Newsletter

Winter 2004

From Interstate 57 go west on Route 154 (Exit 77). Look for sign that directs you to Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park and Rend Lake Resort and Conference Center. Go north about 3 miles. You will see the marina complex and conference center on your left.

Room Reservations – (618)- 629-2211. A block of rooms for the night of the 5th ($60.00 Single; $69.00 double) is being held under Block #4477. Get your reservations in early.

The meal is a BBQ Buffet consisting of BBQ pork steaks and fried chicken, au gratin potatoes, baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad, crudités (Editors note: raw vegetables cut into bite-sized strips, I had to look this up) with dip and warm bread. Coffee, tea and a dessert are also included. Cost of meal is $12.50

Please get you reservation in early. We need a headcount by March 1^st. We are obligated for a minimum of 25 people.

Our NRCS project is going into its third year. In 2002 and 2003 we worked with the IL-NRCS in collaboration with Bob McLeese and Jim Doolittle. The objective of our project is to develop a soil mapping methodology for high intensity applications (precision ag for example). The methodolgy can also be used for construction site assessment, watershed scale mapping, archaeological surveys or wetland delineations. The study involves deploying the Soil Information System to the field in conjunction with a team of NRCS field personnel with the common goal of performing high detail sensor correlations. The NRCS crew determines the locations of representative profiles using a high resolution electromagnetic survey draped over a digital elevation model with centimeter level 3-D relative accuracy. This helps to avoid selecting an inclusion or anomalous soil in an area on the landscape that is otherwise representative of a particular soil profile given topography and expert knowledge alone. Earth Information Technologies then goes to the selected locations and performs vertical observations with a penetrometer that estimates soil compaction, texture, color, moisture, resistivey, and in-situ digital imagery (video). The pit is then excavated in such a way that the soil can be described that was in direct contact with the sensors. A database is being developed that takes a "typical" soil of a certain type and gives it a digital signature. It will be rare that any typical digital signature will exactly match locations taken on the same field let alone across multiple counties. However, it will be possible to quantify which soil a given observation is most similar too thus creating a tangible, standard method for creating 3-D, digital soil maps. In 2004 we have expanded our contract with the NRCS to include work in Iowa and Wisconsin as well as Illinois.

A very frigid greetings from Northern Illinois! As I write my last “President’s Column” I reflect on the great year we’ve had at ISCA. It sure has gone by fast. I appreciate the opportunity you have given me to serve as one of your officers and I would recommend others consider experiencing this as well. The nominations committee has assembled a great slate of candidates for us to choose from this year. Please take the time to mail in your vote if you are not planning on attending the annual meeting. Read through Sam’s invitation in this newsletter and make sure to RSVP for the annual meeting ASAP! Unfortunately, it ends up that I will not be able to join you at the meeting since I will be snorkeling in the Galapagos Islands. Rest assured that I will be thinking of you on March 6^th, and I leave you in the very capable hands of our Executive Committee. The Program Committee has assembled an excellent meeting – Dan Rooney from EarthIT will be sharing some of his company’s efforts to map various soil attributes using advanced technology.

Opportunities to be involved in promoting and advancing the soil sciences abound. The main limitation is the degree of your involvement. In January I volunteered to participate in the “Scientist at the Field” program with Jesse Kurylo. We answered a wide variety of questions about soil from a wide range of individuals. Although the attendance at the Field Museum in Chicago was low that day, I particularly enjoyed Jesse’s rapport with the groups of children that stopped by. You could tell that she enjoys stimulating a child to think about the soils around them. Please contact Mark Bramstedt if you have an interest in learning about this volunteer program.

I recently met with Mike Konen from Northern Illinois University to discuss a fund raising activity for a soils exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. Mike will be sharing some of the details in the newsletter. We’re confident that the membership of ISCA will help to identify a wide variety of businesses in agriculture that might be willing to pledge a donation for the Illinois portion of the exhibit. This is a good program to raise our nation’s “soil awareness.”

As one more housekeeping item, please send in your annual ISCA dues if you haven’t already. Also remember that the ISCA takes care of your subscription to Soil Survey Horizons. So don’t double pay for it if you haven’t sent in your Soil Science Society of America dues. I look forward to seeing each of you somewhere down the road (or in a soil pit!) Stay warm!

