LOCATION EASBY NDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Calciaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Easby clay loam - on a concave, west-facing slopes of 1 percent under cropland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. When described the soil was moist to 50 inches and saturated below.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; black (10YR 2/1) clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine masses of salt; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)
ABkyz--7 to 11 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay loam, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few fine masses of salt and gypsum; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear irregular boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Bky--11 to 22 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; few fine prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) and common medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) mottles; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, sticky, and slightly plastic; about 2 percent gravel; common fine masses of gypsum; few fine soft masses of carbonates; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear irregular boundary. (6 to 25 inches thick)
C1--22 to 30 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; common medium distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) and few medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) and gray (10YR 6/1) mottles; massive; slightly hard, friable, sticky, and plastic; about 5 percent gravel; few fine masses of gypsum; few fine soft masses of carbonates; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
C2--30 to 43 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; few medium prominent dark brown (10YR 3/3), common medium prominent gray (10YR 6/1), few fine prominent dark red (2.5YR 3/6), and many medium prominent dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) mottles; massive; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; about 10 percent gravel; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
C3--43 to 60 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; few fine prominent dark red (2.5YR 3/6), strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) and gray (10YR 6/1) mottles; massive; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; about 10 percent gravel; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Cavalier County, North Dakota; about 4 miles east and 3 miles south of Langdon; 2125 feet west and 525 feet south of the northeast corner, sec. 4, T. 160 N., R. 59 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon has an electrical conductivity of more than 16 mmhos/cm (1.6 S/m) and an SAR of more than 13. It ranges from 7 to 25 inches in thickness. The soil is mildly alkaline to strongly alkaline throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y or is neutral, value of 2 or 3 and 3 or 4 dry, and chroma of 1 or less. It is clay loam or loam. It contains accumulated salts.
The ABkyz horizon has hue of 10YR or is neutral, value of 3 or 4 and 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 1 or less. It is clay loam.
The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y, 5Y or is neutral, value of 4 to 6 and 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 2 or less. It typically is clay loam, but is loam or silty clay loam in some pedons. Typically, accumulated salt or gypsum is in this horizon. It commonly is mottled, but in those pedons where mottles are not present the chroma is 1 or less.
The C horizon has hue of 5Y, 2.5Y, or is neutral, value of 3 to 5 and 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 4 or less. It is loam or clay loam. Some pedons have coarser or finer textures below a depth of 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Hapur, Lowe, Nortonville and Vallers soils in the same family and the Ojata soils. Hapur, Lowe, Nortonville and Vallers soils have an electrical conductivity of less than 16 mmhos/cm (1.6 S/m) in the mollic epipedon. Ojata soils are fine-silty.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Easby soils are in level, slightly depressed flats, swales, and along drainageways on glacial till plains. Slope gradients are 0 to 1 percent. The soils formed in calcareous loam or clay loam glacial till. The mean annual temperature ranges from 38 to 45 degrees, and mean annual precipitation from 15 to 20 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Vallers soils and the Hamerly, Parnell, Southam, Svea, and Tonka soils. Vallers soils are in nearby flats, swales and depressions. Hamerly and Svea soils are on slightly higher, better drained positions. Parnell, Southam, and Tonka soils are in nearby depressions. All of these soils have an electrical conductivity of less than 16 mmhos/cm (1.6 S/m) throughout the profile. In addition, Parnell, Southam, Svea and Tonka soils do not have a calcic horizon within a depth of 16 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Runoff is very slow. Permeability is moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for pasture, hay, and wildlife. Some areas are cultivated. Native vegetation is nuttall alkaligrass, western wheatgrass, and inland saltgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern North Dakota. The soil is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cavalier County, North Dakota, 1987.
REMARKS: Revised 3/91.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to the depth of 7 inches (Ap horizon); calcic horizon - the zone from 7 to 22 inches (ABkyz and Bky horizons); salinity and alkalinity features - the EC of the surface layer is greater than 16 mmhos/cm (1.6 S/m). The SAR is greater than 13 but the physical characteristics of a natric horizon are not present.
ADDITIONAL DATA: This soil was correlated as a taxadjunct to Ojata in Ramsey County, ND in 1984. Refer to NDSU File Code No. S83ND019-250 (1- 6) for laboratory analysis of typical pedon.