LOCATION DELAMERE           ND
Established Series
CJH-MGU
06/2005

DELAMERE SERIES


The Delamere series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained, moderately or moderately rapidly permeable soils that formed in glaciolacustrine or glaciofluvial deposits. These soils are in swales and flats on deltas, interbeach areas and outwash plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual air temperature is 41 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is 19 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Endoaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Delamere fine sandy loam - on a west facing, plane slope of less than 1 percent in a cultivated field. When described the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)

Ap--0 to 9 inches; black (10YR 2/1) fine sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined A horizons 9 to 20 inches thick)

Bw--9 to 18 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) fine sandy loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; common fine distinct dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) redoximorphic concentrations: weak medium angular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; few filaments of lime in root channels of lower part; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)

Bk--18 to 27 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; common medium and fine distinct brown (10YR 4/3) redoximorphic concentrations; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium angular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)

C1--27 to 35 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; common fine and medium distinct light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) redoximorphic depletions; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

C2--35 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; common fine and medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) redoximorphic depletions and few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) redoximorphic concentrations; massive; soft, very friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Grand Forks County, North Dakota; 1370 feet east and 235 feet south of the northwest corner, sec. 27, T. 154 N., R. 54 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 24 inches. The 10 to 40 inch particle-size control section averages sandy loam to silt loam. Depth to carbonates ranges from 16 to more than 80 inches.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR or is neutral, value of 2 or 3 and 3 to 4 dry, and chroma of 1 or less. The A horizon is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, very fine sandy loam or silt loam. It is slightly acid to slightly alkaline. It often has redoximorphic features in the lower part.

Some pedons have an AC horizon. When present, it has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 6 and 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is neutral or slightly alkaline. It has redoximorphic features.

The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 4 and 3 to 5 dry, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam or sandy loam. It often has redoximorphic features. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.

The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7 and 5 to 8 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam or loamy fine sand or loamy very fine sand. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

The C horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 2 to 5 and 3 to 7 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loamy very fine sand, loam, loamy fine sand, or fine sand. It has strata of silt loam or silty clay loam below a depth of 40 inches in some pedons. It is neutral to moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Forada, Runeberg and Tiffany series. Forado soils have sand and gravel 2C horizons at a depth of less than 40 inches. Runeburg soils formed in glacial till and contain rock fragments. Tiffany soils have a water table at depths of less than 1.5 feet of the surface at some time during the period of March through July.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Delamere soils are in open swales or low flats on deltas, interbeach areas and outwash plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in glaciolacustrine or glaciofluvial composed mostly of fine and very fine sands. The climate is cool subhumid. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 37 to 44 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation from 15 to 22 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Embden, Garborg, Gardena, Glyndon, Hecla, Mantador, and Wyndmere soils. Embden, Gardena, Hecla and Mantador soils are on higher landscape positions. These soils do not have redoximorphic features in the lower part of the mollic epipedon. In addition, Gardena soils are coarse-silty, Hecla soils are sandy, and Mantador soils have carbonates at depths of less than 16 inches. Garborg soils occupy similar positions on the landscape as Delamere soils. They are sandy. Glyndon and Wyndmere soils are on slightly higher positions on the landscape than the Delamere soils. They have calcic horizons within depths of 16 inches.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is negligible or very low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately rapid or moderate. The depth to the top of wet soil moisture status ranges from 1.5 feet to 3.5 feet in the wettest part of the year (April through June) in most years.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for growing spring seeded small grains, soybeans, and corn. Natural vegetation is typically tall grasses such as big blue stem, switch grass and Indian grass or short grasses such as little blue stem, side oats grama and blue grama.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and eastern North Dakota, and possibly northwestern Minnesota and northeastern South Dakota. The soil is moderately extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Richland County, North Dakota, 2005.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 18 inches (Ap and Bw horizons); calcic horizon - the zone from 18 to 27 inches; aquic suborder criteria - chroma of 1 in the lower part of the mollic epipedon and distinct redoximorphic concentrations (Bw horizon).

Soils previously correlated as a somewhat poorly drained phase of the Tiffany series are included in the Delamere series. This pedon meets hydric indicator TF7, but these soils are considered nonhydric. The wet soil moisture status is typically too deep (greater than 1.5 feet).


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.