Orwood soils are on convex upland ridges and side slopes of 2 to 30 percent gradient. They formed in oxidized and leached eolian materials of mixed mineralogical composition along the boundary of the Iowan Erosion Surface and Wisconsinan Age Loess. Mean annual temperature ranges from about 45 to 51 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from about 30 to 34 inches. These are the competing Bassett , Racine , and Winneshiek soils and the Aredale and Lamont soils. Aredale soils have thicker A horizons and have a higher average sand content in the solum.
Lamont soils are more sandy throughout the solum.
Orwood soils are on similar landscape positions as the Bassett, Racine, Aredale, and Lamont soils. Winneshiek soils typically are downslope. Permeability is moderate. Surface runoff is medium or rapid. Commonly used for cultivated crops.