LOCATION HOVEN SD+MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Vertic Natraquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Hoven silt loam - on a plane slope of less than 1 percent in native grass. When described the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
E--0 to 4 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)
Btn1--4 to 7 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; thin continuous gray (10YR 6/1) dry coatings on top of columns and thin patchy coatings on vertical surfaces of peds; strong coarse columnar structure parting to strong medium blocky; extremely hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few distinct clay film on faces of peds; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Btn2--7 to 18 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium and fine blocky; extremely hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 20 inches thick)
Btnk--18 to 30 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) silty clay, dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; very few fine accumulations of carbonate; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
Bk--30 to 46 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; few fine distinct gray (5Y 5/1) redox depletions; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine accumulations of carbonate; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined Bk horizon is 0 to 30 inches thick)
Cyz--46 to 60 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine nests of gypsum crystals and other salts; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Sully County, South Dakota; about 8 miles south and 7 miles west of Onida; 320 feet west and 1290 feet north of the southeast corner, Sec. 16, T. 114 N., R. 78 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The natric horizon has SAR or ESP of 5 to 20. Some pedons have an A horizon 1 to 4 inches thick.
The E horizon has value of 2 to 4 moist and 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2. Few or common, faint or distinct mottles are in some pedons. The E horizon commonly is silt loam but is silty clay loam in some pedons. It ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
The Btn and Btnk horizons have 10YR or 2.5Y hue, value of 2 or 3 and 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2. It commonly is clay or silty clay but is clay loam or silty clay loam in some pedons averaging between 35 and 60 percent clay. The Btn horizon has weak to strong, medium or coarse columnar structure that parts to strong, medium or fine blocky and ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline. The Btn2 and Btnk horizons have weak or moderate prismatic or subangular blocky structure that parts to moderate or strong blocky and they range from neutral to moderately alkaline. They have common to many nests and threads of gypsum in some pedons. Some pedons have Btnz horizons.
The Bk horizon has 10YR or 2.5Y hue, value of 3 to 4 and 4 to 6 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silty clay loam, clay loam, or silty clay. It has few to common fine or medium accumulations of carbonate and ranges from slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline. Some pedons have accumulations of gypsum and salts.
Some pedons have a BC horizon and has colors of the Bk horizon.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y; values of 3 to 5 moist and 4 to 7 dry; and chroma of 1 to 3. The C horizon commonly is clay, silty clay, clay loam, or silty clay loam. The C horizon ranges from slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline. Most pedons have accumulations of gypsum and salts. Below a depth of 40 inches, some pedons are loamy fine sand or fine sand or have sandstone, siltstone, or shale bedrock.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Durrstein, Napa, and Thunderegg series. Durrstein soils have thinner sola and have accumulations of salts at shallower depths. Napa soils have accumulations of salts higher in the profile and have a fluctuating water table above 5 feet. The Thunderegg soils have sand and gravel at depths of 25 to 50 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hoven soils are in basins. Slope gradients are less than 2 percent. Microrelief is evident in some areas. These soils formed in local clayey alluvium. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 43 to 50 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 24 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include Agar, Beadle, Clarno, Glenham, Highmore, Houdek, Kadoka, Keith, Onita, Raber, Ree, and Richfield soils. None of these soils have a natric horizon. Agar, Beadle, Clarno, Glenham, Highmore, Houdek, Kadoka, Keith, Raber, Ree, and Richfield soils are well drained and are adjacent to the Hoven slopes on higher landscape positions. Onita soils are in swales, do not have a natric horizon, and are better drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Surface runoff is ponded after heavy rains and snow melt, but most areas are dry in late summer. These soils are saturated for 30 to 60 days or more to a depth of 3 feet or more in most years. Permeability is very slow, but after dry periods initial water intake is moderate to rapid because of cracks in the solum. Some pedons have a fluctuating water table commonly below depths of 5 feet. The water table typically ranges from 1 foot above the surface to 1 1/2 feet below the surface.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly native range or hayland; small areas are cultivated. Native vegetation is mainly western wheatgrass and sedges.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central, central, and south-central South Dakota. The series is extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Potter County, South Dakota, 1955.
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 30 inches (E, Btn1, Btn2, and Btnk horizons); natric horizon - the zone from a depth of about 4 to 30 inches (Btn1, Btn2, and Btnk horizons).