Mark

If you haven’t been to the ISCA web site in a while, check it out at www.illinoissoils.org . Tom D’Avello and Mark Bramstedt have updated the ISCA web page. They have updated the information, added a place for announcements, changed the interactive map of soil consultants, added both current and past Newsletters, and added new Links. Personal information about members & consultants and information about ISCA officers and committees will be updated after the 2004 Annual Meeting. Watch for other changes with the Membership Handbook and applications for membership in the near future. If you have any suggestions about the content of the web page, contact a member of the Executive Council.

The use of native vegetation for erosion control, water quality improvement, and wildlife habitat enhancement has increased rapidly in recent years. In many cases, the effects of soil compaction, weed pressure, and disturbed site conditions create challenges for successful establishment of native species. This workshop will discuss problems encountered in the field, and share some solutions that we have discovered through the years. Workshop participants will take away field-level techniques for soil amendment and compaction control, an understanding of native seeding methods, examples of what methods have and have not been effective, and a regulatory overview of native vegetation use. Audience participation will be encouraged in order to help develop new solutions for these issues.

AGENDA

10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Characteristics of Chicago Biosolids and Their Use as a Conditioner to Enhance Soil Restoration

Thomas Granato, Ph.D., Head, Biosolids Utilization and Soil Science Section, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

11:00 – Noon Greenhouse Study of the Effectiveness of Soil Amendments on Germination and Growth of Native Seed for Restoration at Indian Ridge Marsh

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Native Species Seeding Techniques and Trouble Spots – An Overview

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. The “Scoop” on Soils for Wetland Mitigation – Project Examples and Reflections on Soil Conditions and Handling Techniques

3:15 – 4:00 p.m. The Regulatory Perspective on Native Vegetation Use and Establishment Clayton Heffter, Wetland Supervisor, DuPage County DEC and Jaimee Hammitt, Regulatory Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District

Please see the enclosed sheet for directions and registration information. Questions? Contact Todd Soukup at 815-439-6774 or via email at TASoukup@earthlink.net

REGISTRATION FORM (please print)

Address:____________________________________ City:_______________________

State:________ Zip:____________ Daytime telephone #:_______________________

Workshop fee is $25.00 per person. Please detach registration form and send it with a check or money order (payable to Illinois Soil Classifiers Association) to:

Please respond by February 10, 2004 in order to reserve your spot for the workshop.

The workshop will be held in Room 3-500B of the Jack T. Knuepfer Administration Building at the DuPage County Governmental Complex in Wheaton (see building location on other attachment). Signs will be posted at each entrance to the building directing you to the workshop. The governmental complex lies along County Farm Road just south of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad tracks. County Farm Road is a major north-south road that lies approximately 2.5 miles east of Illinois Route 59 and 5.5 miles west of Interstate 355 in central DuPage County. The complex is about one mile north of Illinois Route 38 and 2.5 miles south of Illinois Route 64 on County Farm Road. Please call if you would like more detailed directions.

The 50th anniversary of the 2003 Farm Progress Show was held in Henning Illinois this past September. The 3 day affair turned into only a single day of showing as rains moved into the area (or as it seems, only onto the show site itself!!) cancelling the second and last day of the show. Irregardless, The ISCA/NRCS soils exhibit was a huge success, even if for only a single first day. This was the first year implementing a novel idea for the soils exhibit. NRCS soil scientists from around the state collected some 30 soil profiles to display along a straw maze which led into and out of a soils pit. The soil monoliths were profiled alongside a laminated, 3-D block diagram utilizing actual orthophoto imagery. Not too often does the public have the opportunity to see dozens of soils from around the state. Surely, this must have been... "The Amazing Soils"! A personal note of thanks to everyone who helped to make this exhibit one of the finest displays ever! Also, a special thanks to ISCA and NRCS for their financial

The ISCA fall meeting took place on October 18^th in northeastern Illinois. Twenty-three individuals, including ISCA members and NIU staff and students, attended. The tour focused on several of the diamictons that are found in the area. The tour started off in the morning at Bliss Woods Forest Preserve in Kane County with coffee and bagels and a general overview of the day's stops. Sites were selected by Bruce Putman with two sites located in Kane County and one in Kendall County. Information was provided for each site, which included the geology and the chemical and physical properties of the diamictons. Bruce Putman and Ted McCannon, a septic designer, also provided insight on septic loading rates and designs and local county health codes. A lunch was catered at the Ted McCannon residence. A council meeting was held following the tour.

