LOCATION DINSDALE                IA+MN

Established Series
Rev. FFR-SRS-LDC
09/2016

DINSDALE SERIES

The Dinsdale series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in 50 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches) of loess and the underlying glacial till. Dinsdale soils are on interfluves, ridges and side slopes on dissected till plains. Slopes range from 0 to 14 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 9 degrees C (49 degrees F). Mean annual precipitation is about 910 millimeters (36 inches).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Argiudolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Dinsdale silty clay loam, on a northwest-facing, convex, 3 percent slope, in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches); black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--18 to 30 centimeters (7 to 12 inches); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; friable; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

AB--30 to 48 centimeters (12 to 19 inches); dark brown (10YR 3/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 50 centimeters (10 to 20 inches).]

Bt1--48 to 71 centimeters (19 to 28 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay films on vertical faces of peds; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--71 to 86 centimeters (28 to 34 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam, weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine tubular pores; few distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on vertical faces of peds; discontinuous stone line consisting of rounded gravel and cobbles 2 to 15 centimeters (1 to 6 inches) in diameter (5 to 10 percent of this horizon); strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 25 to 50 centimeters (10 to 20 inches).]

2Bt3--86 to 117 centimeters (34 to 46 inches); about 50 percent brown (10YR 5/3) and about 50 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on vertical faces of peds; common fine distinct gray (10YR 6/1) redoximorphic depletions; about 3 percent subrounded gravel; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary. [0 to 41 centimeters (0 to 16 inches) thick]

2BC1--117 to 147 centimeters (46 to 58 inches); about 60 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and about 40 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loam; extremely coarse prismatic structure dissected by few oblique fractures; very firm; common fine distinct gray (10YR 6/1) redoximorphic depletions; about 3 percent rock fragments (2 to 75 millimeters in diameter); neutral; gradual smooth boundary. [0 to 36 centimeters (0 to 14 inches) thick]

2BC2--147 to 203 centimeters (58 to 80 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loam; extremely coarse prismatic structure dissected by few oblique fractures; very firm; common fine and medium prominent gray (10YR 6/1) redoximorphic depletions; about 4 percent rock fragments (2 to 75 millimeters in diameter); strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 104-Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies; Black Hawk County, Iowa subset; about 5 miles west of La Porte City; located about 512 meters (1,680 feet) north and 457 meters (1,500 feet) west of the southeast corner of section 25, T. 87 N., R. 13 W.; USGS Eagle Center quadrangle; lat. 42 degrees 18 minutes 59.8 seconds N. and long. 92 degrees 18 minutes 15.2 seconds W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon thickness--25 to 50 centimeters (10 to 20 inches)
Depth to glacial till--50 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Depth to carbonates--114 to 165 centimeters (45 to 65 inches)
Content of clay in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--27 to 35 percent
Content of sand in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--2 to 15 percent fine sand and sand coarser than fine sand
Special feature--some pedons have a stone line or thin layer, 2 to 13 centimeters (1 to 5 inches) thick of gravelly and sandy materials at the base of the silty or loamy sediments

Ap, A, and AB horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--2 or 3
Chroma--1 to 3
Texture--silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content--20 to 32 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Reaction--strongly acid to neutral (5.1 to 7.3)

Bt horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--3 to 5
Chroma--3 to 6
Texture--silty clay loam or silt loam
Clay content--22 to 35 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Rock fragment content--1 to 10 percent - a stone line is commonly at the lower boundary of this horizon
Reaction--strongly acid to neutral (5.1 to 7.3)

2Bt horizon (if present):
Hue--10YR or 7.5YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 to 8
Texture--loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content--20 to 30 percent
Sand content--30 to 70 percent
Rock fragment content--2 to 15 percent
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral (5.6 to 7.3)

