The Keweenaw Fault is a major reverse fault that separates thePortage Lake Lava Series from the more or less flat-lying Jacobsville sandstone. Thehighland on the upthrust side of the Keweenaw Fault comprises the Copper Range.

The rugged hills of the Copper Range, including Brockway Mountain, MountBohemia, and Mount Lookout, are characterized by bedrock escarpments on thesoutheast faces, where the edges have been beveled by erosion, and gentler slopes tothe northwest as the rocks dip into the Lake Superior Syncline. Differential rates oferosion have allowed stream valleys and depressions to be cut into the exposed edgesof the softer layers while the more resistant layers remained to form long, parallelridges that extend the length of the Keweenaw Peninsula.

During the Pleistocene Ice Age, Keweenaw County was repeatedly covered byglacial ice. The glacial landforms and deposits of the region are the result of the lastmajor glacial stage, the Greatlakean, and almost all traces of earlier glaciation havebeen obliterated. The dominant features are rocky ridges, dissected ground moraines,and valleys with various thicknesses of glacial deposits from the last decay and retreatof continental glaciers about 10,000 years ago (fig. 4).

The ground moraine on the Keweenaw Lowland southeast of the Copper Range ischaracterized by reddish sandy loam till derived from the Jacobsville sandstone.Upland portions of the moraine are typically dissected by parallel and dendritic ravines.The lower portions of the moraine are seepy and commonly poorly drained. The till isgenerally less than 50 feet thick and gradually thins eastward to sandstone cliffs alongKeweenaw Bay. A thin layer of till covers the preglacial bedrock valley slopes of theTraprock River Valley, which developed along the Keweenaw Fault.

The moraine on the Keweenaw Upland of the Copper Range is bedrock controlled.The till deposits are very thin or absent on the bedrock ridges. They are thicker in thevalleys between ridges. This till tends to be more cobbly and gravelly than that over theJacobsville sandstone. Stones, boulders, and rock outcrops are common. The deeperdeposits are dissected by dendritic and parallel ravines.

The area including the northernmost part of the Keweenaw Peninsula, especiallythe northeastern side, has a very thin soil mantle and extensive areas of exposedbedrock. There is a parallel ridge and swale topography resulting from differentialglacial abrasion of the alternating softer and harder rock layers that have been tilted onend. The stream courses are generally narrow and have a trellis drainage pattern.Postglacial lake activity has left a thin till mixed with conglomerate residuum andsuperimposed with gravelly and cobbly beaches, strand lines, and terraces.

6S

oil Survey ofFigure 3.—Generalized bedrock geology of the Keweenaw County area (modified after Martin, 1936, and Kelley, 1968).

Kew

eenaw C

ounty Area, M

ichigan7Figure 4.—Dominant glacial landforms in the survey area.

8 Soil Survey of

With the ablation of the continental glacier came a variety of glaciofluvial andglaciolacustrine deposits. A good example of an esker can be seen at Clear Lake nearMandan. The flow of meltwater was controlled by existing topographic features, suchas gaps in the Copper Range or where meltwater streams formed kame terracesbetween the ice and steep side slopes. Outwash-filled gaps occur near Ahmeek,Mandan, and Eagle River. Sand and gravel deposits as much as 200 feet thick occur ina buried channel northwest of Ahmeek. Outwash terraces occur along the majorstreams, including the Traprock, Gratiot, Tobacco, and Montreal Rivers.

After the removal of the ice, the crust of the earth began to rebound. As the landrose, the water levels of the Great Lakes fluctuated as outlets changed. Once theoutlets of the Great Lakes stabilized, around 6,000 years ago, the level of ancestralLake Superior rose to the Nipissing level of 605 feet. Wave-cut cliffs and beaches ofthe former Nipissing shore are now at 640 feet as a result of the rebound. Examples ofNipissing shore features can be seen all along Lake Superior and include sandstonebenches at Point Isabelle, conglomerate ridges at Copper Harbor, sand dunes atEagle River, and gravel bars at Lac La Belle.

After the ice age ended, numerous lakes and streams remained as remnants ofglacial erosion, ablation, and drainage. Scenic harbors, such as Copper Harbor, EagleHarbor, and Rock Harbor, formed where waters of Lake Superior extend throughnarrow inlets across the upturned edges of more resistant rock strata and then expandinto areas of less resistant rock that have been more deeply eroded. Severallandlocked lakes, including Lake Fanny Hooe and Lake Bailey, formed in a similarmanner by glacial abrasion of softer bedrock. Lac La Belle and Schlatter Lake areformer embayments of Lake Nipissing that were uplifted by rebound and cut off fromLake Superior. The streams of Keweenaw County that once drained glacial meltwaterstill carry impressive volumes of spring runoff. In some areas the streams cascadedown steep gradients to Lake Superior. The lower Montreal River and Eagle Riverhave rapids and waterfalls. Other areas along the Montreal River and Traprock Riverfeature marshes, flood plains, and terraces.

