LOCATION GALCHUTT ND+MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Vertic Argialbolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Galchutt silt loam - on a level slope of less than 1 percent 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) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, very sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; common fine pores; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--8 to 16 inches; black (10YR 2/1) and very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry, gray (10YR 5/1) dry in lower part; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak thin platy; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine pores; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined A horizons 9 to 24 inches thick)
E--16 to 25 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) and very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) and grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; few fine distinct brown (10YR 4/3) and few fine prominent black (10YR 2/1) redoximorphic concentrations; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium platy; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many fine pores; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 16 inches thick)
2Bt1--25 to 32 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) clay, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) dry; few fine distinct gray (5Y 5/1) redoximorphic depletions; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to strong fine and very fine angular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
2Bt2--32 to 37 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; common medium distinct dark gray (5Y 4/1) redoximorphic depletions and common fine distinct olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) redoximorphic concentrations; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium and fine angular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; few irregular masses of carbonates; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined 2Bt horizons 6 to 16 inches thick)
2C--37 to 60 inches; mixed gray (5Y 5/1) and olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) clay, gray (5Y 6/1) dry; common fine and medium distinct light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry, redoximorphic concentrations; weak fine subangular blocky structure in the upper part and massive in lower part; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few medium irregular masses of carbonates; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Richland County, North Dakota; about 7 miles west and 1 mile south of Wahpeton; 1,875 feet south and 175 feet west of the northeast corner, sec. 13, T. 132 N., R. 49 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to carbonates ranges from 19 to 48 inches. Depth to the clayey 2Bt ranges from 12 to 30 inches. The mollic epipedon ranges from 10 to 24 inches in thickness.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and 3 or 4 dry, and chroma of 1. It typically is silt loam, but it is loam, fine sandy loam or silty clay loam in some pedons. It is slightly acid or neutral. Faint redoximorphic features having chroma of 2 or higher are in the lower part in some pedons.
The E horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 3 to 5 and 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is silt loam, very fine sandy loam or loam. It is neutral. Redoximorphic features range from few to many, fine to large, and faint to prominent.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 or 5 and 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is silty clay or clay and averages between 45 and 60 percent clay. It is neutral or slightly alkaline. Redoximorphic features range from few to many, fine to large, and faint to prominent. It has weak or moderate prismatic structure and moderate or strong fine or very fine angular blocky structure. In some pedons tongues of A horizon extend into the 2Bt horizon. The lower part of the 2Bt has slight to strong effervescence and carbonates are diffused through the soil or in masses. Some pedons do not have carbonates in the lower part of the 2Bt horizon.
The 2C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 or 5 and 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is silty clay or clay and has massive, laminated, or weak or moderate grades of blocky structure. It is slightly alkaline. It has few to common accumulations of carbonates in many pedons. Numerous distinct or prominent redoximorphic features make the 2C horizon appear multicolored in many pedons. Some pedons have a sandy 3C horizon below a depth of 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Rimlap series. Rimlap soils are poorly drained and are less than 12 inches to the Bt horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Galchutt soils are on level glacial lake plains. Slope gradients range from 0 to 1 percent. The soils formed in glacial lake sediments that are silty in the upper part and clayey in the lower part. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 36 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation from 19 to 23 inches. Most of the precipitation comes in the spring and summer.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aberdeen, Bearden, Enloe, Fargo, Hegne, Overly and Perella soils. Aberdeen, Bearden, Overly and Perella soils are on nearby silty lake plains. Abedeen soils have a natric horizon and Bearden, Overly and Perella are fine-silty. Bearden soils have a calcic horizon within depths of 16 inches. Overly soils do not have an E horizon. Perella soils are poorly drained. Enloe, Fargo and Hegne soils are on nearby lake plains. Enloe soils do not have an abrupt textural change from the albic to the argillic horizon and are wetter. Fargo and Hegne soils are clayey throughout and do not have an albic or argillic horizon. In addition, Hegne soils have a calcic horizon within a depth of 16 inches.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is very slow. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderate in the A and E horizons and slow in the 2Bt and 2C horizons. A seasonal high, perched water table is above the 2Bt horizon, at depths of 1 to 3 feet below the surface, after high rainfall and in the spring when snow melts.
USE AND VEGETATION: A large percent of this soil is cultivated. Small grains, soybeans, and flax are principal crops. Native vegetation was big bluestem, green needlegrass, western wheatgrass and a variety of forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota. 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 - zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 16 inches (Ap and A horizon); albic horizon - zone from 16 to 25 inches (E horizons); argillic horizon - zone from 25 to 37 inches (2Bt1 and 2Bt2 horizons); features associated with wetness - redoximorphic features in the E and 2Bt horizons; abrupt textural change from albic to argillic horizon - silt loam (E horizon) to clay (Bt1 horizon); vertic criteria - LE of more than 6 cm in the upper 1 meter.