LOCATION DORSET MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Argiudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Dorset sandy loam with a plane slope of 4 percent on an outwash plain in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; black (10YR 2/1) sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; many fine and very fine roots; about 2 percent gravel; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--9 to 11 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine and very fine roots; about 5 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizons is 7 to 15 inches.)
Bt1--11 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay films on faces of peds; few fine and very fine roots; about 5 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--15 to 20 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) clay films on faces of peds; few very fine roots; about 10 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons is 3 to 17 inches.)
2Bk--20 to 38 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; many carbonate coats on the underside of pebbles; about 27 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; diffuse wavy boundary. (0 to 24 inches thick.)
2C--38 to 80 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; few carbonate coats on the underside of pebbles; about 30 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Otter Tail County, Minnesota; 1690 feet east and 250 feet north of the southwest corner, sec. 13, T. 134 N., R. 41 W.; USGS Phelps quadrangle; lat. 46 degrees 24 minutes 47 seconds N and long. 95 degrees 47 minutes 42 seconds W., NAD27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to free carbonates ranges from 14 to 45 inches. The mollic epipedon thickness ranges from 7 to 15 inches. Depth to loamy sand or coarser texture ranges from 12 to 24 inches. The loamy sediments contain up to 10 percent rock fragments by volume. The underlying sediments generally contain 15 to 35 percent rock fragments by volume with subhorizons up to 50 percent. The rock fragments are of mixed lithology and mostly less than 5 cm in diameter. The soil moisture control section is moist in some or all parts throughout the year in 6 or more years out of 10. The particle-size control section averages less than 18 percent clay.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, chroma of 1 or 2. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam. Reaction is neutral to moderately acid.
Some pedons have an AB horizon.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is loam, coarse sandy loam, or sandy loam. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.
Some pedons have a 2Bt horizon of sand, coarse sand, gravelly loamy sand or gravelly loamy coarse sand. Some pedons have gravelly sand, or gravelly coarse sand with lamellae or thin finer textured bands in the lower part. Reaction is moderately acid to slightly alkaline. Some pedons have a 2BC horizon.
The 2Bk and 2C horizon have hue of 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is very gravelly coarse sand, gravelly coarse sand, gravelly loamy sand, gravelly sand, coarse sand or sand. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline and the undersides of most pebbles have carbonate accumulations.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Pierz and Verndale soils. Pierz soils have sandy sediments at depths of 22 to 40 inches. The Verndale soils average less than 10 percent rock fragments on the lower one-half of the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Dorset soils are on plane or convex slopes on outwash plains, valley trains, stream terraces and moraines. Slope gradient ranges from 0 to 35 percent. They formed in a thin loamy mantle and in underlying sandy and gravelly outwash of Late Wisconsinan age. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 38 to 45 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 20 to 26 inches. Frost free days range from 90 to 170. Elevations above sea level range from 700 to 2000 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Corliss, Forada, Oakcreek, Oylen, and Pinelake soils. The Corliss soils are excessively drained and are on slightly higher convex rises. The moderately well drained Oakcreek and Oylen soils are on lower lying slightly convex rises. The poorly drained Forada and Pinelake soils are in drainageways and shallow depressions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained. Runoff is very low to medium. Permeability is moderately rapid in the upper part and rapid in the lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: About one-half of this soil is cultivated with corn, soybeans, small grains, and hay being the major crops. The remainder is in forest or pasture. Native vegetation is prairie grasses, later succeeded by mixed deciduous and coniferous forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and north-central Minnesota. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hubbard County, Minnesota, 1930.
REMARKS: Type location moved to Otter Tail County, Minnesota. Diagnostic horizons and features of this pedon are: Mollic epipedon - the zone from surface to 11 inches (Ap,A horizons); argillic horizon - the zone from 11 to 20 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons); udic moisture regime. A loamy substratum phase exists.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to MAES CFC numbers 3693, 3689, and 3466. Soil Interpretation Record number MN0263.