In postglacial times, erosion and deposition continued to modify the landscape.Rock surfaces were exposed by erosion. Areas of scree, talus, and colluviumaccumulated on the faces and at the bases of cliffs. Shorelines were modified bywaves and currents. Eroded silts and sands were deposited, dried, blown by the wind,and redeposited. Alluvial soils were deposited on flood plains, and organic depositsaccumulated in swamps. Small, shallow lakes filled with vegetation and became bogs.In time, as vegetation began to stabilize the soil, the various ecosystems of todaybegan to form, reflecting the physiography of Keweenaw County (Wikgren, 1991).

How This Survey Was MadeThis survey was made to provide information about the soils and miscellaneous

areas in the survey area. The information includes a description of the soils andmiscellaneous areas and their location and a discussion of their suitability, limitations,and management for specified uses. Soil scientists observed the steepness, length,and shape of the slopes; the general pattern of drainage; the kinds of crops and nativeplants; and the kinds of bedrock. They dug many holes to study the soil profile, whichis the sequence of natural layers, or horizons, in a soil. The profile extends from thesurface down into the unconsolidated material in which the soil formed. Theunconsolidated material is devoid of roots and other living organisms and has notbeen changed by other biological activity.

The soils and miscellaneous areas in the survey area are in an orderly pattern thatis related to the geology, landforms, relief, climate, and natural vegetation of the area.Each kind of soil and miscellaneous area is associated with a particular kind oflandform or with a segment of the landform. By observing the soils and miscellaneous


areas in the survey area and relating their position to specific segments of thelandform, a soil scientist develops a concept, or model, of how they were formed.Thus, during mapping, this model enables the soil scientist to predict with aconsiderable degree of accuracy the kind of soil or miscellaneous area at a specificlocation on the landscape.

Commonly, individual soils on the landscape merge into one another as theircharacteristics gradually change. To construct an accurate soil map, however, soilscientists must determine the boundaries between the soils. They can observe only alimited number of soil profiles. Nevertheless, these observations, supplemented by anunderstanding of the soil-vegetation-landscape relationship, are sufficient to verifypredictions of the kinds of soil in an area and to determine the boundaries.

Soil scientists recorded the characteristics of the soil profiles that they studied. Theynoted soil color, texture, size and shape of soil aggregates, kind and amount of rockfragments, distribution of plant roots, reaction, and other features that enable them toidentify soils. After describing the soils in the survey area and determining theirproperties, the soil scientists assigned the soils to taxonomic classes (units).Taxonomic classes are concepts. Each taxonomic class has a set of soilcharacteristics with precisely defined limits. The classes are used as a basis forcomparison to classify soils systematically. Soil taxonomy, the system of taxonomicclassification used in the United States, is based mainly on the kind and character ofsoil properties and the arrangement of horizons within the profile. After the soilscientists classified and named the soils in the survey area, they compared theindividual soils with similar soils in the same taxonomic class in other areas so thatthey could confirm data and assemble additional data based on experience andresearch.

While a soil survey is in progress, samples of some of the soils in the area generallyare collected for laboratory analyses and for engineering tests. Soil scientists interpretthe data from these analyses and tests as well as the field-observed characteristicsand the soil properties to determine the expected behavior of the soils under differentuses. Interpretations for all of the soils are field tested through observation of the soilsin different uses and under different levels of management. Some interpretations aremodified to fit local conditions, and some new interpretations are developed to meetlocal needs. Data are assembled from other sources, such as research information,production records, and field experience of specialists. For example, data on cropyields under defined levels of management are assembled from farm records and fromfield or plot experiments on the same kinds of soil.

Predictions about soil behavior are based not only on soil properties but also onsuch variables as climate and biological activity. Soil conditions are predictable overlong periods of time, but they are not predictable from year to year. For example, soilscientists can predict with a fairly high degree of accuracy that a given soil will have ahigh water table within certain depths in most years, but they cannot predict that a highwater table will always be at a specific level in the soil on a specific date.

After soil scientists located and identified the significant natural bodies of soil in thesurvey area, they drew the boundaries of these bodies on aerial photographs andidentified each as a specific map unit. Aerial photographs show trees, buildings, fields,roads, and rivers, all of which help in locating boundaries accurately.

11

The general soil map in this publication shows broad areas that have a distinctivepattern of soils, relief, and drainage. These broad areas are called associations. Eachassociation on the general soil map is a unique natural landscape. Typically, it consistsof one or more major soils or miscellaneous areas and some minor soils ormiscellaneous areas. It is named for the major soils or miscellaneous areas. Thecomponents of one association can occur in another but in a different pattern.

The general soil map can be used to compare the suitability of large areas forgeneral land uses. Areas of suitable soils can be identified on the map. Likewise, areaswhere the soils are not suitable can be identified.

