9
Soils of the Lake Erie Coastal Zone
9.1
Introduction
Lake Erie is the fourth largest (25,667 km
2 ), shallowest
(19 m), and southernmost (41°26′N) of the Great Lakes. The
Lake Erie shore is comprised entirely dolomitic limestone
rocks and supports temperate broadleaved forest. Soils along
the Lake Erie shore occur on geomorphic surfaces from the
Warren, Whittlesey, and Maumee lake stages and are,
therefore, are among the oldest (13.8 kyr) in the Great Lakes
basin.
9.2
Soils by Natural Resource Segment
The Lake Erie coastal zone is composed dominantly of
Endoaquepts-Epiaquepts, Endoaqualfs-Epiaqualfs, Hapludalfs, and Endoaquolls-Epiaquolls (Table 6.1; Fig. 9.1).
Urban land is extensive around Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland,
Erie, and Buffalo. Lake Erie can be divided into four segments based on MLRAs, parent materials, and dominant soil
series. The first segment extends from Detroit, Michigan to
Sandusky, Ohio, a part of MLRA 99, the Erie-Huron Lake
Plain. This segment contains the Lake Shore Moraine System fringed by clayey and silty lacustrine deposits (Fig. 9.2).
Soils on lacustrine deposits include Epiaquepts (Lenawee
soil series) and Endoaquepts (Lamson and Toledo soil series) (Fig. 9.3). Epiaqualfs (Blount soil series) occur on the
wave-washed till plain. The Hoytville soil series, a Mollic
Epiaqualfs, is a common soil on the Lake Erie shores (see
Fig. 5.4).
The second segment extends from Sandusky to Buffalo,
NY and is part of MLRA 101, the Ontario-Erie Plain and
Finger Lakes Region. The parent materials are dominantly
fine lacustrine deposits and fine till (Fig. 9.4). The dominant
great groups are Endoaquepts (Canandaigua and Lamson
soil series), Epiaquepts (Conneaut and Painesville), Endoaqualfs (Niagara), along with Fragiaqualfs (Platea), Dystrudepts (Chenango), and Eutrudepts (Minoa soil series).
Beach ridges and stabilized dunes feature Udipsamments
(Elnora and Colonie soil series). The Gay soil series, an
Aeric Endoaquepts, is common on the Lake Erie shores (see
Fig. 5.12). The Grayling and Zimmerman soil series are
Typic and Lamellic Udispamments, respectively, and are
common in the Lake Erie CZ (Fig. 9.5).
The third segment extends from Buffalo to Ridgetown,
Ontario and features moraines and till plains and deep-water
(clayey) and shallow-water (sandy) lacustrine deposits
underlain by Bertie dolostone (Figs. 9.6 and 9.7). The soils
are dominantly Endo-, Epiaqualfs (Beverly, Brady, Gobles,
Haldimand, Niagara, Normandale, and Welland soil series),
Hapludalfs (Brantford, Fox, Muriel, Ontario, Smithville,
Wattford), and Endo-, Epiaquolls (Granby, Kelvin, Lowbanks, St. Williams, and Toledo), with some Endo-, Epiaquepts (Lincoln). Sand dunes occur at Port Maitland and
from Long Point to Port Stanley.
The fourth segment, which extends from Ridgetown to
Windsor, Ontario, contains lacustrine clays, silts, and sands
and silty clay loam till, with intermittent eolian deposits. The
dominant great groups are Endo-, Epiaqualfs (Berrien, Beverly, Caistor, Haldimand, and Perth soil series), Hapludalfs
(Fox, Harrow, and Plainfield), with some Haplosaprists
(marsh), Endo-, Epiaquepts (Brookston), Endo-, Epiaquolls
(Granby), and Udipsamments (Eastport soil series). Sand
dunes occur at Port Glasgow and Point Pelee Provincial Park.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. G. Bockheim, Soils of the Laurentian Great Lakes, USA and Canada,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52425-8_9
121
Soils of the Lake Erie Coastal Zone
9.1
Introduction
Lake Erie is the fourth largest (25,667 km
2 ), shallowest
(19 m), and southernmost (41°26′N) of the Great Lakes. The
Lake Erie shore is comprised entirely dolomitic limestone
rocks and supports temperate broadleaved forest. Soils along
the Lake Erie shore occur on geomorphic surfaces from the
Warren, Whittlesey, and Maumee lake stages and are,
therefore, are among the oldest (13.8 kyr) in the Great Lakes
basin.
