LOCATION BLENDON SD+NEEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Blendon fine sandy loam - on a 1 percent slope in tame pasture. When described the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) fine sandy loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable; common fine roots; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (A horizon is 8 to 18 inches thick)
Bw--10 to 24 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable; common fine roots; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
BC--24 to 32 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable; common fine roots; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
C1--32 to 55 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy fine sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; single grain; loose; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
C2--55 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; single grain; soft; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Beadle County, South Dakota; about 6 miles north and 3 miles west of Reyville; 1510 feet south and 38 feet west of northeast corner of sec. 6, T. 109 N., R. 61 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon typically is 24 to 36 inches thick but ranges from 20 to 50 inches. Depth to calcium carbonate typically is greater than 60 inches but ranges from 40 to 60 inches or more. Weak zones of calcium carbonate accumulation are in some pedons in the lower B and upper C horizon where finer-textured materials are in the substratum.
The A horizon has value of 3 or 4 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. It typically is fine sandy loam or sandy loam, but is loam in some pedons. It ranges from neutral to moderately acid.
The Bw horizon has value of 3 to 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam or loam. It is slightly acid or neutral.
The BC horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7 and 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It typically is fine sandy loam or sandy loam but some pedons are loamy sand or loamy fine sand. Some pedons contain 5 to 15 percent gravel by volume. It ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline. Some pedons have a Bk horizon.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 3 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It typically is loamy fine sand or loamy sand but is sandy loam or fine sandy loam in some pedons. Some pedons are gravelly sandy loam or gravelly fine sandy loam. Some pedons are sand or fine sand in the lower parts. It ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline. Loam or clay loam glacial till is between depths of 40 and 60 inches in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Carthage, Hawksprings (T), Paoli, and Vetal series. Carthage soils have loam and clay loam textures between depths of 20 and 40 inches. Hawksprings soils have sandy-skeletal materials in the lower part of the control section. Paoli soils have carbonates within depths of 40 inches. Vetal soils have a drier soil moisture control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Blendon soils are on nearly level to gently sloping terraces and alluvial fans. Slopes are plane to concave with slope gradients of 0 to 6 percent. The Blendon soil formed in sandy glacial meltwater deposits or eolian deposits of mixed mineralogy. The mean annual rainfall is about 17 to 28 inches, and mean annual temperature is 45 to 52 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bon, Doger, Enet, Fedora, and Henkin soils. Doger, Enet, and Henkin soils are on similar landscapes. Doger soils have a sandy control section. Enet soils are fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal. Henkin soils have mollic epipedon less than 20 inches thick. Bon soils are on bottom lands and have a fine-loamy control section. Fedora soils have a more moist moisture control section and have a calcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Surface runoff is low to medium. Permeability is moderate or moderately rapid through the solum and moderately rapid or rapid in the underlying material.
USE AND VEGETATION: Largely cultivated, principal crops are corn, oats, grain sorghums, and alfalfa. Native vegetation is big bluestem, little bluestem, needleandthread, blue grama, prairie sandreed, sedges and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern and south-central South Dakota east of the Missouri River, northeastern Nebraska, and central Colorado. It is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wayne County, Nebraska, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 32 inches (Ap, Bw1, BC horizons).