Kalkaska sand is the official

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former te ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. Kalkaska sand was identified in 1927 and named after

Kalkaska County Kalkaska County ( ) is located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 17,939. The county seat is Kalkaska. Kalkaska County is included in the Traverse City Micropolitan Statistical Area. Although it is locat ...

located in the northern

Lower Peninsula of Michigan The Lower Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Lower Michigan – is the larger, southern and less elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; the other being the Upper Peninsula, which is separated by the ...

. This soil is a multi-layer soil composed of

humus In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Lati ...

, light

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of s ...

, dark sand, and yellowish sand. It is classified as a

spodosol In soil science, podzols are the typical soils of coniferous or Taiga, boreal forests and also the typical soils of eucalypt forests and heathlands in southern Australia. In Western Europe, podzols develop on heathland, which is often a construct ...

. The distinctive sand layers can range from black to yellowish-brown and are commonly 2 to 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 m) deep. Kalkaska sand is well-drained and effectively filters water. This makes it a valuable asset in

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

and certain types of

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

. It is also largely responsible for the remarkable water quality of lakes and rivers located in areas of the state where these soils are abundant. Kalkaska sand is one of more than 500 soils found in Michigan. Unique to the state, Kalkaska Sand covers nearly 1 million acres (4,000 km²) in 29 Upper and Lower Peninsula counties. It was designated as the

state soil This is a list of U.S. state soils. A state soil is a soil that has special significance to a particular U.S. state, state. Each state in the United States has selected a state soil, twenty of which have been legislatively established. These offic ...

of Michigan in 1990. Kalkaska soils are classified in

USDA soil taxonomy USDA soil taxonomy (ST) developed by the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Cooperative Soil Survey provides an elaborate classification of soil types according to several parameters (most commonly their properties) and in sev ...

as sandy, isotic, frigid Typic Haplorthods.

References

External links

Kalkaska Sand, Michigan's State SoilBelow the Surface, Kalkaska Sand Shines

Image of Kalkaska Sand
Pedology Soil in the United States Geology of Michigan Symbols of Michigan Great Lakes region (U.S.) Types of soil

See also

References

External links