LOCATION MOTT ND+COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Mott sandy loam - on a northeast-facing plane slope of 1 percent in a cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. Where described, the soil was moist throughout.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common fine pores; medium acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--6 to 13 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common fine pores; sand grains coated with clay; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--13 to 19 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common fine pores; sand grains coated with clay; about 3 percent coarse fragments; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined Bw horizons are 10 to 24 inches thick.)
C1--19 to 25 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common fine pores; sand grains coated with clay; about 3 percent coarse fragments; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
C2--25 to 33 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; sand grains coated with clay; about 3 percent coarse fragments; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
C3--33 to 35 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; few roots; few pores; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.
C4--35 to 46 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few roots; many fine pores; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
C5--46 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) loamy coarse sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few small masses of carbonate; strong effervescence; mildly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Slope County, North Dakota; about 1 mile east and 5 miles south of Amidon; 1,000 feet south and 155 feet west of the northeast corner, sec. 24, T. 134 N., R. 101 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 16 inches in thickness. Depth to loamy coarse sand or coarse sand ranges from 25 to 48 inches. The soil contains 1 to 10 percent coarse fragments.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2. It typically is sandy loam but the range includes loam and sandy clay loam.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It typically is sandy loam or fine sandy loam but the range includes loam.
The upper C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is fine sandy loam or sandy loam.
The lower C horizon typically is coarse sand or loamy coarse sand; but contains thin strata of coarser or finer textures in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Belain, Bitterroot, Chincap, Hopley, Panguitch, Relan, Tally, Vebar, and Victor series in the same family and the Chinook, Manning, Parshall, Ruso, and Shambo series. Belain, Bitterroot, Chincap, and Vebar soils have bedrock between 20 and 40 inches. Hopley and Tally soils have carbonates higher in the profiles. Panguitch and Victor soils contain more coarse fragments. In addition, Panquitch soils have a Bk horizon. Relan soils have redder hue. Chinook soils are dry for longer periods. Manning soils are coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal. Parshall and Ruso soils are pachic. Shambo soils are fine-loamy.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mott soils are on nearly level and gently sloping fans and terraces that extend several miles from the base of buttes. Slope gradients range from 0 to 6 percent. The soils formed in loamy and sandy alluvium containing some bentonite clay. The climate is semiarid. The mean annual temperature ranges from 38 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation from 14 to 17 inches. Most of the precipitation falls in the spring and summer.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Manning, Parshall, Tally, and Vebar soils on nearby terraces and uplands and the Amor, Belfield, Daglum, and Rhoades soils. Belfield, Daglum, and Rhoades soils are on nearby terraces, fans and uplands, and have natric horizons. Amor soils are on nearby uplands and are fine-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium. Permeability is moderately rapid in upper horizons and rapid in lower horizons. The soil occasionally floods between April and July.
USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are cropped to small grains and also used for pasture and hay. Native vegetation is needleandthread, prairie sandreed, upland sedges, and a variety of forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern North Dakota in proximity to the high buttes. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED Slope County, North Dakota, 1974.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 13 inches (Ap and Bw1 horizons); cambic horizon - the zone from 13 to 19 inches (Bw2 horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data SU72NDak-44-1 available from North Dakota State University.