LOCATION HISLE SD+NEEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Leptic Torrertic Natrustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Hisle silt loam - on an east-facing plane slope of 3 percent in native grass at 3,020 feet elevation. When described the soil was moist below a depth of 2 inches. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
E--0 to 1 inch; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak very thin platy structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable; surface crust about 1/8 inch thick; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
Btn1--1 to 2 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium and fine columnar structure parting to strong medium blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; light gray (10YR 7/2) coatings on tops of columns; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Btn2--2 to 9 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium and fine blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; slight effervescence; strongly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Btn3--9 to 13 inches; pale olive (5Y 6/3) clay, olive (5Y 5/3) moist; moderate medium and fine blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bkz--13 to 20 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) clay, olive (5Y 5/3) moist; few faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many small pebbles and fragments of shale; few fine dark concretions (Fe and Mn oxides); common fine threads and accumulations of carbonate and salt; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
C--20 to 26 inches; gray (5Y 6/1) and light olive gray (5Y 6/2) clay, very dark gray (5Y 3/1) and olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; common medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; fine earth is massive; hard, firm, sticky; 50 to 70 percent by volume of fragments of shale; few fine accumulations of carbonate and salt; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Cr--26 to 60 inches; gray (5Y 5/1) fractured soft shale; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron stains and mottles in the seams; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Shannon County, South Dakota; about 16 miles northwest of Oglala on Red Shirt Table road; 1,400 feet west and 400 feet north of southeast corner of sec. 2, T. 39 N., R. 47 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to bedded shale typically is about 20 to 26 inches and ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Colors of the soil commonly are inherited from the underlying shale. A few small pebbles are on the surface and mixed throughout the solum in some pedons.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 8 and 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is silt loam or loam and ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline. When dry, the surface is crusted up to 1/8 inch thick.
The Btn horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is clay or silty clay averaging between 50 and 60 percent clay. It ranges from slighty to strongly alkaline. The Btn horizon has weak or moderate, fine to coarse columnar structure parting to moderate or strong, fine to coarse blocky structure in the upper part. Accumulations of salts and carbonates are in the lower Btn horizon of some pedons.
The Bkz horizon has hue of 10R to 5Y, value of 5 to 8 and 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is silty clay or clay. It has few to many accumulations of carbonate and typically has accumulations of gypsum and salts. It ranges from slightly to strongly alkaline. It contains up to 15 percent fragments of shale by volume.
The C horizon has hue of 10R to 5Y, value of 5 to 8 and 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is clay, or silty clay. Fragments of shale increase with depth and range up to 80 percent by volume. It ranges from slightly to strongly alkaline. Most pedons contain accumulations of carbonate and salts.
The Cr horizon is shale and hue of 10R to 5Y. It ranges from slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arvada, Cedar Butte, Wanblee, and Winnett series. Arvada and Cedar Butte soils do not have bedded shale within depths of 40 inches. Wanblee soils contain less clay and formed in residuum weathered from soft siltstone. Winnett soils contain 30 to 50 percent clay and has an A horizon. Hurley soils have a mollic epipedon. Minatare soils are wetter.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hisle soils are nearly level to moderately sloping on uplands. Slope gradients range from 0 to 15 percent. Hisle soils formed in clays transported locally or weathered in place from clay shales. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 45 to 53 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 16 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kyle, Lismas, Pierre, Samsil, Swanboy, Twotop and Winler soils. Kyle, Pierre, Twotop and Winler soils do not have natric horizons and are on adjacent landscapes. Lismas and Samsil soils have shale within depths of 20 inches and are on steeper landscapes. Swanboy soils do not have a natric horizon and are on fans and terraces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained or moderately well drained. Surface runoff is medium to very high depending on slope. Permeability is very slow, but after dry periods initial intake commonly is rapid because of cracks.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used as rangeland. Western wheatgrass, blue grama, buffalograss, needleandthread and saltgrass are the main grass species.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western South Dakota and possibly eastern Wyoming and northwestern Nebraska. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, South Dakota, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric horizon - 1 to 4 inches thick (E horizon); natric horizon - 5 to 20 inches thick (Btn1, Btn2, and Btn3 horizon).