LOCATION GRACELAND SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Hapludolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Graceland silty clay loam on 1 percent slope in cropland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 15 centimeters (0 to 6 inches); black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 2 percent worm casts and worm holes; common medium and many fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine and few medium pores; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--15 to 36 centimeters (6 to14 inches); black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 10 percent worm casts and worm holes; few medium and common fine and very fine roots; common very fine and few fine pores; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 53 centimeters (10 to 21 inches)]
Bw1--36 to 66 centimeters (14 to 26 inches); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 20 percent worm casts and worm holes; few medium and common fine and very fine roots; common very fine and few fine pores; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw2--66 to 84 centimeters (26 to 33 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky slightly plastic; 10 percent worm casts and worm holes; few fine and common very fine roots; common very fine pores; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Bw3--84 to 112 centimeters (33 to 44 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; few fine distinct gray (10YR 6/1) redoximorphic depletions and common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky, slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 5 percent worm casts and worm holes; few fine and common very fine roots; common very fine pores; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 25 to 89 centimeters (10 to 35 inches)]
Bk1--112 to 150 centimeters (44 to 59 inches); olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) silt loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; common fine prominent gray (10YR6/1) redoximorphic depletions and many fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redoximophic concentrations; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable; few very fine roots; common very fine pores; 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; common fine and medium calcium carbonate masses; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [Bk horizon thickness is 0 to 61 centimeters (0 to 24 inches)]
2Bk2--150 to 193 centimeters (59 to 76 inches); olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) clay loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) dry; many fine and medium prominent gray (10YR 6/1) redoximorphic depletions and many fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine pores; 19 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 5 percent gravel; common fine and medium calcium carbonate masses; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. [2Bk horizon thickness is 15 to 76 centimeters (6 to 30 inches)]
2C--193 to 203 centimeters (76 to 80 inches); olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) clay loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) dry; many fine and medium prominent gray (10YR 6/1) redoximorphic depletions and many fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; massive; very hard, firm; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 14 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 5 percent gravel; few fine calcium carbonate masses; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Codington County, South Dakota; about 3 miles south and 4 miles east of Florence; 263 meters (865 feet) west and 262 meters (860 feet) south of the northeast corner of section 30, T. 118 N., R. 53 W. USGS Still Lake, S. Dak. topographical quadrangle; latitude 45 degrees 0 minutes 15.7 seconds N. and longitude 97 degrees 13 minutes 56.5 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to calcium carbonates ranges from 64 to 140 centimeters (25 to 55 inches). The particle size control section has clay content of 24 to 32 percent. The mollic epipedon ranges from 41 to 89 centimeters (16 to 35 inches) in thickness and extends into the upper part of the Bw horizon. The depth to glacial till ranges from 102 to 152 centimeters (40 to 60 inches). A coarse textured layer 3 to 8 centimeters (1 to 3 inches) in thickness is at the glacial till contact in some pedons.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 and 3 or 4 dry, and chroma of 1. It typically is silty clay loam but is silt loam in some pedons. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 4 and 3 to 6 dry, and chroma of 1 to 3. It typically is silty clay loam but is silt loam in some pedons. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bk horizon has value of 4 or 5 and 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4. Most pedons have few to many, faint to prominent redoximorphic features. Accumulations of carbonate range from few to many. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Some pedons lack a Bk horizon
The 2Bk horizon has value of 4 or 5 and 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4. Most pedons have few or common, faint to prominent redoximorphic features. Accumulations of carbonate range from few to many. Some pedons contain diagonal wedges up to 8 centimeters (3 inches) width of coarse textured material. It is clay loam. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 6 and 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is clay loam. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Degree and intensity of redoximorphic features increases with depth in the C horizon of most pedons and ranges from common to many and distinct to prominent. Some pedons contain diagonal wedges up to 8 centimeters (3 inches) in width of sandy material.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Beotia, Overly, and Waubay series. The Beotia and Overly soils are varved with thin layers of sand to clay at a depth of 102 to 152 centimeters (40 to 60 inches). Varves range from 1 mm to 10 mm in thickness. The Waubay soils have strata in the horizon above the glacial till. Strata ranges in texture from loam to silty clay loam and are 10 mm to 50 mm in thickness.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Graceland soils are level to nearly level and are on footslopes and in swales on uplands. Slopes are plane or concave with gradients of 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in calcareous loess deposits overlying glacial till. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 4 to 7 degrees C (38 to 45 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation ranges from 485 to 735 millimeters (19 to 29 inches). Growing season is about 120 to 160 days; average growing season precipitation ranges from 330 to 457 millimeters (13 to 18 inches); and growing degree days are about 2500 to 3000.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Badger, Brookings, Kranzburg, and Still Lake soils. The somewhat poorly drained Badger soils have a fine textured control section and are in the deeper swales. The moderately well drained Brookings and well drained Kranzburg soils have glacial till between depths of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches) and are on adjoining landscapes. Kranzburg soils also have a mollic epipedon less than 41 centimeters (16 inches). The well drained Still Lake soils have a mollic epipedon less than 41 centimeters (16 inches) thick and are on slopes above the Graceland soils.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Areas in swales receive additional moisture as run-in from adjacent soils. Runoff is low or medium. Saturarted hydraulic conductivity, measured in cm per hour, is 1.52 to 5.10 (.6 to 2.0 inches) in the upper loess mantle and .51 to 1.52 (.2 to .6 inches) in the underlying glacial till. Seasonal high saturation is present at a depths of about 91 centimeters (36 inches) in the spring months of normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Graceland soils are cultivated, the principal crops are: corn, soybeans, small grains, and alfalfa. Native vegetation includes: big bluestem, Indiangrass, green needlegrass, switchgrass, sedges, and a variety of forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA-102A. Northeastern South Dakota. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Codington County, South Dakota, 2006.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 84 centimeters (33 inches) (Ap, A, Bw1, Bw2 horizons); cambic horizon - the zone from a depth of about 84 to 112 centimeters (33 to 44 inches) (Bw3 horizon); calcic horizon - the zone from a depth of about 112 to 193 centimeters (44 to 76 inches) (Bk1, 2Bk2).
This series was separated from the Waubay series. The upper mantle of this series is loess derived and upper mantle in the Waubay series is silty drift.