LOCATION KARLSRUHE NDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, frigid Aeric Calciaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Karlsruhe coarse sandy loam - on a slope of less than 1 percent in rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
A--0 to 5 inches; black (10YR 2/1) coarse sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; disseminated carbonates throughout; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
Ak--5 to 11 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) coarse sandy loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; disseminated carbonates throughout; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined A horizons 6 to 15 inches thick)
ABk--11 to 15 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loamy coarse sand, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; disseminated carbonates throughout; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bk--15 to 20 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loamy coarse sand, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; common fine faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) redox concentrations; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; disseminated carbonates throughout; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 24 inches thick)
BCk--20 to 30 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) coarse sand, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; many medium faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) redox depletions; single grain; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; disseminated carbonates throughout; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 11 inches thick)
C1--30 to 39 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) coarse sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; many medium faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) redox concentrations; single grain; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
C2--39 to 60 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) coarse sand, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) dry; many medium distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) redox concentrations; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: McHenry County, North Dakota; about 5 miles north and 2.5 miles east of Towner; 2400 feet south and 250 feet east of the northwest corner, sec. 16, T. 154 N., R. 76 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to loamy sand or coarser textures is less than 20 inches. The mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 16 inches in thickness. The average texture of the particle-size control section typically is loamy coarse sand or coarse sand, but, in some pedons it is loamy sand or sand with appreciable amounts of coarse sand. It has more than 30 percent medium and coarser sand. The A and Bk horizons contain up to 10 percent rock fragments.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3 and 3 to 5 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy coarse sand or loamy sand. It is neutral to moderately alkaline.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5 and 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is coarse sandy loam, loamy coarse sand, sandy loam or loamy sand. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6 and 4 to 7 dry, and chroma of 2 to 8. It is loamy coarse sand, coarse sand, loamy sand or sand. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. It has up to 35 percent rock fragments.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ulen and Wyrene soils. Ulen soils have a particle-size control section that averages loamy fine sand or fine sand with less than 30 percent medium sand and coarser sand. Wyrene soils have loamy sand or coarser textures at depths of more than 20 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Karlsruhe soils are in shallow depressions on delta plains, outwash plains and in outwash channels. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. The soils formed in sandy glaciofluvial deposits. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 37 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 15 to 20 inches. Frost-free period ranges from 110 to 140 days. Elevation above sea level ranges from 1400 to 1800 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Ulen soils and the Arvilla, Claire, Fossum, Hecla, Lohnes and Verendrye soils. Ulen soils are on similar landscape positions. Fossum and Verendrye soils are in deeper depressions. They are poorly drained. Arvilla, Claire, Hecla and Lohnes soils are on higher positions on the landscape and are excessively to moderately well drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is negligible. Permeability is rapid. A seasonal high water table is at a depth of 1.5 to 3.5 feet below the surface at some time during the period of April through June.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for rangeland. Native vegetation is predominantly little bluestem, big bluestem, Indiangrass, switchgrass, and a variety of sedges. A few areas are cultivated with small grain, flax, and sunflower being the main crops.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern and central North Dakota. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: McHenry County, North Dakota, 1987.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 11 inches (A and Ak horizons); The ABK, Bk, BCk, and C1 horizons have the color but not the organic matter content to be mollic; calcic horizon - the zone from 5 to 30 inches (Ak, ABk, and BCk horizons).