Ann M. Mason in 1993 graduated from the University of New Hampshire, with a B.S. in Soil Science and Associates in Arts. She began her career as a private consultant, however went on to work for the government but resigned to then again pursue working in the private sector. In 2002, Ann started her own business called Strata Environmental Inc. in Lombard, IL. Ann has training and experience with the NRCS mapping protocol, as well with wetlands. Ann is ARCPAC certified as a Soil Scientist and Soil Classifier and a Registered Indiana Soil Scientist. She is also a Certified Wetland Scientist in the Illinois Counties of Lake and Kane. Ann is also the Public Sector Representative for the Association of Women Soil Scientists, AWSS since 2000.

Bruce Putman is a private consultant working in the northern part of Illinois since 1988. He began his career with the NRCS as a soil scientist in 1980 in western Illinois and worked in both northern and central Illinois during his employment with the NRCS. Bruce earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in soil science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a Certified Professional Soil Classifier with both ARCPACS and ISCA. Bruce has been actively involved in ISCA serving on various committees and as President. He resides in Woodstock, Illinois with his wife Susan and their two children.

Bill Kreznor is a self-employed consultant operating in northern Illinois since 1987. He earned a B.S. degree in Forest Management with a minor in Soil Science at UW-Stevens Point, and a M.S. degree in Agronomy at the University of Illinois. Bill has worked as a county soil scientist on the Iroquois County soil survey, and as a USDA soil scientist in Randolph, Jasper, and Edgar counties. Bill has been a member of ISCA since 1978, and earned certification in 1981. He has previously served as ISCA President and Vice President, has chaired various ISCA committees, and served on the Certification Board. Bill and his family reside in Woodstock.

Scott Wegman has a B.S. in Soil Science from the University of Illinois and an M.S. in Geology from Northern Illinois University. After college, he worked for the Pike, Tazewell and Woodford County soil surveys. He went from the soil survey to the Lake County Health Department where he worked as a soil scientist in their on-site waste department. After that, he took the plunge into the private sector, working as a soil scientist for Environmental S/E, an ecological and environmental engineering firm in the Chicago suburbs. He currently works for Klingner & Associates, P.C. in Quincy as a GIS/Water Resources Specialist and still manages to get out and do on-site soil evaluations.

The Midwest Friends of the Pleistocene sponsored by the Minnesota Geological Survey will meet Friday, May 21 - Sunday, May 23 in central Minnesota on The St. John's University campus. This will not only be the 50th Midwest Friends of the Pleistocene meeting but it will commemorate 50 years Since Herb Wright and Al Schneider led the 5th FOP here in central Minnesota in 1954. (FOP math was used in the above calculations!)

LOCATION: St. John's University campus is located 90 miles northwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul near I-94. As you travel west on I-94 you take the "St. John's U" exit about 15 miles west of St. Cloud. Go south (you will see a large church bell tower in the distance to the south) for approximately one mile and watch for FOP signs as you enter campus. Check-in and lodging will be in Mary Hall and meeting/banquet rooms will be in Sexton Commons, which is adjacent and attached to Mary Hall. The campus lies in the center of a beautiful 2000 acre woodland. If you have time come early or stay late and enjoy hiking through the hilly forest, swimming in Lake Sagatagan, visiting their renowned medieval manuscript library, orattending vespers with the monks!

