LOCATION HAND SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Hand loam - on a west-facing, convex slope of 3 percent in a cultivated field. When described the soil was dry below 16 inches. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable; medium acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--9 to 17 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)
Bk1--17 to 24 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable; common medium accumulations of carbonate; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Bk2--24 to 31 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; weak coarse and medium prismatic structure parting to weak coarse subangular blocky; hard, very friable; common medium accumulations of carbonate; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 8 to 18 inches thick.)
C1--31 to 40 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) silt loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; common fine and medium distinct olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) redox concentrations and gray (2.5Y 6/1) redox depletions; massive; slightly hard, very friable; stratification evident; disseminated carbonates; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
C2--40 to 52 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) and light gray (2.5Y 7/1) silt loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) and gray (2.5Y 5/1) moist; many medium distinct olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) redox concentrations; massive; slightly hard, very friable; stratification evident; disseminated carbonates; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
C3--52 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) and light gray (2.5Y 7/1) loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) and gray (2.5Y 5/1) moist; many medium and fine distinct olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redox concentrations; massive; hard, friable; stratification evident; thin coatings of very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) between stratifications; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Hutchinson County, South Dakota; about 5 miles west and 3 miles north of Clayton; 1283 feet south and 450 feet east of northwest corner, sec. 18, T. 100 N., R. 58 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to free carbonates ranges from 12 to 26 inches. Thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 8 to 20 inches and extends into the Bw horizon. The control section averages between 18 and 30 percent clay. Bulk density of the C horizon is 1.25 to 1.40. The thickness of stratified meltwater deposits ranges from 40 inches to many feet over loamy glacial till.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loam or silt loam. Some pedons are fine sandy loam when mantled by a thin layer of sandy aeolian material. It is medium acid to neutral.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It typically is loam, but is silt loam in some pedons. It ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR to 2.5Y, values of 6 or 7, and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 1 to 4. It typically is loam, but is silt loam, clay loam or silty clay loam in some pedons. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. It has common or many, fine to coarse accumulations of carbonates. Some pedons have fine to medium concretions of carbonate. Some pedons have accumulations of gypsum.
The C horizon is multicolored and has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y; value of 6 or 7, and 4 to 6 moist; and chroma of 1 to 4. It typically is stratified silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam, and fine sandy loam, but some pedons have stratifications of loamy very fine sand, fine sand, or clay loam. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. It has common or many, fine to coarse, faint to distinct redox features which mainly are inherent in the glacial meltwater sediments. Some pedons have accumulations of gypsum in the lower part. Carbonate typically is disseminated in the C horizon, but some pedons contain accumulations and concretions in the upper part.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Clarno and Josburg series in the same family. Clarno soils have a higher bulk density in the underlying material and have less stratified C horizons. Josburg soils have carbonates below a depth of 26 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hand soils are nearly level to rolling on glacial outwash plains. Surfaces are plane or convex; slopes are short and irregular; and slope gradients range from 0 to 15 percent. The soils formed in stratified loamy meltwater deposits overlying loam or clay loam glacial till. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 45 to 52 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 17 to 26 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Clarno soils and the Betts, Blendon, Bonilla, Crossplain, Ethan, Davison, Delmont, Enet, Henkin, Houdek, Prosper, and Tetonka soils. Clarno, Houdek, Blendon, Delmont, Enet, and Henkin soils are on similar landscapes. Blendon and Henkin soils are coarse-loamy. In addition, Blendon soils have mollic epipedons thicker than 20 inches. Delmont and Enet soils are underlain by sand and gravel at depths less than 40 inches. Betts soils lack mollic epipedons and are on steeper landscapes. Bonilla and Prosper soils are in swales and have mollic epipedons more than 20 inches thick. In addition, Prosper and Houdek soils have argillic horizons. Crossplain and Tetonka soils are in the fine family and are in swales and closed depressions. Davison soils are on slight rises adjacent to swales and depressions and have calcic horizons within 16 inches of the surface. Ethan soils usually are on steeper, convex parts of the landscape, have thinner sola, and are calcareous at depths of less than 10 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Surface runoff is negligible to medium depending on slope. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated. Corn, oats, soybeans, grain sorghum, alfalfa, and tame grasses are the main crops. Native vegetation includes big bluestem, little bluestem, blue grama, western wheatgrass, sideoats grama, and needlegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central and southeastern South Dakota. It is extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Spink County, South Dakota, 1955.