Because of its small scale, the map is not suitable for planning the management ofa farm or field or for selecting a site for a road or building or other structure. The soilsin any one association differ from place to place in slope, depth, drainage, and othercharacteristics that affect management.

1. Arcadian-Michigamme-Rock Outcrop AssociationRock outcrop and strongly sloping to very steep, shallow and moderately deep, welldrained, loamy soils on rocky ridges and bedrock-controlled moraines

Setting

Landform: Rocky ridges and bedrock-controlled moraines (fig. 5)Slope range: 4 to 90 percent

Composition

Extent of the association: 12 percent of the survey areaExtent of the soils in the association:

Arcadian and similar soils—35 percentMichigamme and similar soils—15 percentRock outcrop—15 percentSoils of minor extent—35 percent

Soil Properties and Qualities

ArcadianDepth class: Shallow to basalt or conglomerate bedrockDrainage class: Well drainedPosition on the landform: Hills, escarpments, side slopes, and ridgetopsParent material: Gravelly or cobbly loamy material overlying bedrockTexture of the surface layer: Very gravelly fine sandy loamSlope: Gently sloping to very steep

MichigammeDepth class: Moderately deep to basalt or conglomerate bedrockDrainage class: Well drainedPosition on the landform: Hills, escarpments, side slopes, and ridgetopsParent material: Silty or loamy mantle over loamy till underlain by bedrock

General Soil Map Units

12 Soil Survey of

Texture of the surface layer: Cobbly very fine sandy loamSlope: Strongly sloping to very steep

Soils of Minor Extent

• Trimountain and Lac La Belle soils on dissected side slopes• Montreal, Dishno, Paavola, and Waiska soils in the slightly lower landscape positions• Gratiot and Sabattis soils in depressions and drainageways

Use and Management

Land use: Major use—woodland; other uses—wildlife habitat, idle land, building sitedevelopment

WoodlandMajor management concerns: Arcadian—erosion, surface boulders, rock fragments,

seedling mortality, windthrow hazard, slope, rock outcrops; Michigamme—erosion,surface boulders, rock fragments, clayey textures, seedling mortality, soil rutting,slope, rock outcrops

Building site developmentMajor management concerns: Arcadian—surface stones, surface boulders, depth to

bedrock, slope, rock outcrops; Michigamme—surface stones, surface boulders,cutbanks cave, depth to bedrock, slope, rock outcrops

Septic tank absorption fieldsMajor management concerns: Arcadian—surface stones, surface boulders, slope,

restricted permeability, depth to bedrock, rock outcrops; Michigamme—surfacestones, surface boulders, slope, restricted permeability, depth to bedrock, rockoutcrops

Figure 5.—Typical pattern of soils and parent material in the Arcadian-Michigamme-Rock outcropassociation.


2. Arcadian-Nipissing-Rock Outcrop AssociationRock outcrop and nearly level to very steep, shallow and moderately deep, welldrained, loamy-skeletal soils on bedrock benches and abandoned shorelines

Setting

Landform: Bedrock benches and abandoned shorelines on moraines (fig. 6)Slope range: 0 to 70 percent

Composition


Arcadian and similar soils—27 percentNipissing and similar soils—17 percentRock outcrop—12 percentSoils of minor extent—44 percent


ArcadianDepth class: Shallow to conglomerate or basalt bedrockDrainage class: Well drainedPosition on the landform: Hills, escarpments, side slopes, and ridgetopsParent material: Gravelly or cobbly loamy material overlying bedrockTexture of the surface layer: Very gravelly fine sandy loamSlope: Gently sloping to very steep

NipissingDepth class: Moderately deep to conglomerate or basalt bedrockDrainage class: Well drained

Figure 6.—Typical pattern of soils and parent material in the Arcadian-Nipissing-Rock outcropassociation.

14 Soil Survey of

Position on the landform: Ridges, knolls, and side slopesParent material: Gravelly or cobbly loamy and sandy material overlying bedrockTexture of the surface layer: Very cobbly silt loamSlope: Nearly level to steep


• Waiska soils in landscape positions similar to those of the Nipissing soils• Michigamme soils in landscape positions similar to those of the Arcadian soils• Copper Harbor, Paavola, Dishno, and Montreal soils in the slightly lower landscape

positions• Bete Grise, Gratiot, Sabattis, and Tawas soils in depressions and drainageways

Use and Management


WoodlandMajor management concerns: Arcadian—erosion, surface stones, rock fragments,

seedling mortality, windthrow hazard, slope, dissected slopes, rock outcrops;Nipissing—erosion, surface stones, rock fragments, seedling mortality, slope,dissected slopes, rock outcrops

Building site developmentMajor management concerns: Arcadian—surface stones, depth to bedrock, slope, rock

outcrops; Nipissing—surface stones, large stones, depth to bedrock, slope, rockoutcrops

Septic tank absorption fieldsMajor management concerns: Arcadian—surface stones, slope, restricted

permeability, depth to bedrock, rock outcrops; Nipissing—surface stones, largestones, slope, poor filtering capacity, restricted permeability, depth to bedrock,rock outcrops

