LOCATION BETTS SD+NEEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Calciustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Betts loam on a convex west-facing slope of 28 percent under native grass. When described the soil was moist to 18 inches and dry below. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bw--4 to 8 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable; slightly effervescent moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bk--8 to 30 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/3) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; few fine distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) and few fine prominent dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many medium and coarse accumulations of carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual boundary. (15 to 40 inches thick)
C1--30 to 55 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/3) clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; few fine distinct olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) mottles; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium and coarse accumulations of carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual boundary.
C2--55 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/3) clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; common medium distinct gray (2.5Y 6/1) and olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) moist mottles; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium nests of gypsum and other salts; few medium accumulations of carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Davison County, South Dakota; about 5.5 miles north of Mitchell; 880 feet south and 1545 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 22, T. 104 N., R. 60 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to carbonates ranges from 0 to 3 inches. The control section is clay loam or loam and contains 20 to 35 percent clay. Typically, the soil contains 5 to 10 percent by volume of coarse fragments as pebbles. Some pedons contain up to 20 percent by volume of stones throughout the soil. Mottles are inherent to the parent material.
The A horizon has value of 3 to 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loam or clay loam.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. The A horizon ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is clay loam or loam and is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Many cultivated areas do not have a Bw horizon.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. It has common or many accumulations of carbonate and has a calcium carbonate equivalent of 15 to 25 percent. An ABk horizon 4 to 25 inches thick is in some pedons. Some pedons have a BCk or BC horizon.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is clay loam or loam and is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Quintana series. Quintana soils occur at elevations above 5,500 feet.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Betts soils are on undulating to very steep uplands in rolling and hilly glacial moraines and side slopes of drainageways. Surfaces are convex, and slope gradients range from 2 to over 60 percent. The soil formed in calcareous loam or clay loam glacial till. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 45 to 52 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 17 to 26 inches. Growing season is about 120 to 160 days; average growing season precipitation ranges from 13 to 18 inches; and growing degree days are about 2800 to 3500. Elevation ranges from 1000 to 2350 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bonilla, Clarno, Ethan, Glenham, Houdek, Java, and Prosper soils. Bonilla and Prosper soils are in swales and have mollic epipedons more than 20 inches thick. Clarno, Ethan, Glenham, Houdek, and Java soils are on less sloping parts of the landscape. All of these soils have mollic epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium to very high. Permeability is moderate in upper part and moderately slow in the underlying material.
USE AND VEGETATION: Principal use is native range, but some areas are cultivated. Native grasses are mainly needleandthread, blue grama, big bluestem, little bluestem, green needlegrass, western wheatgrass, plains muhly, and sideoats grama. Where the Betts soils are in complex with other soils on undulating to rolling landscapes they are used for the growing of small grains, corn, and other feed crops.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central and southeastern South Dakota and adjoining parts of Nebraska. The series is extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pierce County, Nebraska, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 4 inches (A horizon); calcic horizon - the zone from 8 to 30 inches (Bk horizon).
The classification was changed to a Ustochrept due to the recognition of a cambic (calcic) horizon.