ITINERARY: Check-in will begin at 6 pm Friday, May 21st at Mary Hall. If you will be arriving late in the evening please let us know so that necessary arrangements can be made. There will be a discussion/poster room in Sexton Commons available both nights where beverages may be purchased. There will be wall space available for anyone interested in bringing posters or maps to be viewed for discussion. On Saturday and Sunday we will visit outcrops exposing: Late Wisconsinan Des Moines, Superior, and Wadena lobe deposits and also deposits of at least three pre-late Wisconsinan ice advances. These sites include exposures in eskers, drumlins, moraines, thrust blocks, tunnel valley fans, and also an exposure of a buried soil. These exposures should stimulate discussion on the following topics: dynamics of glacio-tectonic thrusting; drumlin formation; erosion, transport and deposition of source area material; and the processes involved in the formation of the St. Croix moraine. There will be a banquet Saturday evening, followed by "special activities". On Sunday, May 23rd we will return from our field trip to St. John's by 2 pm.

REGISTRATION: The $100 fee includes field trip guidebook, two breakfasts, two lunches, banquet on Saturday night, field trip refreshments, and bus transportation on Saturday and Sunday.

LODGING: Accommodations will be in Mary Hall dormitory. Cost for a single room is $28.50/night per person and cost for a double room is $20.50/night per person. All rooms are supplied with sheets, towels, blanket,

pillow, soap, and essential furniture. Each room has a sink; restrooms and shower facilities are shared. Please indicate a roommate preference if so desired when sending your payment. If you prefer to camp the nearest available campgrounds are the St. Cloud Campground and R.V. Park (about 10 miles east of St. John's), 320-558-2847 and El Rancho Manana in Richmond (15 milessouthwest of St. John's), 320-597-2740.

MEALS: All of Saturday's meals and breakfast and lunch on Sunday are included in the registration fee. There will be food available for purchase in Sexton Commons on Friday night.

PAYMENT: Include your registration and lodging fees on the same check. Please note your lodging choice (single/double) and roommate preference. Make checks payable to "Friends of the Pleistocene" and mail to:

We won't reserve a place for you until we receive your check. Confirmation of receipt will be via e-mail (so include your e-mail address with your check). Paper receipts will be provided at conference check-in.

If you have questions or need special arrangements please contact Alan Knaeble at knaeb001@umn.edu or 612-627-4780 ext. 210.

New ISCA Brochure -- INTERPRETING YOUR SOIL EVALUATION REPORT

This brochure is being developed for public distribution by the Public Relations and Education Committee and is listed here for comments.

Contact Todd Soukup or a member of the Public Relations and Education Committee with any comments
815-439-6774 or via email at TASoukup@earthlink.net

INTERPRETING YOUR SOIL EVALUATION REPORT

Using soil evaluations to assess site suitability for septic systems is becoming more common in Illinois. Many terms and abbreviations used by soil classifiers are unfamiliar for those not in the field of soil science. Each section of a typical soil evaluation report is described below, with explanations of abbreviations and how various soil characteristics affect water flow within the soil.

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

This section of the report describes the property location, current use, and date of investigation. Some counties require a new soil evaluation after a given amount of years have passed, so attention should be paid to the date of investigation.

METHODS

Many counties utilize the 2003 Private Sewage Disposal Licensing Act and Code (State Code) as their guidance for methods to conduct soil investigations, although some counties have slightly different requirements based on local ordinances. Portions of the State Code referenced below are attached. In general, three or four soil borings or backhoe pits are excavated at least 50 feet apart in the vicinity of a future septic field to a depth of at least 60 inches. Soil characteristics are described from each boring or pit, and are correlated to specifications given in the State Code to determine sewage loading rates in gallons/square foot per/day (Figure 1). A table showing how percolation rates correlate to loading rates (Figure 2) and a table discussing septic system sizing based on soils (Figure 3) are also included in the State Code. In general, the lowest loading rate observed in the upper 30 to 42 inches of the soils examined is used for septic system design and sizing.

RESULTS

Each soil described is classified to the series level. A soil series is equivalent to a plant or animal species, in that a series represents a specific type of soil that can occur over a large geographic area. Soil series are often named for places near where they were first described (examples include Watseka, Beardstown, Streator, and Gorham). There are roughly 17,000 soil series in the United States, with over 600 found in Illinois. Each series has formed in one or more parent materials. Common parent materials include loess (wind-blown silty sediment), outwash (water-deposited sand and gravel or water-sorted loamy material), alluvium (soils of variable texture formed in and near floodplains), and till (mixture of sand, silt, clay, and coarser fragment deposited by glaciers).