3. Montreal-Paavola-Gratiot AssociationNearly level to moderately steep, very deep, moderately well drained and somewhatpoorly drained, loamy and sandy soils on till plains and dissected moraines

Setting

Landform: Till plains and dissected moraines (fig. 7)Slope range: 0 to 30 percent

Composition


Montreal and similar soils—40 percentPaavola and similar soils—20 percentGratiot and similar soils—15 percentSoils of minor extent—25 percent


MontrealDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Moderately well drainedPosition on the landform: Knolls, ridges, and side slopes


Parent material: Loamy eolian mantle overlying loamy or sandy tillTexture of the surface layer: Cobbly fine sandy loamSlope: Nearly level to moderately steep

PaavolaDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Moderately well drainedPosition on the landform: Knolls, ridges, and side slopesParent material: Gravelly or cobbly sandy deposits overlying loamy or sandy tillTexture of the surface layer: Cobbly loamy sandSlope: Nearly level to moderately steep

GratiotDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Somewhat poorly drainedPosition on the landform: Footslopes, depressions, and drainagewaysParent material: Cobbly or gravelly deposits overlying loamy or sandy tillTexture of the surface layer: Very cobbly fine sandy loamSlope: Nearly level to gently sloping


• Dishno soils in landscape positions similar to those of the Montreal and Paavolasoils

• Rock outcrop and Arcadian soils on rocky knolls and ridges• Sabattis, Cathro, Tawas, and Lupton soils in the lowest depressions and

drainageways

Use and Management

Land use: Major use—woodland; other uses—wildlife habitat, building sitedevelopment

Figure 7.—Typical pattern of soils and parent material in the Montreal-Paavola-Gratiot association.

16 Soil Survey of

WoodlandMajor management concerns: Montreal—surface boulders, rock fragments, seedling

mortality, soil rutting, windthrow hazard, seasonal wetness; Paavola—surfaceboulders, rock fragments, seedling mortality, soil rutting, windthrow hazard, depthto bedrock, seasonal wetness; Gratiot—surface boulders, rock fragments, clayeytextures, seedling mortality, windthrow hazard

Building site developmentMajor management concerns: Montreal—surface stones, surface boulders, cutbanks

caving, slope, seasonal wetness; Paavola—surface stones, surface boulders,cutbanks caving, slope, seasonal wetness, depth to bedrock; Gratiot—surfacestones, surface boulders, large stones, seasonal wetness

Septic tank absorption fieldsMajor management concerns: Montreal—surface stones, surface boulders, slope,

restricted permeability, depth to a fragipan, severe wetness; Paavola—surfacestones, surface boulders, slope, poor filtering capacity, restricted permeability,depth to bedrock, severe wetness, depth to a fragipan; Gratiot—surface stones,surface boulders, large stones, restricted permeability, depth to a fragipan,seasonal wetness

4. Skanee-Munising-Gay AssociationNearly level to moderately steep, very deep, moderately well drained to very poorlydrained, loamy soils on till plains and dissected moraines

Setting

Landform: Till plains and dissected moraines (fig. 8)Slope range: 0 to 30 percent

Composition


Skanee and similar soils—38 percentMunising and similar soils—34 percentGay and similar soils—18 percentSoils of minor extent—10 percent


SkaneeDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Somewhat poorly drainedPosition on the landform: Footslopes, depressions, and drainagewaysParent material: Loamy tillTexture of the surface layer: Loamy sandSlope: Nearly level to gently sloping

MunisingDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Moderately well drainedPosition on the landform: Knolls, ridges, and side slopesParent material: Loamy tillTexture of the surface layer: Fine sandy loamSlope: Nearly level to moderately steep


GayDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Poorly drainedPosition on the landform: Depressions and drainagewaysParent material: Loamy tillTexture of the surface layer: MuckSlope: Nearly level


• Lupton and Tawas soils in the lowest depressions and drainageways• Yalmer and Assinins soils, which have sandy deposits over the till• Zeba and Jacobsville soils, which are underlain by sandstone bedrock at a depth of

20 to 60 inches

Use and Management

Land use: Major use—woodland; other use—wildlife habitat

WoodlandMajor management concerns: Munising—seedling mortality, soil rutting, windthrow

hazard, seasonal wetness, erosion, slope; Skanee—seedling mortality, windthrowhazard; Gay—seedling mortality, windthrow hazard, severe wetness

Building site developmentMajor management concerns: Munising—surface stones, cutbanks caving, slope,

seasonal wetness; Skanee—surface stones, seasonal wetness; Gay—ponding,severe wetness

Septic tank absorption fieldsMajor management concerns: Munising—surface stones, slope, restricted

Figure 8.—Typical pattern of soils and parent material in the Skanee-Munising-Gay association.