2BC horizon:
Hue--10YR or 7.5YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--4 to 8
Texture--loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content--18 to 30 percent, mean of 22 percent
Sand content--35 to 50 percent, mean of 45 percent
Rock fragment content--2 to 12 percent
Moist bulk density--1.75 to 1.9 gm/cc
Reaction--slightly acid to moderately alkaline (6.1 to 8.4)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ashdale, Broadwell, Douglas, Elkhart, Elmont, Gymer, Healing, Lycurgus, Malcolm, Meadowbank, Mendota, Mickle, Ogle, Osco, Parkway, Plano, Proctor, Richwood, Ripon, Sibley, Sidell, Tama, Tecumseh, Toddville, Wakenda, and Waupecan series.
Ashdale--have limestone bedrock at depths of 102 to 152 centimeters (40 to 60 inches)
Broadwell--have a sand content of 50 to 90 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Douglas--have a sand content of less than 7 percent in the upper two thirds of the series control section
Elkhart--have carbonates within a depth of 102 centimeters (40 inches)
Elmont--have a paralithic contact within a depth of 152 centimeters (60 inches)
Gymer--have a sand content of less than 15 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Healing--have chert and sandstone fragments in the lower third of the series control section
Lycurgus--have a sand content of 10 to 40 percent in the upper two thirds of the series control section
Malcolm--have a clay content of 12 to 18 percent in the lower half of the series control section
Meadowbank--have a clay content of less than 15 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Mendota--have carbonates within depths of 50 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches) and have a rock fragment content of 12 to 60 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Mickle--have a sand content of less than 35 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Ogle--have matrix hues of 2.5YR, 5YR, or 7.5YR in the lower third of the series control section
Osco--have a sand content of less than 7 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Parkway--have a moist bulk density of less than 1.75 gm/cc in the lower third of the series control section
Plano--have a moist bulk density of less than 1.75 gm/cc in the lower third of the series control section
Proctor--have a clay content of 10 to 20 percent and a moist bulk density of less than 1.75 gm/cc in the lower third of the series control section
Richwood--have a sand content of 50 to 90 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Ripon--have limestone bedrock within a depth of 102 centimeters (40 inches)
Sibley--have a mollic epipedon 61 to 91 centimeters (24 to 36 inches) thick
Sidell--do not have redoximorphic features within the series control section and have a moist bulk density of less than 1.75 gm/cc in the lower third of the series control section
Tama--have a sand content of less than 10 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Tecumseh--do not have redoximorphic features within the series control section and have a moist bulk density of less than 1.75 gm/cc in the lower third of the series control section
Toddville--have a sand content of more than 70 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Wakenda--have a sand content of less than 10 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Waupecan--have an average rock fragment content of more than 15 percent in the lower part of the series control section

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--50 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches) of loess and the underlying glacial till
Landform--interfluves, ridges and side slopes on dissected till plains
Slopes--0 to 14 percent
Elevation--170 to 390 meters (560 to 1280 feet) above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--7 to 10 degrees C (45 to 50 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation--860 to 960 millimeters (34 to 38 inches)
Frost-free period--150 to 170 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Franklin, Kenyon, Klinger, and Maxfield soils.
Franklin--are at lower elevations on head slopes and side slopes and are frequently saturated within depths of 0.3 to 0.9 meter (1.0 to 3.0 feet) in normal years
Kenyon--are at lower elevations on interfluves and have a sand content of more than 15 percent in the particle-size control section
Klinger--are at lower elevations on head slopes and base slopes and are frequently saturated within depths of 0.3 to 0.9 meter (1.0 to 3.0 feet) in normal years
Maxfield--are at lower elevations on head slopes and toe slopes and are frequently saturated within depths of 0 to 0.3 meter (0 to 1.0 foot) in normal years

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--moderately well drained--saturation occurs within depths of 1 to 1.5 meters (3.5 to 5.0 feet) during April to June in normal years and both perched and apparent saturation can occur on this soil based on the season and intensity of rainfall during a given period of time
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--moderately high (1.00 to 10.00 micrometers per second) in the loess and low or moderately low (0.01 to 1.00 micrometers per second) in the glacial till
Surface runoff potential--low or medium

USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas are cultivated. The principal crops are corn, soybeans, small grains, and legume hay. The native vegetation is big bluestem, little bluestem, switchgrass, and other grasses of the tall grass prairie.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic sections--Western lake section, Dissected till plains, and Till plains
MLRAs--Central Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies (103), Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies (104), and Illinois and Iowa Deep Loess and Drift (108)
LRR M; eastern and northeastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota
Extent--large

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Iowa County, Iowa, 1965.

REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 48 to 98 centimeters (19 to 39 inches) (Bt1, Bt2 and 2Bt3 horizons);
series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 150 centimeters (0 to 60 inches) (Ap, A, Ab, Bt1, Bt2, 2Bt3, 2BC1 and 2BC2 horizons).

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
mollic epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 48 centimeters (0 to 19 inches) (Ap, A, and AB horizons);
argillic horizon--the zone from a depth of 48 to 117 centimeters (19 to 46 inches) (Bt1, Bt2, and 2Bt3 horizons);
udic moisture regime.

Not all pedons have 1.2 times more clay increase to meet the requirements of an argillic horizon. Eroded surface horizons of some pedons typically do not meet the requirements for Mollisols. Further investigation is needed to determine the extensiveness of these properties.

Some pedons have vertical seams or wedges of sand or loamy sand about 5 to 15 centimeters (2 to 6 inches) wide and about 0.9 to 1.2 meters (3 to 4 feet) deep extending downward from the stone line into the glacial till.

Cation-exchange activity class is supported by laboratory data (KSSL).

Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, twelfth edition, 2014.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Laboratory data--Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, Nebraska-pedons 60IA013001, 60IA075002, 85IA113001, 85IA113002, 85IA113003,and 92MN131006.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.