LOCATION DEMAR SD+MT WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Torrertic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Demar loam - on a plane slope of less than 1 percent. When described the soil was moist to 5 inches and dry below. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
E--0 to 5 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky; many roots; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--5 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate coarse columnar structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; light gray (10YR 7/2) coatings on column tops; few roots; medium acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bt2--12 to 24 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (10YR4/2) moist; moderate medium blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; very few roots; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Bz--24 to 32 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; very few roots; common fine nests of gypsum and other salts; extremely acid; gradual boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
C--32 to 41 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; many coarse prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) mottles; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; partially weathered shale fragments make up about 40 percent by volume; common bands of crystals of gypsum; extremely acid; gradual boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
Cr--41 to 50 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) platy clay shale, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; many coarse prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron stains along fractures; extremely acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, South Dakota; about 1 mile north and 1 mile west of Belle Fourche; 150 feet north and 1400 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 33, T. 9 N., R. 2 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to bedded shale ranges from 40 to 60 inches or more. These soils range from neutral to strongly acid in the upper 12 inches and from very strongly acid to extremely acid below this depth.
The E 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 typically is loam but is clay loam in some pedons.
The Bt 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 clay content of the Bt horizon is between 35 and 60 percent. Structure of the Bt horizon ranges from weak or moderate, medium or coarse columnar in the Bt1 horizon and moderate or strong, medium or coarse blocky in the Bt2 horizon.
The Bz horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 and 4 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 3. It has common or many accumulations of gypsum and other salts.
The C 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 contains 20 to 50 percent fragments of shale.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bidman, Big Horn, Briggsdale, Campo, Gibbler and Parmleed soils. All of these soils have a more alkaline reaction.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Demar soils are on micro-highs on nearly level to gently sloping alluvial terraces having pronounced micro-relief. Slope gradients range from 0 to 6 percent. These soils formed in clayey alluvium derived from acid clay shales. The mean annual air temperature ranges form 45 to 49 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 18 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Broadhurst, Graner, and Grummit soils. All of these soils do not have argillic horizons. In addition, the Graner soils are more friable and the Grummit soils have shale within depths of 20 inches. Broadhurst soils are on similar landscapes as the Demar soils. Graner and Grummit soils are on adjacent undulating to steeply sloping uplands. Demar soils are usually associated with slickspots which are nearly barren and have a nearly continuous dispersed surface crust and are in micro-lows.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Runoff is medium. Permeability is very slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used primarily for rangeland. Native vegetation is western wheatgrass, blue grama, green needlegrass, needleandthread, buffalograss, sedges, and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western South Dakota and possibly eastern Wyoming. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, South Dakota, 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 5 inches; argillic horizon - the zone from 5 to 24 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).