18 Soil Survey of

permeability, depth to a fragipan, severe wetness, slope; Skanee—surface stones,restricted permeability, depth to a fragipan, seasonal wetness; Gay—ponding

5. Dawson-Au Gres-Croswell AssociationNearly level to strongly sloping, very deep, very poorly drained to moderately welldrained, sandy soils on beach ridges and swales

Setting

Landform: Beach ridges and swales on outwash plains and lake plains (fig. 9)Slope range: 0 to 12 percent

Composition


Dawson and similar soils—35 percentAu Gres and similar soils—20 percentCroswell and similar soils—15 percentSoils of minor extent—30 percent


DawsonDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Very poorly drainedPosition on the landform: Depressions and swalesParent material: Organic material overlying sandy depositsTexture of the surface layer: PeatSlope: Nearly level

Figure 9.—Typical pattern of soils and parent material in the Dawson-Au Gres-Croswellassociation.


Au GresDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Somewhat poorly drainedPosition on the landform: Low ridges and swalesParent material: Sandy depositsTexture of the surface layer: SandSlope: Nearly level to gently sloping

CroswellDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Moderately well drainedPosition on the landform: Knolls, ridges, side slopes, and footslopesParent material: Sandy depositsTexture of the surface layer: SandSlope: Nearly level to strongly sloping


• Deer Park and Rubicon soils on the highest beach ridges and dunes• Loxley, Kinross, and Deford soils in landscape positions similar to those of the

Dawson soils• Burt, Betsy Bay, and Skandia soils, which are underlain by sandstone bedrock at a

depth of 10 to 60 inches

Use and Management


WoodlandMajor management concerns: Dawson—seedling mortality, windthrow hazard, excess

humus, low strength; Au Gres—seedling mortality, windthrow hazard, seasonalwetness; Croswell—sandy textures, seedling mortality

Building site developmentMajor management concerns: Dawson—cutbanks cave, ponding, severe wetness, low

strength, subsidence; Au Gres—cutbanks caving, seasonal wetness; Croswell—cutbanks caving, slope, seasonal wetness

Septic tank absorption fieldsMajor management concerns: Dawson—poor filtering capacity, ponding, low strength,

subsidence, severe wetness; Au Gres—poor filtering capacity, severe wetness;Croswell—slope, poor filtering capacity, seasonal wetness

6. Lupton-Tawas-Deford AssociationNearly level, very deep, very poorly drained, mucky soils in swamps on lake plains,outwash plains, and moraines

Setting

Landform: Swamps on lake plains, outwash plains, and moraines (fig. 10)Slope range: 0 to 3 percent

Composition


Lupton and similar soils—40 percentTawas and similar soils—35 percent

20 Soil Survey of

Deford and similar soils—15 percentSoils of minor extent—10 percent


LuptonDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Very poorly drainedPosition on the landform: Broad, flat depressions and drainagewaysParent material: Thick organic depositsTexture of the surface layer: MuckSlope: Nearly level

TawasDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Very poorly drainedPosition on the landform: Depressions and drainagewaysParent material: Organic material overlying sandy depositsTexture of the surface layer: MuckSlope: Nearly level

DefordDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Poorly drainedPosition on the landform: Depressions and drainagewaysParent material: Sandy glaciofluvial depositsTexture of the surface layer: MuckSlope: Nearly level

Figure 10.—Typical pattern of soils and parent material in the Lupton-Tawas-Deford association.



• Au Gres and Ingalls soils on slight rises and ridges• Borgstrom and Garlic soils on isolated knolls and ridges and in transitional areas

adjoining other map units

Use and Management

Land use: Major use—woodland; other use—wetland wildlife habitat

WoodlandMajor management concerns: Seedling mortality, windthrow hazard, excess humus,

low strength

Building site developmentMajor management concerns: Lupton—ponding, severe wetness, low strength,

subsidence; Tawas—cutbanks caving, ponding, severe wetness, low strength;Deford—cutbanks caving, ponding, severe wetness

Septic tank absorption fieldsMajor management concerns: Lupton—ponding, low strength, subsidence, severe

wetness; Tawas—poor filtering capacity, ponding, low strength, severe wetness;Deford—poor filtering capacity, ponding, severe wetness

7. Montreal-Paavola-Arcadian AssociationGently sloping to very steep, very deep and shallow, moderately well drained and welldrained, loamy and sandy soils on dissected, bedrock-controlled moraines

Setting

Landform: Dissected, bedrock-controlled moraines (fig. 11)Slope range: 1 to 70 percent

Composition


Montreal and similar soils—43 percentPaavola and similar soils—16 percentArcadian and similar soils—16 percentSoils of minor extent—25 percent


MontrealDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Moderately well drainedPosition on the landform: Knolls, ridges, and side slopesParent material: Loamy eolian mantle overlying loamy or sandy tillTexture of the surface layer: Cobbly fine sandy loamSlope: Gently sloping to steep

PaavolaDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Moderately well drainedPosition on the landform: Knolls, ridges, and side slopesParent material: Gravelly or cobbly sandy deposits overlying loamy or sandy till

22 Soil Survey of

Texture of the surface layer: Cobbly loamy sandSlope: Gently sloping to steep

ArcadianDepth class: ShallowDrainage class: Well drainedPosition on the landform: Hills, escarpments, side slopes, and ridgetopsParent material: Gravelly or cobbly loamy material overlying bedrockTexture of the surface layer: Very gravelly fine sandy loamSlope: Gently sloping to very steep


• Dishno and Waiska soils in landscape positions similar to those of the Montreal andPaavola soils

• Trimountain and Lac La Belle soils on the steeper dissected side slopes• Rock outcrop and Michigamme soils in landscape positions similar to those of the

Arcadian soils• Gratiot and Sabattis soils in depressions and drainageways

Use and Management


WoodlandMajor management concerns: Montreal—erosion, surface boulders, rock fragments,

seedling mortality, soil rutting, windthrow hazard, slope, seasonal wetness,dissected slopes; Paavola—erosion, surface boulders, rock fragments, seedlingmortality, soil rutting, windthrow hazard, slope, seasonal wetness, dissectedslopes; Arcadian—erosion, surface boulders, rock fragments, seedling mortality,windthrow hazard, slope, rock outcrops

Figure 11.—Typical pattern of soils and parent material in the Montreal-Paavola-Arcadianassociation.


Building site developmentMajor management concerns: Montreal—surface stones, surface boulders, cutbanks

caving, slope, seasonal wetness; Paavola—surface stones, surface boulders,cutbanks caving, slope, seasonal wetness; Arcadian—surface stones, surfaceboulders, depth to bedrock, slope

Septic tank absorption fieldsMajor management concerns: Montreal—surface stones, surface boulders, slope,

restricted permeability, depth to a fragipan, severe wetness; Paavola—surfacestones, surface boulders, slope, poor filtering capacity, restricted permeability,depth to a fragipan, severe wetness; Arcadian—surface stones, surface boulders,slope, restricted permeability, depth to bedrock

8. Garlic-Waiska-Alcona AssociationGently sloping to very steep, very deep, well drained to excessively drained, sandyand loamy soils on dissected outwash terraces, deltas, eskers, outwash plains, streamterraces, and lake plains

Setting

Landform: Dissected outwash terraces, deltas, lake plains, outwash plains, streamterraces, and eskers (fig. 12)

Slope range: 1 to 60 percent

Composition


Garlic and similar soils—40 percent

Figure 12.—Typical pattern of soils and parent material in the Garlic-Waiska-Alcona association.

24 Soil Survey of

Waiska and similar soils—25 percentAlcona and similar soils—15 percentSoils of minor extent—20 percent


GarlicDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Well drainedPosition on the landform: Knolls, ridges, escarpments, and side slopesParent material: Sandy glaciofluvial depositsTexture of the surface layer: Loamy fine sandSlope: Gently sloping to very steep

WaiskaDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Excessively drainedPosition on the landform: Knolls, ridges, escarpments, and side slopesParent material: Gravelly or cobbly sandy materialTexture of the surface layer: Cobbly loamy sandSlope: Gently sloping to very steep

AlconaDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Well drainedPosition on the landform: Knolls, ridges, and side slopesParent material: Sandy and loamy glaciofluvial depositsTexture of the surface layer: Very fine sandy loamSlope: Gently sloping to steep


• Borgstrom soils in the slightly lower landscape positions• Ingalls and Au Gres soils in depressions and along drainageways• Tawas and Deford soils in the lowest depressions and drainageways

Use and Management


WoodlandMajor management concerns: Garlic—erosion, surface boulders, seedling mortality,

slope, dissected slopes; Waiska—erosion, surface boulders, rock fragments,seedling mortality, slope, dissected slopes; Alcona—erosion, seedling mortality,soil rutting, slope, dissected slopes

Building site developmentMajor management concerns: Garlic—cutbanks caving, slope; Waiska—surface

stones, surface boulders, cutbanks caving, slope; Alcona—cutbanks caving, slope

Septic tank absorption fieldsMajor management concerns: Garlic—slope, poor filtering capacity; Waiska—surface

stones, surface boulders, slope, poor filtering capacity; Alcona—slope


9. Munising-Yalmer-Garlic AssociationGently sloping to very steep, very deep, moderately well drained and well drained,loamy and sandy soils on dissected moraines

Setting

Landform: Dissected moraines (fig. 13)Slope range: 1 to 60 percent

Composition


Munising and similar soils—40 percentYalmer and similar soils—20 percentGarlic and similar soils—20 percentSoils of minor extent—20 percent


MunisingDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Moderately well drainedPosition on the landform: Knolls, ridges, and side slopesParent material: Loamy tillTexture of the surface layer: Fine sandy loamSlope: Gently sloping to steep

Figure 13.—Typical pattern of soils and parent material in the Munising-Yalmer-Garlic association.

