Soil Properties and Soil Properties and BehaviourBehaviour

Department of Agricultural and Biological

Engineering University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Drained Land in the Drained Land in the MidwestMidwest

95B—Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois Drift Plain

98—Southern Michigan and Northern Indiana Drift Plain

105—Northern Mississippi Valley Loess Hills

108A and 108B—Illinois and Iowa Deep Loess and Drift

110—Northern Illinois and Indiana Heavy Till Plain

113—Central Claypan Areas

114B—Southern Illinois and Indiana Thin Loess and Till Plain, Western Part

115A, 115B, and 115C—Central Mississippi Valley Wooded Slopes

120B—Kentucky and Indiana Sandstone and Shale Hills and Valleys, Northwestern Part

131A—Southern Mississippi River Alluvium

134—Southern Mississippi Valley Loess

Typical cross section showing the relationship of parent materials to soils in Cass County.

This well and moderately-well drained "timber soil" formed in less than 20 inches of loess over Illinoian drift. It occupies 1.3 million acres in the state. It has a PI of 80.

Hickory Silt Loam

Typical cross section showing the relationship of parent materials to soils in Cass County.

Sable-Ipava Soil AssociationSable-Ipava Soil Association

This poorly drained "prairie soil" formed in more than 60 inches of loess. There are about 925,000 acres mapped in Illinois. It has a PI of 155.

Sable Silty Clay

Loam

Typical pattern of soils and Typical pattern of soils and parent material in the parent material in the Drummer-Flanagan Drummer-Flanagan association.association.

This poorly drained "prairie soil" formed in 40 to 60 inches of loess over Wisconsinan drift. It occupies nearly 1.6 million acres. It has a high management level productivity index (PI) of 150.

Drummer Silty Clay

Loam

Typical pattern of soils and parent material in the Hoyleton-Cisne association.

This poorly drained "gray prairie soil" formed in 30 to 55 inches of loess over Illinoian drift. About 730,000 acres occur in south central Illinois. It has a PI of 115.

Cisne Silt Loam

Typical pattern of soils and Typical pattern of soils and parent material in the Titus-parent material in the Titus-Beaucoup-Tice association.Beaucoup-Tice association.

Soil ConstituentsSoil Constituents

Solid Particles Soil Solution Air

Saturated (all pores filled)

Field Capacity (Some air, some water)

Wilting point(water too tightly held for plant use)

Water held in large pores

Available for crop use

CapillaryWater

GravitationalWater

FieldCapacity

Water adheres to soil particles

Water drains through soil profile

HydroscopicWater

WiltingPoint

Flowing Tile

Positive Pressurei.e. Saturationmust occur above tile drains for waterto enter.

Degree of Saturation (S)Volume of water

Volume of pores

Vw

Vp

Classification of ParticlesClassification of Particles

Simplified Soil Texture Simplified Soil Texture TriangleTriangle

Soils with more than 30% clay are Clays

Soils with 20 - 30% clay are Clay Loams

Soils with less than 20% clay are Loams unless they have more than 80% sand

Soils with more than 80% sand are Sands

Soils with more than 50% sand are Sandy

Soils with more than 50% silt are Silty

Water States by Soil Water States by Soil TextureTexture

Classification by PermeabilityClassification by Permeability

less than 0.06 inch per hour

Very slowly permeable

0.06 to 0.2 inch per hourSlowly permeable

4

0.2 to 0.6 inch per hour

Moderately slowly permeable3

0.6 to 2 inches per hour

Moderately permeable2

2 to 6 inches per hour

Moderately rapidly permeable

More than 6 inches per hourRapidly permeable

1

The water table is near the surface only during the very wettest periods

Somewhat poorly drainedB

The water table remains near, at, or above the

surface much of the time

Very poorly drained

The water table is at or near the surface during

the wetter seasons of the year

Poorly drained

A

Classification by Natural Classification by Natural DrainageDrainage

Soil Drainage GroupsSoil Drainage Groups

DRAINAGE GROUP 2A (moderately permeable, poorly or very poorly drained)

633 Traer261 Niota 136 Brooklyn 45 Denny

576 Zwingle218 Newberry 120 Huey 26 Wagner

474 Piasa208 Sexton 112 Cowden 16 Rushville

460 Ginat206 Thorp 109 Racoon 12 Wynoose

287 Chauncey165 Weir 84 Okaw 2 Cisne

DRAINAGE GROUP 4A (slowly and very slowly permeable, poorly or very poorly drained)

316 Romeo329 Will153 Pella125 Selma648 Clyde252 Harvel152

Drummer68 Sable594 Reddick244 Hartsburg142 Patton67 Harpster

Effect of Effect of Drain Drain

SpacingSpacing

Illinois Drainage Guide (Online)

Revised 2005

Web based “document”

“Living document”

Interactive design tools

Printable tables and design guides

www.wq.uiuc.edu/dg/

Content Circular 1226 content – Reviewed and revised

Drainage Guidelines

Outlets for Drainage Systems

Surface Drainage

Subsurface Drainage

Basic Terminology

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