9.2
Soils by Natural Resource Segment
The Lake Erie coastal zone is composed dominantly of
Endoaquepts-Epiaquepts, Endoaqualfs-Epiaqualfs, Hapludalfs, and Endoaquolls-Epiaquolls (Table 6.1; Fig. 9.1).
Urban land is extensive around Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland,
Erie, and Buffalo. Lake Erie can be divided into four segments based on MLRAs, parent materials, and dominant soil
series. The first segment extends from Detroit, Michigan to
Sandusky, Ohio, a part of MLRA 99, the Erie-Huron Lake
Plain. This segment contains the Lake Shore Moraine System fringed by clayey and silty lacustrine deposits (Fig. 9.2).
Soils on lacustrine deposits include Epiaquepts (Lenawee
soil series) and Endoaquepts (Lamson and Toledo soil series) (Fig. 9.3). Epiaqualfs (Blount soil series) occur on the
wave-washed till plain. The Hoytville soil series, a Mollic
Epiaqualfs, is a common soil on the Lake Erie shores (see
Fig. 5.4).
The second segment extends from Sandusky to Buffalo,
NY and is part of MLRA 101, the Ontario-Erie Plain and
Finger Lakes Region. The parent materials are dominantly
fine lacustrine deposits and fine till (Fig. 9.4). The dominant
great groups are Endoaquepts (Canandaigua and Lamson
soil series), Epiaquepts (Conneaut and Painesville), Endoaqualfs (Niagara), along with Fragiaqualfs (Platea), Dystrudepts (Chenango), and Eutrudepts (Minoa soil series).
Beach ridges and stabilized dunes feature Udipsamments
(Elnora and Colonie soil series). The Gay soil series, an
Aeric Endoaquepts, is common on the Lake Erie shores (see
Fig. 5.12). The Grayling and Zimmerman soil series are
Typic and Lamellic Udispamments, respectively, and are
common in the Lake Erie CZ (Fig. 9.5).
The third segment extends from Buffalo to Ridgetown,
Ontario and features moraines and till plains and deep-water
(clayey) and shallow-water (sandy) lacustrine deposits
underlain by Bertie dolostone (Figs. 9.6 and 9.7). The soils
are dominantly Endo-, Epiaqualfs (Beverly, Brady, Gobles,
Haldimand, Niagara, Normandale, and Welland soil series),
Hapludalfs (Brantford, Fox, Muriel, Ontario, Smithville,
Wattford), and Endo-, Epiaquolls (Granby, Kelvin, Lowbanks, St. Williams, and Toledo), with some Endo-, Epiaquepts (Lincoln). Sand dunes occur at Port Maitland and
from Long Point to Port Stanley.
The fourth segment, which extends from Ridgetown to
Windsor, Ontario, contains lacustrine clays, silts, and sands
and silty clay loam till, with intermittent eolian deposits. The
dominant great groups are Endo-, Epiaqualfs (Berrien, Beverly, Caistor, Haldimand, and Perth soil series), Hapludalfs
(Fox, Harrow, and Plainfield), with some Haplosaprists
(marsh), Endo-, Epiaquepts (Brookston), Endo-, Epiaquolls
(Granby), and Udipsamments (Eastport soil series). Sand
dunes occur at Port Glasgow and Point Pelee Provincial Park.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. G. Bockheim, Soils of the Laurentian Great Lakes, USA and Canada,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52425-8_9
121