26 Soil Survey of

YalmerDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Moderately well drainedPosition on the landform: Knolls, ridges, and side slopesParent material: Sandy outwash over loamy tillTexture of the surface layer: Loamy sandSlope: Gently sloping to steep

GarlicDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Well drainedPosition on the landform: Knolls, ridges, terraces, escarpments, and side slopesParent material: Sandy glaciofluvial depositsTexture of the surface layer: Loamy fine sandSlope: Gently sloping to very steep


• Abbaye soils in landscape positions similar to those of the Munising and Yalmer soils• Keweenaw and Waiska soils in landscape positions similar to those of the Garlic

soils• Skanee and Gay soils in depressions and drainageways

Use and Management


WoodlandMajor management concerns: Munising—erosion, seedling mortality, soil rutting,

windthrow hazard, slope, seasonal wetness, dissected slopes; Yalmer—erosion,seedling mortality, soil rutting, windthrow hazard, slope, seasonal wetness,dissected slopes; Garlic—seedling mortality

Building site developmentMajor management concerns: Munising—surface stones, cutbanks caving, slope,

seasonal wetness; Yalmer—surface stones, cutbanks caving, slope, seasonalwetness; Garlic—cutbanks caving, slope

Septic tank absorption fieldsMajor management concerns: Munising—surface stones, slope, restricted

permeability, depth to a fragipan, severe wetness; Yalmer—surface stones, slope,poor filtering capacity, restricted permeability, depth to a fragipan, severe wetness;Garlic—slope, poor filtering capacity

10. Deer Park-Rubicon-Croswell AssociationNearly level to very steep, excessively drained to moderately well drained, sandy soilson beaches and dunes

Setting

Landform: Beaches and dunes (fig. 14)Slope range: 0 to 70 percent

Composition

Extent of the association: 2 percent of the survey area


Extent of the soils in the association:Deer Park and similar soils—40 percentRubicon and similar soils—20 percentCroswell and similar soils—20 percentSoils of minor extent—20 percent


Deer ParkDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Excessively drainedPosition on the landform: Knolls, ridges, escarpments, and side slopesParent material: Sandy eolian deposits and sandy lacustrine depositsTexture of the surface layer: Fine sandSlope: Nearly level to very steep

RubiconDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Excessively drainedPosition on the landform: Knolls, ridges, and side slopesParent material: Sandy depositsTexture of the surface layer: SandSlope: Nearly level to steep

CroswellDepth class: Very deepDrainage class: Moderately well drainedPosition on the landform: Knolls, ridges, side slopes, and footslopes

Figure 14.—Typical pattern of soils and parent material in the Deer Park-Rubicon-Croswellassociation.

28

Parent material: Sandy depositsTexture of the surface layer: SandSlope: Nearly level to gently sloping


• Wallace and Waiska soils in landscape positions similar to those of the Rubicon soils• Copper Harbor soils in landscape positions similar to those of the Croswell soils• Au Gres and Bete Grise soils on low ridges and in swales• Tawas and Deford soils in the lowest depressions and swales• Nipissing and Arcadian soils on rocky ridges and knolls

Use and Management


WoodlandMajor management concerns: Deer Park—erosion, seedling mortality, slope;

Rubicon—sandy textures, seedling mortality; Croswell—sandy textures, seedlingmortality

Building site developmentMajor management concerns: Deer Park—cutbanks caving, slope; Rubicon—cutbanks

caving, slope; Croswell—cutbanks caving, slope, seasonal wetness

Septic tank absorption fieldsMajor management concerns: Deer Park—slope, poor filtering capacity; Rubicon—

slope, poor filtering capacity; Croswell—slope, poor filtering capacity, seasonalwetness

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The map units delineated on the detailed soil maps in this survey represent thesoils or miscellaneous areas in the survey area. The map unit descriptions in thissection, along with the maps, can be used to determine the suitability and potential ofa unit for specific uses. They also can be used to plan the management needed forthose uses.

A map unit delineation on a soil map represents an area dominated by one or moremajor kinds of soil or miscellaneous areas. A map unit is identified and namedaccording to the taxonomic classification of the dominant soils. Within a taxonomicclass there are precisely defined limits for the properties of the soils. On thelandscape, however, the soils are natural phenomena, and they have the characteristicvariability of all natural phenomena. Thus, the range of some observed properties mayextend beyond the limits defined for a taxonomic class. Areas of soils of a singletaxonomic class rarely, if ever, can be mapped without including areas of othertaxonomic classes. Consequently, every map unit is made up of the soils ormiscellaneous areas for which it is named and some minor components that belong totaxonomic classes other than those of the major soils.

