United StatesDepartment ofAgriculture

NaturalResourcesConservationService

In cooperation withIllinois AgriculturalExperiment Station

Soil Survey of WillCounty, Illinois

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is committed to making itsinformation accessible to all of its customers and employees. If you are experiencingaccessibility issues and need assistance, please contact our Helpdesk by phone at1-800-457-3642 or by e-mail at helpdesk@helpdesk.itc.nrcs.usda.gov. For assistancewith publications that include maps, graphs, or similar forms of information, you mayalso wish to contact our State or local office. You can locate the correct office andphone number at http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app.

NRCS Accessibility Statement

http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/appmailto:helpdesk@helpdesk.itc.nrcs.usda.gov

The detailed soil maps can be useful in planning the use and management of small areas.

To find information about your area of interest, locate that area on the Index to Map Sheets. Note the number ofthe map sheet and turn to that sheet.

Locate your area of interest on the map sheet. Note the map unit symbols that are in that area. Turn to theContents, which lists the map units by symbol and name and shows the page where each map unit is described.

The Contents shows which table has data on a specific land use for each detailed soil map unit. Also see theContents for sections of this publication that may address your specific needs.

3

How To Use This Soil Survey

4

Additional information about the Nations natural resources is available on theNatural Resources Conservation Service homepage on the World Wide Web. Theaddress is http://www.nrcs.usda.gov.

This soil survey is a publication of the National Cooperative Soil Survey, a joint effortof the United States Department of Agriculture and other Federal agencies, Stateagencies including the Agricultural Experiment Stations, and local agencies. TheNatural Resources Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation Service) hasleadership for the Federal part of the National Cooperative Soil Survey.

Major fieldwork for this soil survey was completed in 2001. Soil names anddescriptions were approved in 2002. Unless otherwise indicated, statements in thispublication refer to conditions in the survey area in 2001. This survey was madecooperatively by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the IllinoisAgricultural Experiment Station. Financial assistance was provided by the Will CountyBoard and the Illinois Department of Agriculture. The survey is part of the technicalassistance furnished to the Will-South Cook Soil and Water Conservation District.

Soil maps in this survey may be copied without permission. Enlargement of thesemaps, however, could cause misunderstanding of the detail of mapping. If enlarged,maps do not show the small areas of contrasting soils that could have been shown at alarger scale.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all ofits programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability,political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited basesapply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means forcommunication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) shouldcontact the USDAs TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice or TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights,Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC20250-9410, or call 202-720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunityprovider and employer.

Cover: A scenic view of Prairie Creek in the Des Plaines Conservation Area.

5

Contents

How To Use This Soil Survey ................................. 3Numerical Index to Map Units ............................. 11Foreword ............................................................... 15General Nature of the County ................................. 17

History ................................................................ 17Physiography, Relief, and Drainage .................... 18Natural Resources ............................................. 19Agriculture .......................................................... 19Urbanization ....................................................... 20Transportation Facilities ...................................... 20Industry .............................................................. 20Climate ............................................................... 20

How This Survey Was Made ................................... 21Formation and Classification of the Soils .......... 23

Formation of the Soils ........................................ 23Parent Material ............................................... 23Climate ........................................................... 24Living Organisms ........................................... 25Relief .............................................................. 25Time ............................................................... 26

Classification of the Soils .................................... 26Soil Series and Detailed Soil Map Units .............. 27

Ade Series ......................................................... 2898BAde loamy fine sand, 1 to 6 percent

slopes .......................................................... 29Andres Series..................................................... 29293AAndres silt loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes ... 30293BAndres silt loam, 2 to 5 percent slopes ... 30Ashkum Series ................................................... 31232AAshkum silty clay loam, 0 to 2 percent

slopes .......................................................... 32Beecher Series ................................................... 32298ABeecher silt loam, 0 to 2 percent

slopes .......................................................... 34298BBeecher silt loam, 2 to 4 percent

slopes .......................................................... 34298B2Beecher silt loam, 2 to 4 percent

slopes, eroded ............................................. 35Blount Series ...................................................... 3523ABlount silt loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes ...... 3623BBlount silt loam, 2 to 4 percent slopes ...... 36Bowes Series ..................................................... 37792ABowes silt loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes .... 38792BBowes silt loam, 2 to 4 percent slopes .... 38

Braidwood Series ............................................... 39688BBraidwood loam, 1 to 7 percent slopes ... 40688DBraidwood loam, 7 to 20 percent

slopes .......................................................... 40688GBraidwood loam, 20 to 70 percent

slopes .......................................................... 41Brenton Series ................................................... 41149ABrenton silt loam, 0 to 2 percent

slopes .......................................................... 42Bryce Series....................................................... 43235ABryce silty clay, 0 to 2 percent slopes ..... 44Camden Series .................................................. 44134ACamden silt loam, 0 to 2 percent

slopes .......................................................... 45134BCamden silt loam, 2 to 5 percent

slopes .......................................................... 46134C2Camden silt loam, 5 to 10 percent

slopes, eroded ............................................. 46Casco Series ...................................................... 47969E2Casco-Rodman complex, 12 to 20

percent slopes, eroded ................................ 47969FCasco-Rodman complex, 20 to 30

percent slopes ............................................. 48Channahon Series ............................................. 49315AChannahon silt loam, 0 to 2 percent

slopes .......................................................... 49315BChannahon silt loam, 2 to 4 percent

slopes .......................................................... 50315C2Channahon silt loam, 4 to 6 percent

slopes, eroded ............................................. 50Chatsworth Series .............................................. 51241C3Chatsworth silty clay, 4 to 6 percent

slopes, severely eroded ............................... 52241D3Chatsworth silty clay, 6 to 12 percent

slopes, severely eroded ............................... 52241E3Chatsworth silty clay, 12 to 20

percent slopes, severely eroded .................. 53241FChatsworth silty clay loam, 20 to 30

percent slopes ............................................. 53Chenoa Series ................................................... 54614AChenoa silty clay loam, 0 to 2 percent

slopes .......................................................... 55614BChenoa silty clay loam, 2 to 5 percent

slopes .......................................................... 55

6

Darroch Series ................................................... 56740ADarroch silt loam, 0 to 2 percent

slopes .......................................................... 57Dresden Series .................................................. 57325ADresden silt loam, 0 to 2 percent

slopes .......................................................... 58325BDresden silt loam, 2 to 4 percent

slopes .......................................................... 59325C2Dresden silt loam, 4 to 6 percent

slopes, eroded ............................................. 59Drummer Series ................................................. 60152ADrummer silty clay loam, 0 to 2

percent slopes ......