LOCATION DOVECREEK SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Cumulic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Dovecreek silt loam - on a plane slope of less than 1 percent in a cultivated field. When described the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.
A-- 8 to 16 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined A horizons 10 to 25 inches thick)
Bw--16 to 22 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots throughout; many very fine tubular pores; few krotovina up to 10 cm in diameter; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Bk--22 to 30 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots throughout; many very fine tubular pores; common fine masses of carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
Ab--30 to 37 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots throughout; many very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Bwb--37 to 46 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Akb--46 to 83 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; few fine prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) redox depletions; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; common fine masses of carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
C--83 to 110 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine tubular pores; few krotovina up to 10 cm in diameter; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Spink County, South Dakota; about 5 miles west and 2 miles north of Athol; 2,250 feet east and 180 feet north of the southwest corner of Sec. 7, T. 118 N. - R. 65 W. USGS Topographical quadrangle - NORTHVILLE SW, S. DAK.; Latitude: 45 degrees, 2 minutes, and 33 seconds N; and Longitude: 98 degrees, 42 minutes, and 26 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARCTERISTICS: Depth to carbonates ranges from 0 to 50 inches. Thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 16 to more than 60 inches. The control section is silt loam, silty clay loam or loam averaging between 25 to 35 percent clay and less than 15 percent fine and coarser sand. Buried horizons are below depths of 20 inches in most pedons. Some pedons have gypsum and other salts below 20 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or is neutral, value of 2 or 3 and 3 or 4 dry, and chroma of 2 or less. It typically is silt loam, but some pedons are loam or silty clay loam. It is slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 4 and 3 to 5 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2. It typically is silt loam or silty clay loam, but some pedons are loam. It is neutral to slightly alkaline.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 5 and 3 to 6 dry, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is silt loam, silty clay loam, or loam. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The buried horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 4 and 4 to 6 dry, and chroma of 1 to 3. They are silt loam, silty clay loam, or loam. They are neutral to moderately alkaline. Some buried horizons have redox features at the lower depths of the profile.
The C horizon if present has hue or 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 5 and 3 to 7 dry, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is silt loam, silty clay loam, or silty clay. The C horizon has faint to distinct redox features in some pedons. It is slightly to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Mitch series. Mitch soils formed in volcanic alluvium and are well drained.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Dovecreek soils are on level and nearly level floodplains adjacent to major streams and tributaries within the till plains. Slope gradients are 2 percent or less. They formed in silty alluvial sediments. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 35 to 45 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 14 to 17 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arnegard, Bowbells, Ludden, Max, Ranslo, Straw, Williams and Zahl soils. Arnegard, Bowbells, Max, Williams and Zahl soils are on adjacent uplands. Max, Williams and Zahl soils have a mollic epipedon less than 16 inches. Ludden and Ranslo soils are on slightly lower landscape positions and have a fine textured particle size control section. In addition, Ranslo soils have a natric horizon. The Straw soils have a fine-loamy particle-size control section and are on similar landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Permeability is moderate. Runoff is negligible or very low. These soils are flooded for short durations from stream overflow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly used to grow corn, soybeans, small grains and alfalfa. Native vegetation is mainly big bluestem, switchgrass, indiangrass and sedges.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central South Dakota and possibly south-central North Dakota. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Spink County, South Dakota, 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 22 inches (Ap, A and Bw horizons); irregular decrease in organic carbon with depth - presence of buried horizons (Bwb and Abk horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory characterization (NSSL) - S96SD115-022.