LOCATION FLAXTON NDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Flaxton fine sandy loam - on a 5 percent southeast-facing slope in native grass. When described the soil was dry above 22 inches and moist below. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
A--0 to 15 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) in upper 2 inches; weak coarse and medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky and granular; friable; many roots; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (7 to 26 inches thick)
Bw--15 to 22 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse and medium subangular blocky; friable; common roots; thin very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist stains on faces of prisms; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
2Bt1--22 to 25 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure; firm, sticky, few fine and medium roots; many thin very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist clay films on faces of peds; few stones and pebbles; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
2Bt2--25 to 30 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate coarse and medium prismatic structure; firm; few roots; many thin very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist clay films on faces of prisms; few tongues of fine sandy loam extend through the Bt2 horizons; strong effervescence; interior of prisms have a few masses of carbonates; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
2Bw--30 to 35 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate coarse and medium prismatic structure; firm; strong effervescence; few masses of carbonates; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
2Bk--35 to 42 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; firm; strong effervescence; many large masses of carbonates; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)
2BCk--42 to 60 inches; pale olive (5Y 6/3) clay loam, olive (5Y 4/3) moist; massive; firm; violent effervescence; many masses of carbonates; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Burleigh County, North Dakota; about 8 miles east and 9 miles south of Bismarck; 190 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 24, T. 137 N., R. 79 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to glacial till range from 10 to 40 inches. The upper part of the solum has formed in eolian sediments and the lower part of the solum in glacial till. Few to common rock fragments are in the glacial till. A thin stone or pebble line is at the contact of the two materials in some pedons. The mollic epipedon commonly is more than 20 inches thick.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It commonly is fine sandy loam, but some is light loam. Some pedons have up to 6 inches of loamy fine sand in the upper part of the solum.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value 4 to 6 and 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam or clay loam or sandy clay loam.
The 2BCk horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 or 6 and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam or clay loam glacial till. Some pedons have sandstone or shale below 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bowbells, Cambern, Carfall, Center Creek, Chugcreek, Detra, Gordo, Hereford, Hesperus, Jaythree, Laceycreek, Ohwiler, Pachel, Peta, Schauson, Todacheene and Weed series. Bowbells soils lack eolian sediments and have less sand in the upper part of the solum. Cambern and Chugcreek soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact. Carfall, Schauson and Todacheene soils do not have carbonates. Center Creek soils have formed in alluvium, have redoximorphic features beginning at depths of 20 to 40 inches, and have very gravelly 2C horizons. Detra soils have redder hues. Gordo soils have hues of redder than 10YR in the Bt horizon. Hereford soils are at higher elevations in mountainous areas. Hesperus soils are less alkaline in the B horizon and lack Bk horizons. Jaythree soils receive precipitation mostly during the months of November through March and July through October. Laceycreek, Ohwiler, Pachel and Peta soils do not have a discontinuity of glacial till at depths of 10 to 40 inches. In addition, Pachel soils have more than 25 percent rock fragments and Peta soils are saturated at depths of 2 to 4 feet at some time from April through June. Weed soils are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for some period immediately following July 1.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Flaxton soils are on nearly level to rolling till plain covered by eolian sediments. Slopes are concave or convex and gradients range from 0 to 15 percent. The soils formed in eolian sediments and glacial till. The climate is cool and semiarid with a mean annual temperature ranging from 38 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation of 13 to 17 inches, most of which falls in the spring and summer.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lihen, Livona, Parshall and Williams soils. Lihen soils are on nearby uplands where the eolian sediments are thicker. They are sandy. Livona and Williams soils typically are on convex higher portions of the landscape. They have thinner mollic epipedons. Parshall soils are on nearby outwash plains and swales in uplands and are coarse-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow or medium. Permeability is moderately rapid in the upper part of the solum and moderately slow in the lower part of the solum and substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for growing small grains, flax, hay, and pasture. Native vegetation is needleandthread, prairie sandreed, western wheatgrass, and blue grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central North Dakota, usually adjacent to glacial outwash areas in the Missouri River Watershed. The soil is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Burleigh County, North Dakota, 1971.
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 (A and Bw horizons); argillic horizon - the zone from 22 to 30 inches (2Bt1 and 2Bt2 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory sample number ND-48-P-12.