Hr. James et Te. Fenton, WATER TABLES IN PAIRED ARTIFICIALLY DRAINED AND UNDRAINED SOIL CATENAS IN IOWA, Soil Science Society of America journal, 57(3), 1993, pp. 774-781
This study was initiated to study water table fluctuations and the inf
luence of artificial drainage on soil morphology. Water table depth an
d duration for one artificially drained and one undrained soil sequenc
e on paired landscapes were measured. Landscapes were composed of six
soil series: Clarion (Typic Hapludolls); Nicollet (Aquic Hapludolls);
Webster (Typic Haplaquolls); Canisteo (Typic Haplaquolls); Harps (Typi
c Calciaquolls); and Okoboji (Cumulic Haplaquolls). Morphological prop
erties of paired soil series were compared and related to water table
fluctuations. Soil morphology and water table depth and duration were
highly correlated for the Aquolls in the undrained traverse but not in
the artificially drained traverse. Webster, Canisteo, Harps, and Okob
oji in both traverses have endosaturation, contain redoximorphic featu
res, and meet the criteria of hydric soils. In the undrained traverse,
Okoboji meets the additional requirements of vegetation and hydrology
, and qualifies as a wetland, while Webster, Canisteo, and Harps class
ify as farmed wetlands. Webster, Canisteo, Harps, and Okoboji in the a
rtificially drained traverse met the criteria of prior converted cropl
and. A drained phase should be recognized for Webster, Canisteo, Harps
, and Okoboji. We suggest that all soils with water table depths modif
ied by artificial drainage have a separate soil interpretation record
and be recognized as a drained phase. This proposed change would help
reduce confusion in the use of data recorded on the soil interpretatio
n record.