LOCATION ECKMAN ND+MN SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Hapludolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Eckman silt loam - on a 5 percent convex southeast-facing slope in a cultivated field. (When described the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 14 inches thick)
Bw1--9 to 14 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--14 to 20 inches; dark olive brown (2.5Y 3/3) silt loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined Bw horizons 5 to 22 inches thick)
Bk1--20 to 32 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) silt loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; violently effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Bk2--32 to 41 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) silt loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; few fine carbonate masses; violently effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined Bk horizons 6 to 24 inches thick)
C1--41 to 57 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) silt loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) redoximorphic concentrations along root channels; massive; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
C2--57 to 80 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) and olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) stratified silt loam and very fine sandy loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) and light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) redoximorphic concentrations and few medium prominent gray (2.5Y 6/1) redoximorphic depletions; massive; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Richland County, North Dakota; about 9 miles west of Walcott; 1735 feet east and 495 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 32, T. 126 N., R. 51 W.; USGS Power, ND quadrangle, latitude 46 degrees 32 minutes 42.98 seconds north, longitude 97 degrees 7 minutes 48.70 seconds west.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to carbonates ranges from 10 to 36 inches. The mollic epipedon is 7 to 16 inches thick and includes part or all of the Bw horizon in some pedons.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 and 3 to 5 dry, and chroma of 1 and 1 or 2 dry. It is silt loam, loam, or very fine sandy loam. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5 and 4 to 6 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is silt loam, loam or very fine sandy loam. Structure is weak or moderate prismatic or subangular or angular blocky. It is neutral to moderately alkaline.
The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 and 6 to 8 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is silt loam, very fine sandy loam or loam. It has 15 to more than 20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 to 6 and 6 to 8 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is typically silt loam, very fine sandy loam or loam but may be stratified with very fine sand or fine sandy loam. Sandy to clayey glacial till or lacustrine materials are in the substrata in some pedons. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Rothsay series. The Rothsay soils do not have a calcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Eckman soils are on level to hilly glacial lake plains and glacial stream terraces. The slope gradient commonly is 1 to 6 percent, but the range is 0 to 25 percent. The soils formed in calcareous stratified glaciolacustrine deposits. The mean annual air temperature is 36 to 48 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 15 to 24 inches, most of which falls in the spring and summer.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Egeland, Gardena, Great Bend, Overly and Zell soils. Egeland soils are on similar nearby landscapes. They are coarse-loamy. Gardena soils are on nearly level and concave areas of the lake plains. They have mollic epipedons more than 16 inches thick. Great Bend and Overly soils are on heavier textured lake plains. They are fine-silty. Zell soils are on steep side slopes of stream valleys. They do not have Bw horizons.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained. Runoff is negligible to medium depending on slope. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Nearly all areas cropped to small grains, potatoes, and flax. Native vegetation was mid and tall prairie grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern North Dakota, western Minnesota, and northeastern South Dakota. The soil is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Spink County, South Dakota, 1955.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon- the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 14 inches (Ap and Bw1 horizons); cambic horizon - the zone from 14 to 20 inches (Bw2 horizon); calcic horizon - the zone from 20 to 41 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).