One of the main advantages of a soil evaluation over a percolation test (a traditional method of testing septic field areas) is that layers within the soil that severely limit the function of septic systems can be defined. These limiting layers include bedrock, the seasonal high water table, dense soils with slow permeability, and sandy or gravelly soil with very rapid permeability. The State Code specifies that at least two feet of separation should exist between the bottom of the septic field and the limiting layer (three feet in coarser-textured soils). Installation of curtain drains, importation of fill material, or use of alternative sewage disposal systems are options that can be used where limiting layers occur at shallow depths.

SOIL DESCRIPTIONS

A large amount of information is included in the descriptions of soil profiles. Each part of a typical soil description is discussed in detail below.

Horizon

Layers within the soil that differ in color, clay content, or other ways are divided into horizons. Four to seven horizons are commonly present within the top 60 inches of a soil profile. The surface, or topsoil, is generally called the A horizon. A light-colored E horizon lies near the surface of some soils as well, particularly on land that is or has been wooded. The subsoil, where clay accumulates, blocky and prismatic structure develops, and colors are variable, is called the B horizon. The substratum, which consists of relatively unweathered soil material, is called the C horizon. Each of these master horizons can be subdivided if characteristics within them vary (for example, A1 and A2). Transitional horizons, such as AB or BC are also recognized. Features within each horizon can be recognized with lower case letters. Examples include Bt (clay accumulation in the B horizon), Bg (gray colors in the B horizon indicating poor internal drainage), and Ab (an A horizon that has been covered by fill or alluvial sediment). If parent materials change within the soil, it is signified with a number at the beginning of the horizon designation (examples include 2Bt and 3C).

Depth

The location of each described horizon in inches below the surface is given in this section.

Dominant Color, Munsell

Soil colors are described through use of the Munsell soil color charts. These charts consist of color chips that have been assigned names based on their hue, value, and chroma. Common colors and examples of Munsell designations that would describe these colors are given below:

Brown                         10YR 4/3 and 7.5YR 4/4
Gray                             2.5Y 6/2 and 5Y 5/1
Yellow/Red                  7.5YR 6/6 and 10YR 5/8

Iron is a major coloring agent in the soils of Illinois. Brown, yellowish, or reddish colors are mainly the result of precipitated iron (essentially rust) that coats soil particles. These colors generally indicate good internal soil drainage. When a soil is frequently saturated (poorly drained), the iron is dissolved and leached away, leaving a gray color that is the base color of the soil particles. Poorly drained soils often have a uniform gray or mottled, gray/red color pattern. The black color of topsoil is created by high organic matter content, which masks the coloring effects of iron.

Redox Features

In areas where the water table fluctuates, soil horizons containing many different colors are often found. This mottled color pattern indicates how high the seasonal high water table (SHWT) gets in a soil, which is important since the SHWT is considered a limiting layer. The redox features section documents the various colors present in addition to the dominant color, and their abundance and pattern. Munsell colors are preceded by a code such as c2d. The first part of this code indicates color abundance, with f meaning less than 2% of the total soil matrix, c meaning 2%-20%, and m meaning greater than 20%. The second part of the code is the general size of the redox feature, and includes fine (1), medium (2), and coarse (3). The final portion of the code is how much the color contrasts with the dominant color, and includes faint (f), distinct (d), and prominent (p).

If a soil horizon contains more than 2% redox features (such as a 10YR 4/3 dominant color with c1d 2.5Y 5/2 redox features), it indicates that this horizon is affected by a SHWT. This type of color pattern would suggest that the SHWT is present for only brief periods during wet times of the year, but could still interfere with proper operation of a septic system.

Coatings

Coatings of clay or organic matter are often deposited in the B horizons by water percolating downward. The color of these coatings is described, preceded by a code describing the abundance and contrast of the coatings similar to the code used for redox features.

