LOCATION GRAIL ND+MT SD
Established Series
CJH
01/2023
GRAIL SERIES
The Grail series consists of deep and very deep, well or moderately well drained, moderately slow or slowly permeable soils that formed in alluvium. These soils are on terraces, fans, swales and foot slopes on uplands and have slope ranging from 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual air temperature is 42 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is 15 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Pachic Vertic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Grail silt loam - cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable; many roots; many pores; neutral; abrupt boundary.
A--5 to 10 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable; many roots; many pores; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined A horizons 5 to 15 inches thick)
Bt1--10 to 13 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse and medium subangular blocky and moderate fine granular; firm; common roots; few pores; thin clay films on faces of prisms and blocks; neutral; gradual boundary.
Bt2--13 to 24 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium and fine angular blocky; very hard, firm; few roots; few pores; clay films on faces of peds; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined Bt horizons 10 to 30 inches thick)
Bk--24 to 52 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; very weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse and medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; few pores; strong effervescence; few small masses of carbonates; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 36 inches thick)
C--52 to 60 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; strong effervescence; few small masses of carbonates; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Stark County, North Dakota, 900 feet west and 900 feet south of the center, sec. 18, T. 139 N., R. 91 W.; 35 feet north of old county road.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is more than 16 inches thick and includes the A horizon and all or part of the Bt horizon. Some pedons have Ab horizons. Saline phases are recognized.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2. Chroma of 1 is allowed in the lower part. It is silt loam, silty clay loam, silty clay or clay loam. It is slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6 and 2 to 4 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is silty clay, silty clay loam, clay, or clay loam. It is neutral to moderately alkaline. Some pedons have a Bw or Btk horizon. The Bt horizon averages between 35 and 45 percent clay.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 4 to 7 and 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is silty clay loam, silty clay or clay loam. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Some pedons have a BCk horizon. Some pedons have a 2Bk horizon below depths of 40 inches.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, and value of 4 to 7 and 3 to 5 moist. It is sandy clay loam, loam, silt loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, clay loam, or clay. It commonly contains less than 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent which is disseminated and in masses. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Soft bedrock is below 40 inches in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Fughes,
Hillery,
Kubler,
Pagoda,
Zeeland and
Zoltay series as previously classified. Fughes and Hillery soils do not have horizons of calcium carbonate accumulation within about 60 inches. In addition, Hillery soils have greater than 50 percent clay in the control section. Kubler soils have color hues of 7.5YR and redder. Pagoda soils have a moisture control section that usually is dry from
May 15 to June 15. Zoltay soils have more than 15 percent rock fragments.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Grail soils are on level to strongly sloping terraces, fans, slightly concave swales and foot slopes on uplands. Slope gradients typically are 1 to 3 percent but range from 0 to 15 percent. The soils formed in local alluvium from soft siltstone or shale. Mean annual air temperature is 34 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is 12 to 18 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Amor,
Arnegard,
Belfield,
Cabba,
Daglum,
Farland,
Lawther,
Morton,
Regent,
Rhoades,
Wyola,
Sen and
Vebar soils. Amor, Morton, Regent, Sen and Vebar soils are on adjacent convex slopes on uplands. They are moderately deep to a paralithic contact. Arnegard, Belfield, Daglum, Lawther and Rhoades soils are on similar positions as Grail soils. Arnegard soils are fine-loamy. Belfield, Daglum and Rhoades soils have natric horizons. Lawther soils do not have an argillic horizon. Cabba soils are on steeper, adjacent, convex slopes on uplands. They are shallow to a paralithic contact. Farland and Wyola soils typically are on terraces. Farland soils are fine-silty. Wyola soils have mollic epipedons less than 16 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well or moderately well drained. Runoff is negligible to medium depending on slope. Permeability is moderately slow or slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for cultivated crops such as wheat, oats, and barley. Native vegetation includes mixed grasses such as western wheatgrass, big bluestem, green needlegrass, and needleandthread.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western North Dakota, northwestern South Dakota and eastern Montana. The soil is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: McKenzie County, North Dakota, 1932.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 24 inches (Ap, A, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons); argillic horizon - the zone from 10 to 24 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.