LOCATION DOGTOOTH NDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Leptic Natrustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Dogtooth silt loam - grassland (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
E--0 to 2 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; common fine pores; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Btn--2 to 8 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; strong medium columnar structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine roots between peds; few medium and common fine pores; column tops coated with light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) E material; many distinct dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; slight effervescence in lower part; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
Btkn--8 to 13 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) silty clay, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; many faint clay films on faces of peds; few fine irregular masses of carbonates; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bky--13 to 21 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) silty clay, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; common fine irregular masses of carbonates; few fine gypsum crystals; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
Cr--21 to 60 inches; light gray (5Y 6/1) soft shale bedrock, dark gray (5Y 4/1) moist; slight effervescence.
TYPE LOCATION: Morton County, North Dakota; 2,100 feet east and 1,350 feet south of the northwest corner, sec. 4, T. 140 N., R. 89 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to soft bedrock typically is 20 to 30 inches, but ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Some pedons have thin A horizons. The A and E horizons have a combined thickness of 2 to 8 inches. The depth to a horizon with visible salt or gypsum accumulations ranges from 5 to 14 inches.
The E horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 to 7 and 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. The A and E horizons are loam, silt loam, fine sandy loam or silty clay loam. They are medium acid to neutral.
The Btn horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 to 6 and 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is silty clay, clay, silty clay loam or clay loam averaging between 35 and 50 percent clay. It has coarse or medium columnar structure that separates to blocky in most pedons. It is very firm or firm. It is neutral to strongly alkaline. Clay films are on faces of columns.
The Btkn horizon has hue of 2.5Y, 10YR or 5Y, value of 5 or 6 and 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is clay, silty clay, silty clay loam or clay loam. It is slightly alkaline to very strongly alkaline. Bty, Btz, Btkyz and Btkz horizons are allowed. They have properties similar to the Btk horizon. The combined thickness of these horizons ranges from 0 to 14 inches.
The Bky horizon has hue of 2.5Y, 10YR or 5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is silty clay, silty clay loam, clay loam or loam. It has few to common salt and/or gypsum crystals. It is moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline. By, Bz, Bkyz, Bkz and Byz horizons are allowed. They have properties similar to the Bky horizon. Combined thickness of these horizons ranges from 0 to 20 inches. Some pedons have a Bk or BCy horizon.
The Cr horizon typically is platy soft shale, siltstone or mudstone bedrock. Some pedons have a C horizon above the Cr horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Adger, Exline, Ferney, Mekinock and Rhoades series. Adger, Exline, Ferney, Lennep and Rhoades soils do not have soft bedrock at depths of less than 40 inches. Mekinock soils are moist for longer periods in the soil moisture control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Dogtooth soils are on level to moderately steep uplands. Slope gradients commonly are 1 to 15 percent but range from 0 to 25 percent. The soils formed in residuum weathered from saline-alkali, calcareous soft shale, siltstone or mudstone. Mean annual temperature ranges from 39 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 13 to 18 inches. Most of the precipitation comes in the spring and summer.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Rhoades soils and the Belfield, Cabba, Daglum, Janesburg, Moreau, Reeder, Regent, Vebar and Wayden soils. Belfield, Daglum and Rhoades soils are on nearby foot slopes, swales and terraces. These soils do not have soft bedrock at depths of less than 40 inches. Cabba, Moreau, Reeder, Regent, Vebar and Wayden soils are on nearby uplands. These soils do not have E horizons or Btn horizons that have strong columnar structure. Janesburg soils are on positions similar to Dogtooth soils. They do not have visible gypsum crystals or nests within depths of 16 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow to very rapid, depending upon slope. Permeability is very slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most is in grass and used for range and pasture. Native vegetation is short- and mid-prairie grasses such as western wheatgrass, blue grama, inland saltgrass, sedges, and also some legumes, prickly pear and clubmoss. A few areas are cultivated and used mostly for small grains.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern North Dakota and possibly adjacent areas of northwestern South Dakota and eastern Montana. The soil is extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sioux County, North Dakota, 1992.
REMARKS: Revised 3/94.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 8 inches after mixing (E and Btn horizons); natric horizon - the zone from 2 to 8 inches (Btn horizon); leptic criteria - visible gypsum at 13 inches (Bky horizon).
Mapped in Grant County, North Dakota as Rhoades soils, moderately deep. Included with Rhoades or other series in older surveys in North Dakota and South Dakota. Where this series is mapped near an ustic moisture regime that borders on an aridic, soils are included that classify as Natriboralfs. Also included in mapping are similar soils that are shallow to soft bedrock.