Structure

The structure of a soil is a description of the shapes soil assumes in different parts of its profile over time. Structure is formed largely by cycles of wetting/drying and freezing/thawing, the soil’s chemical composition, and the aggregating effect of some soil microbes. Types of structure include granular (gr), which is common in the A horizon; subangular blocky (sbk), angular blocky (abk), and prismatic (pr), which are common in the B horizons; platy (pl) which is found in E horizons of timber soils or where compaction has occurred; and massive (ma) or single grain (sg), which is found in C horizons. Well-structured soils have large amounts of interconnected pores, which accelerate water and air movement. Weakly structured soils have less continuous pore space, which slows water and air movement. Structure is ranked on a scale of 0 to 3 (structureless, weak, moderate, strong). Structure size is also determined, and classified as fine (f), medium (m), and coarse (c). Blocky, prismatic, granular, and single grain structures are generally favorable for septic systems in soils with low to moderate clay contents.

Texture

Texture is a group of terms that describe the amount of sand, silt and clay present in soils. These terms include sand (s), loamy sand (ls), sandy loam (sl), sandy clay loam (scl), loam (l), clay loam (cl), silt loam (sil), silty clay loam (sicl), silty clay (sic), and clay (c). In general, as silt and clay content increases in a soil, the permeability decreases. Silt loam and silty clay loam textures are very common in Illinois, having formed in loess parent material. When clay content in soils exceeds 35% (heavy cl, heavy sicl, sic, or c textures), the soils are generally poorly suited for conventional septic systems because of slow permeability.

Consistence

Consistence is a measure of how easily soil can be crushed between the thumb and forefinger. Classes of consistence include very friable (vfr), friable (fr), firm (fi), very firm (vfi), and extremely firm (xfi). In general, as soil consistence increases in firmness, permeability decreases due to a diminishing volume of pore space within the soil.

Drainage Class

Drainage class describes the relative wetness of a soil prior to modification by drain tile or other means. This designation is not precisely defined, but is broken into 7 classes: very poorly, poorly, somewhat poorly, moderately well, well, somewhat excessively, and excessively. The main factors considered when determining drainage class are soil color patterns, texture, and landscape position. Bright soil colors combined with high and/or sloping landscape position generally indicate a drainage class of moderately well or better. Somewhat excessively and excessively drained soils usually combine these features with high contents of sand and/or gravel. Somewhat poorly and poorly drained soils are common on low flats and floodplains, and are often tile drained to enhance agricultural production. These soils feature gray colors near the surface and often have thick, black surface layers, although some have thin or light-colored surfaces that indicate they were formed under forest vegetation. Very poorly drained soils generally lie in enclosed depressions and are frequently ponded. Peat and muck soils are usually very poorly drained.

Aspect/Slope

The slope of a soil is measured with a clinometer, and expresses how many feet the ground surface falls over a distance of 100 feet as a percentage. A 2 percent slope indicates a ground surface that falls 2 feet in 100 feet. Slopes often change rapidly over a short distance. Aspect is the direction that the measured slope is facing as one looks downhill.

Soil Group and Loading Rate

The Soil Group is determined by referring to Figure 1, where each soil horizon’s texture, structure, consistence, and parent material are used to assign a sewage loading rate in gallons/square foot/day. For example, a friable (fr) silty clay loam (sicl) formed in loess with moderate, medium subangular blocky structure (2msbk) would fall into Soil Group 6D with a loading rate of 0.62 gallons/square foot/day. In general, the lowest loading rate observed in the upper 30 to 42 inches of the soils examined is used for septic system design and sizing.

Perc Rate

Approximate percolation rates of each horizon can be correlated to loading rates by using Figure 2. This information can help you correlate perc rates that may be more familiar to you with soils information.

If you have further questions or would like to learn more details about soils and their interpretations, please feel free to contact any member of the Illinois Soil Classifiers Association. A list of current members and their contact information is available at http://www.illinoissoils.org.

Note: Figure 1 correlates to Page 100 of the 2003 IDPH State Code, Figure 2 to Page 76, and Figure 3 to Page 98. These Figures can be updated with subsequent publications of the State Code, incorporating any changes necessary.

Nominations for the Bent Auger Award need to be made for 2004. Please, nominate any of your co workers that

may have done something to deserve this prestigious award. The award was shared last time between Ron Collman and Sam Werner. If you are not planning on attending the meeting, you can nominate someone by sending your story true or not, to mattmc@midamer.net.