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t over sand, Glencoe soils, and a dcpresslonal
<br />111 -0 soil also occur.
<br />I In some areas wild hay can be cut along the marshy
<br />dges. Most areas are poor for pasture. Marsh is
<br />e. 1 suited to providing food and cover for certain
<br />w es of wildlife. (Capability unit VlIIw-1; wood-
<br />~and group 7, building site group 12)
<br />Minnetonka Series
<br />The Minnetonka series consists of deep, poorly
<br />d :ined soils that formed in 30 to 60 inches of cal-
<br />c eous, clayey sediments. In most places a 2-foot
<br />tu 3-foot layer of silty sediments lies between the
<br />clayey sediments and the underlying loamy till.
<br />1 :se soils are on broad flats and in drainageways.
<br />1 i native vegetation was prairie grass encroached
<br />upvn by mixed hardwoods. There are a few stones and
<br />boulders, mainly near the surface. These soils oc-
<br />c iy scattered tracts and are associated mainly with
<br />1 i Lester, Hayden, and Shorewood soils.
<br />In a representative profile, the surface layer is
<br />black si-1 ty clay loam about 13 inches thick. The
<br />1 ·,soil is mostly firm, olive-gray silty clay about
<br />. inches thick. The underlying material is cal-
<br />careous, olive-gray silty clay loam.
<br />Minnetonka soils have high available moisture ca-
<br />r ;ity, slow internal drainage, and slow permeabil-
<br />: ., . The water tab le is at a depth of 1 to 3 feet
<br />~~ring wet periods. The root zone is limited by the
<br />high water table. The organic-matter content and ·
<br />r-tural fertility are high.
<br />Representative profile of Minnetonka silty clay
<br />~-am, in a cultivated field, SEl/4 NEl/4 NEl/4 sec.
<br />33, T. 118 N., R. 23 W., Orono village:
<br />, --0 to 8 inches, black (l0YR 2/1) light silty clay
<br />loam; weak, very fine, subangular blocky struc-
<br />ture; friable; many roots; slightly acid;
<br />clear, smooth boundary. ·•
<br />2--8 to 13 inches, black (l0YR 2/1) heavy silty
<br />clay loam; lower part of the horizon contains
<br />patches and thin seams of gray (l0YR 5/1);
<br />moderate, very fine, subangular blocky struc-
<br />ture; friable; many roots; slightly acid;
<br />clear, smooth boundary.
<br />Bltg--13 to 18 inches, very dark gray (l0YR 3/1)
<br />silty clay intermingled with olive gray (SY
<br />4/2); strong, very fine, subangular blocky
<br />structure; firm; few roots; few, fine, tubular
<br />pores; common, thick, black (l0YR 2/1) and
<br />very dark gray (l0YR 3/1) clay films on faces
<br />of peds; slightly acid; clear, smooth bound-
<br />ary.
<br />B21tg--18 to 25 inches, olive-gray (SY 4/2) silty
<br />clay; weak, fine, prismatic structure parting
<br />to strong, very fine, subangular blocky; firm;
<br />few fine roots and pores; many, thick, black
<br />( l0YR 2/1) and very dark gray ( lOYR 3/1) clay
<br />films on faces of peds and in root channels;
<br />slightly acid; clear, s_mooth boundary.
<br />:2tg--25 to 31 inches, olive-gray (SY 5/2 and SY
<br />4/2) silty clay; few, fine, distinct, olive
<br />(SY S/6) mottles; weak, medium, prismatic
<br />structure; firm; few fine roots; common, fine,
<br />tubular pores; many, thick, black (l0YR 2/1)
<br />and very dark gray ( l0YR 3/1) clay films on
<br />faces of peds and in root channels; neutral;
<br />clear, smooth boundary.
<br />B3tg--31 to 35 inches, olive-gray (SY 5/2) silty
<br />clay loam; few, fine, distinct, olive (SY S/6)
<br />mottles; weak, very fine, subangular blocky
<br />structure; friable; few, fine, tubular pores;
<br />few, medium, very dark gray (l0YR 3/1) and
<br />black (l0YR 2/1) clay films on faces of peds
<br />and in root channels; neutral; clear, smooth
<br />boundary.
<br />Clg--35 to 40 inches, olive-gray (SY 5/2) silty clay
<br />loam; common, fine, prominent, olive (SY 5/6)
<br />mottles; moderate, very fine, subangular
<br />blocky structure; friable; few, thin, black
<br />(l0YR 2/1) clay films in root channels; common,
<br />fine, light-gray lime concentrations; few
<br />black concretions; mildly alkaline; strongly
<br />calcareous.
<br />C2g--40 to 60 inches, olive-gray (SY 5/2) silty clay
<br />loam; few thin strata of very fine sandy loam;
<br />common, fine, prominent, yellowish-brown (lOYR
<br />5/6) mottles that increase in size and abtm-
<br />dance with increasing depth; weak, coarse,
<br />subangular blocky structure parting to weak,
<br />very fine, subangular blocky structure; fri-
<br />able; common, fine, light-gray lime concentra-
<br />tions; mildly alkaline; strongly calcareous.
<br />A thin, distinct A2 horizon that dries to gray or
<br />gl'.ayish brown occurs in some places. The B horizon
<br />is typically olive gray but ranges from dark gray to
<br />olive and light olive brown. The zone of maximum
<br />clay content in the B2 horizon ranges from silty
<br />clay to clay. The C horizon is olive gray or light
<br />olive gray and is variable in texture. It ranges
<br />from heavy silty clay loam or silty clay-to silt
<br />loam or light silty clay loam or to clay loam or
<br />loam glacial till . The glacial· .till occurs within
<br />a depth of 10 feet in mo~t places. Reaction of the
<br />A horizon ranges from ~lightly acid to neutral, and
<br />reaction of the B horizon ranges from medium acid to
<br />neutral. Depth to lime carbonates ranges from 26 to
<br />40 inches. ·
<br />Minnetonka soils have a finer textured B horizon
<br />than the similar Cordova soils. They have a thicker,
<br />darker colored A horizon than associated·Shields
<br />soils.
<br />. Minnetonka silty ·clay loam (Mt) . --This· nearly
<br />level soil is in broad tracts up to about 100 acres
<br />in size and in shallow drainageways.
<br />Included in mapping were small rise·s of Shorewood
<br />and Le Sueur soils. In a few places the underlying
<br />material is made up of layers of sand, silt, and
<br />clay. .
<br />The main needs of management are drainage and
<br />maintenance of soil tilth. This soil can be
<br />drained, but tile must be spaced rather closely to
<br />insure good drainage. A good tile outlet is impor-
<br />tant. If properly drained and managed, this soil is
<br />57
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