Most minor soils have properties similar to those of the dominant soil or soils in themap unit, and thus they do not affect use and management. These are callednoncontrasting, or similar, components. They may or may not be mentioned in aparticular map unit description. Other minor components, however, have propertiesand behavioral characteristics divergent enough to affect use or to require differentmanagement. These are called contrasting, or dissimilar, components. They generallyare in small areas and could not be mapped separately because of the scale used.Some small areas of strongly contrasting soils or miscellaneous areas are identified bya special symbol on the maps. The contrasting components are mentioned in the mapunit descriptions. A few areas of minor components may not have been observed, andconsequently they are not mentioned in the descriptions, especially where the patternwas so complex that it was impractical to make enough observations to identify all thesoils and miscellaneous areas on the landscape.

The presence of minor components in a map unit in no way diminishes theusefulness or accuracy of the data. The objective of mapping is not to delineate puretaxonomic classes but rather to separate the landscape into landforms or landformsegments that have similar use and management requirements. The delineation ofsuch segments on the map provides sufficient information for the development ofresource plans. If intensive use of small areas is planned, however, onsite investigationis needed to define and locate the soils and miscellaneous areas.

An identifying symbol precedes the map unit name in the map unit descriptions.Each description includes general facts about the unit and gives the principal hazardsand limitations to be considered in planning for specific uses.

Soils that have profiles that are almost alike make up a soil series. Except fordifferences in texture of the surface layer, all the soils of a series have major horizonsthat are similar in composition, thickness, and arrangement.

Soils of one series can differ in texture of the surface layer, slope, stoniness,salinity, degree of erosion, and other characteristics that affect their use. On the basisof such differences, a soil series is divided into soil phases. Most of the areas shown

Detailed Soil Map Units

30 Soil Survey of

on the detailed soil maps are phases of soil series. The name of a soil phasecommonly indicates a feature that affects use or management. For example, Garlicfine sand, 0 to 8 percent slopes, is a phase of the Garlic series.

Some map units are made up of two or more major soils or miscellaneous areas.These map units are complexes or undifferentiated groups.

A complex consists of two or more soils or miscellaneous areas in such an intricatepattern or in such small areas that they cannot be shown separately on the maps. Thepattern and proportion of the soils or miscellaneous areas are somewhat similar in allareas. Arcadian-Michigamme-Rock outcrop complex, 8 to 35 percent slopes,extremely bouldery, is an example.

An undifferentiated group is made up of two or more soils or miscellaneous areasthat could be mapped individually but are mapped as one unit because similarinterpretations can be made for use and management. The pattern and proportion ofthe soils or miscellaneous areas in a mapped area are not uniform. An area can bemade up of only one of the major soils or miscellaneous areas, or it can be made up ofall of them. Histosols and Aquents, ponded, is an undifferentiated group in this surveyarea.

This survey includes miscellaneous areas. Such areas have little or no soil materialand support little or no vegetation. Pits, borrow, is an example.

Table 4 gives the acreage and proportionate extent of each map unit. Other tablesgive properties of the soils and the limitations, capabilities, and potentials for manyuses. The Glossary defines many of the terms used in describing the soils ormiscellaneous areas.

2—Lupton and Tawas soils, 0 to 1 percent slopesSetting

Landform: Depressions and drainageways on lake plains, moraines, and outwashplains

Map Unit Composition

Major components:Lupton and similar soils: 50 to 100 percentTawas and similar soils: 25 to 45 percent

Minor components:Deford and similar soils (0 to 8 percent of the map unit) in landscape positions

similar to those of the Tawas soilAu Gres and similar soils (0 to 3 percent of the map unit) on slight rises and ridgesIngalls and similar soils (0 to 1 percent of the map unit) on slight rises and ridges

Typical Profile

LuptonOi—0 to 8 inches; black muckOa—8 to 80 inches; black and very dark brown muck

TawasOa1—0 to 6 inches; black muckOa2—6 to 25 inches; black muckCg—25 to 80 inches; dark grayish brown sand


Parent material: Lupton—herbaceous organic material; Tawas—organic material oversandy drift


Slope: 0 to 1 percentSurface runoff class: NegligiblePotential for frost action: HighDepth to restrictive feature: More than 80 inchesDrainage class: Very poorly drainedAvailable water capacity: Lupton—about 3.1 inches to a depth of 60 inches; Tawas—

about 11.5 inches to a depth of 60 inchesShrink-swell potential: LowPermeability: Lupton—moderately rapid; Tawas—moderately rapid over rapidFlooding: NoneDepth to seasonal high water table: At the surface (January, February, March, April,

May, June, October, November, December)Months in which ponding does not occur: January, February, July, August, September,

DecemberDepth and most likely period of ponding: 0.2 foot (March, April, May, June, October,

November)

Use and Management


WoodlandMajor management concerns: Seedling mortality, windthrow hazard, excess humus,

low strength

Building site developmentMajor management concerns: Lupton—ponding, severe wetness, low strength,

subsidence; Tawas—cutbanks caving, ponding, severe wetness, low strength

Septic tank absorption fieldsM

soil survey of keweenaw county area, michigansoil survey of keweenaw county area, michigan natural...

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