NASHWAUK SERIES
TYPIC GLOSSOBORALF Location: Itasca and St. Louis counties
Soil Association Map Unit D13
The Nashwauk series consists of deep, well drained, slowly permeable soils on till plains and glacial moraines. These soils formed in firm, loamy glacial till. Slopes range from 1 to 35 percent.
This nearly level to rolling, well drained soil is on convex slopes on glacial moraines. A few stones and boulders typically are on the surface and in the soil. Individual areas are irregular in shape and range from about 15 to 1,200 acres in size.
Typically, about 0.5 inch of organic forest litter is at the surface. The surface layer is very dark gray fine sandy loam about 1 inch thick. The subsurface layer is grayish brown fine sandy loam about 3 inches thick. The upper subsoil is yellowish brown fine sandy loam about 3 inches thick. The next 9 inches is massive, brittle, brown loam mixed with light brownish gray loam. The lower subsoil to a depth of at least 60 inches is brown and light olive brown loam and silt loam. In some places the soil has small amounts of grayish brown material in the subsoil. In other places layers in the subsoil and underlying material have a higher content of clay. In the central part of the county, the soil contains more sand and less silt and clay. It is redder in some small areas along the St. Louis County line, south of the Iron Range. In some areas the soil is moderately well drained.
Permeability is slow in the Nashwauk soil, and available water capacity is low or moderate. Surface runoff is medium. The subsoil is strongly acid to neutral. The organic matter content and natural fertility are low.
Most areas are forested. This soil is well suited to most tree species. The common species are quaking aspen, paper birch, American basswood, red oak, balsam fir, and white spruce. Aspen is the most common species. Balsam fir and, to a lesser extent, white spruce commonly regenerate as understory species. Adequate stands of white spruce do not regenerate naturally. Most upland confers, except for red pine, are suitable for planting. Seedling survival and early growth rates can be increased by control or removal of competing vegetation. If heavy wheeled equipment is used when the soil is wet, normally in the spring and after heavy rains, excessive compaction can reduce the potential for seedling regeneration. Clearcutting rather than selective cutting reduces the severe windthrow hazard.
This soil is moderately suited to forage and small grain crops. Erosion is the main management concern. It can be controlled by crop residue management, timely tillage, stripcropping, and periodically grown sod-forming crops. The excessive acidity and low fertility can be overcome by applications of lime and fertilizer. The low available water capacity restricts productivity. Crops that can utilize spring rainfall and mature early typically are better suited than those dependent on rainfall late in summer. Removal of stones and boulders reduces the risk of damage to machinery.
Dwellings constructed in the more sloping areas of this soil should be designed so that they conform to the natural slopes of the land. Land shaping is necessary in some areas. Building local roads on the contour and establishing well suited vegetation on the roadbanks help to control erosion. Providing well compacted, coarse textured base material helps to prevent frost damage. Because of the restricted permeability, the soil cannot readily absorb the effluent in septic tank absorption fields. Installing a field that is larger than average helps to overcome this limitation.
The land capability classification is IIIe, and the woodland ordination symbol is 6D.