LOCATION DICKEY ND+MN SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy over loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Hapludolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Dickey loamy fine sand on a convex north northeast-facing slope of 3 percent under grassland. When described the soil was moist above 12 inches and below 42 inches. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
A--0 to 12 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loamy fine sand, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 16 inches thick)
Bw1--12 to 20 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) loamy fine sand, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium and fine subangular blocky; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--20 to 30 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) fine sand, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; single grain; nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined Bw horizons 0 to 30 inches thick)
2Bk--30 to 42 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common soft masses of carbonates; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 30 inches thick)
2C--42 to 60 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Pierce County, North Dakota; about 1 mile west and 1 mile north of Orrin; 650 feet south and 100 feet west of the northeast corner, sec. 5, T. 153 N., R. 74 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the loamy material commonly is 24 to 36 inches but ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The mollic epipedon is less than 16 inches thick.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 4 and 3 or 4 dry, and chroma of 1. It has chroma of 2 in the lower part of some pedons. It typically is loamy fine sand or loamy sand but some is fine sandy loam or sandy loam. It is slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 5 and 3 to 6 dry, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is loamy fine sand, fine sand, or loamy sand. It has weak grades of prismatic or subangular blocky structure. It is slightly acid to slightly alkaline. Some pedons have AC, BC, or C horizons above the 2C material. Some pedons have 2BC horizons.
The 2Bk and 2C horizons have hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 4 to 6 and 5 to 8 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4. They typically are loam or clay loam glacial till but some are silt loam or silty clay loam lacustrine sediments. They contain up to 10 percent by volume of rock fragments. They are slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline. The 2Bk horizon contains an estimated 10 to 30 percent calcium carbonate equivalent, but has more than 15 percent in some part. A thin stone, cobble or gravel line is at the upper boundary of the 2Bk horizon in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Towner series. Towner soils have mollic epipedons over 16 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Dickey soils are on level to hilly sand mantled till or glaciolacustrine plains. Slopes are convex or plain and range from 0 to 25 percent. The soils formed in wind and water deposited sands over loam or clay loam till or lacustrine sediments. The climate is cool, subhumid. Mean annual air temperatures range from 36 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation from 15 to 23 inches. Most of the moisture falls in the spring and summer.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Towner soils and the Barnes, Buse, Egeland, Esmond, Emrick, Hecla, Heimdal, Maddock, Serden and Swenoda soils. Towner and Swenoda soils are on nearby less sloping areas. Swenoda soils are coarse-loamy. Barnes, Buse, Esmond, Emrick and Heimdal soils are on nearby upland till plains. All are loamy throughout. Egeland soils are on nearby outwash plains and are coarse-loamy. Hecla and Maddock soils are on nearby delta and lacustrine areas where sands are thicker. They are sandy. Serden soils are on hilly sandy areas. They do not have mollic epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is negligible to medium depending on slope. Permeability is moderately rapid or rapid in the upper part and moderate or moderately slow in the loamy material.
USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are cropped to small grains and corn and used for hay and pasture. Native vegetation was needleandthread, prairie sandreed, sand bluestem, sun sedge, and a variety of forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern North Dakota, northeastern South Dakota, and western Minnesota. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Brookings County, South Dakota, 1956.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 12 inches (A horizon); calcic horizon - the zone from 30 to 42 inches (2Bk horizon).