LOCATION MAUVAIS ND+MN SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Aeric Endoaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Mauvais loam - on a southwest-facing concave slope of 4 percent in native grasses. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. When described the soil was wet below 30 inches and saturated below 46 inches.)
A--0 to 2 inches; black (10YR 2/1) loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; about 2 percent gravel; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)
C1--2 to 50 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; few fine prominent dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) and many medium and coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; massive; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) along vertical partings; about 2 percent gravel; few fine rounded manganese concretions; few fine nests of gypsum; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 55 inches thick)
C2--50 to 60 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; few fine prominent dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) and common fine distinct olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) mottles; massive; hard, friable, sticky, and plastic; few fine rounded manganese concretions; few fine concentrations of gypsum; about 2 percent gravel; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Ramsey County, North Dakota; about 2 miles southeast of Devils Lake; 2140 feet south and 2305 feet east of the northwest corner, sec. 18, T. 153 N., R. 63 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The 10 to 40 inch particle size control section averages between 18 and 35 percent clay. Depth to carbonates ranges from 0 to 6 inches. The electrical conductivity ranges from 2 to 8 mmhos per cubic centimeter. It typically contains 1 to 10 percent gravel. Surfaces are very stony in some pedons.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 2 to 4, 3 to 5 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2. It typically is loam or clay loam, but ranges from silty clay loam to sandy loam. It is neutral to moderately alkaline. Some pedons have a By horizon.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y, 5Y, or neutral, value of 4 to 6 and 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 0 to 4. It typically is loam, but is clay loam, silt loam or silty clay loam in some pedons. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. In some pedons there are thin strata of sandy or clayey sediments. Some pedons do not have gypsum. Some pedons have layers of sandy or clayey sediments below 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mauvais soils are on shores of lakes. Slope gradient ranges from 0 to 9 percent. The soils formed in calcareous loam or clay loam glacial till modified by wave action. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 37 to 48 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation from 15 to 24 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lallie, Minnewasta, Minnewaukan and Wamduska soils on glacial lake plains and beaches. Lallie and Minnewaukan soils are below and Wamduska soils are above the Mauvais soils on the landscape. Minnewasta soils occur on positions similar to the Mauvais soils. They have 10 to 20 inches of sandy materials over glacial till. Lallie soils do not have coarse fragments and formed in fine textured lacustrine sediments. Minnewaukan and Wamduska soils are sandy. Wamduska soils are excessively drained and Lallie soils are poorly drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is very slow or medium. Permeability is moderately slow. A seasonal high water table is at a depth of 1.5 to 3.0 feet below the surface at some time during the period of March through July. This soil receives runoff and seepage from higher lying areas. In some of the level and nearly level areas of this soil ponding occurs in a cyclic pattern. The soil may be ponded for several years with several feet of water and then not ponded again for many years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mauvais soils are used for hay, range, pasture, and wildlife. Native vegetation is sedges, big bluestem, little bluestem, switchgrass, indiangrass, leadplant and prairie cordgrass. Ponded areas may be open water and are revegetated by grasses as the water recedes.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and northern North Dakota and northeastern South Dakota. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ramsey County, North Dakota, 1984.
REMARKS: Revised 2/94.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 2 inches (A horizon); characteristics associated with wetness - mottles and chroma of 2 or less within 50 cm of the surface (C1 horizon); aeric subgroup criteria - mottles, 2.5Y hue, value 5 moist, and 2 chroma between 25 and 75 cm (C1 horizon).