LOCATION ENLOE ND+MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Argiaquic Argialbolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Enloe silty clay loam - on a concave swale with less than 1 percent slope under cropland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. Where described, the soil was moist throughout.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; cloddy parting to strong fine and very fine granular structure; very hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; many fine roots; many fine pores; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
E--8 to 14 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate thin platy; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; common fine pores; dark gray (10YR 4/1) uncoated silt and sand grains on faces of peds; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
Btg1--14 to 18 inches; black (5Y 2/1) clay, very dark gray (5Y 3/1) dry; very dark gray (5Y 3/1) crushed and rubbed, dark gray (5Y 4/1) dry, crushed; few fine prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) redoximorphic concentrations; moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to strong fine and very fine angular blocky; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine roots; common fine pores; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary.
Btg2--18 to 29 inches; very dark gray (5Y 3/1) clay, dark gray (5Y 4/1) dry; dark gray (5Y 4/1) crushed, gray (5Y 5/1) dry, crushed; moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine roots in the upper part and few fine roots in lower part; common fine pores; faces of peds are shiny when moist; slickensides in lower part; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
Btg3--29 to 40 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) clay, gray (5Y 6/1) dry; moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to strong fine and very fine angular blocky; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; few medium and fine pores; faces of peds have shiny pressure coatings, slickensides cross horizon at an angle of 10 degrees to 15 degrees from vertical; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined Btg horizons 12 to 36 inches thick)
Bkg--40 to 60 inches; olive gray (5Y 4/2) clay, light olive gray (5Y 6/2) dry; few fine faint olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) redoximorphic concentrations, common fine faint light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry redoximorphic concentrations, and few fine faint gray (5Y 6/1) dry redoximorphic depletions; moderate medium and fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, very sticky, and very plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; few fine masses of carbonates; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline. (0 to 25 inches thick.)
TYPE LOCATION: Richland County, North Dakota; about 4 miles north and 1 mile west of Abercrombie; 800 feet east and 310 feet north of the southwest corner, sec. 17, T. 135 N., R. 48 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the mollic epipedon and the depth to the E horizon ranges from 7 to 14 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y; value of 1 to 3 and 3 or 4 dry; and chroma of 1. It is silty clay loam or silty clay. It has abrupt or clear, smooth or wavy lower boundary.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y; value of 3 to 5 and 4 to 6 dry; and chroma of 1. It is silty clay loam or silty clay. In some pedons, the E horizon has distinct or prominent redoximorphic features. The thickness of the E horizon ranges widely within a short distance, and the lower boundary is abrupt or clear and wavy, irregular or broken.
The Btg horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 2 to 4 and 3 to 6 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2. It typically averages between 55 and 60 percent clay and ranges from 45 to 60 percent. It has weak or moderate very coarse to medium prismatic structure which parts to strong medium to very fine blocky.
The Bkg horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 6 and 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is massive, laminated or blocky silty clay or clay. It is mottled in many pedons. It contains 6 to 20 percent calcium carbonate. Some pedons have a Cg horizon. Some pedons contain clay loam or clay till below depths of about 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Tonka series. Tonka soils contain less clay in the Bt horizon and commonly contain more sand and some rock fragments in the C horizons. In addition, they are formed in local alluvium from till.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Enloe soils are in shallow basins and swales in level lake plains. The soils formed in silty clay and clay glaciolacustrine sediments. The climate is cool subhumid. Mean annual temperature ranges from 38 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation from 17 to 22 inches. Most of the moisture falls in the spring and summer.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aberdeen, Dovray, Fargo, Galchutts, Hegne and Ryan soils. All of these soils are on nearby lake plains. Aberdeen soils have a natric horizon and are not as wet. Dovray soils do not have E horizons and have mollic epipedons more than 24 inches thick. Fargo soils do not have E horizons. Galchutt soils have A and E horizons that contain less than 35 percent clay. Fargo and Hegne soils are on the higher parts of the lake plain. Hegne soils have a calcic horizon within a depth of 16 inches. Ryan soils have a thin A horizon and a natric horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Runoff is ponded. Permeability is slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Nearly all cropped to small grains and row crops. Native vegetation was slim sedge, wooly sedge, prairie cordgrass, northern reedgrass, and a variety of sedges and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: In the glacial Lake Aggasiz area of eastern North Dakota. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Richland County, North Dakota, 1970.
REMARKS: 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 (Ap horizon), albic horizon - the zone from 8 to 14 inches (E horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from 14 to 40 inches (Btg1, Btg2, and Btg 3 horizons); chroma of 2 or less in the albic horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: S64NDak-39-1, S65NDak-9-3, S64NDak-9-5 by Soils Department, North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station.