LOCATION MEHURIN MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Aquic Argiudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Mehurin clay loam with a slope of 1 percent on a moraine in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; black (10YR 2/1) clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; 1 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 14 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay loam; brown (10YR 4/3) day; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron concentrations; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; few fine roots; common very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay films on faces of peds; 1 percent gravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--14 to 21 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron concentrations and few fine distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; few fine roots; common dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay films on faces of peds; 1 percent gravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons is 5 to 26 inches.)
Bk1--21 to 29 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) clay loam; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron concentrations and common fine distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) lime accumulations; 2 percent gravel; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
Bk2--29 to 60 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) clay loam; many fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron concentrations and gray (5Y 5/1) iron depletions; massive; friable; few light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) lime accumulations; few yellowish red (5YR 4/6) iron coatings on ped faces; 3 percent gravel; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota. About 2 miles south and 1 mile west of Marietta; 300 feet east and 300 feet north of the southwest corner of section 33, T. 118 N., R. 46 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to free calcium carbonates ranges from 14 to 36 inches. The mollic epipedon ranges from 8 to 16 inches thick and extends into the upper part of the Bt horizon in some pedons. The volume of rock fragments typically ranges from 1 to 8 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 and 3 or 4 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2. It dominantly is clay loam or loam but includes silty clay loam in some pedons. The reaction is neutral or slightly acid.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is clay loam, silty clay, or clay averaging 35 to 60 percent clay. The reaction dominantly is neutral or slightly acid, but slightly alkaline in the lower part is within the range. Distinct or prominent redoximorphic features are present. Clay films range from common to many in the upper part and common to few in the lower part.
The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is clay loam or loam. The reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Faint to prominent mottles are present. Secondary lime accumulations range from few to many.
The C horizon, where present, has hue of 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is clay loam or loam. The reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Distinct or prominent mottles are present.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Mehurin soils are on concave foot slopes and level to very gently sloping areas on moraines. Slopes range from 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual air temperatures range from 38 to 45 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 20 to 27 inches. Frost-free days range from 90 to 150. Elevation above sea level ranges from 990 to 1950 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Barnes, Forman, Hamerly, Parnell, Peever, and Vallers soils. The well drained Barnes, Forman, and Peever soils are on adjacent higher lying side slopes. The moderately well drained and somewhat poorly drained Hamerly soils are on low convex rises. The poorly drained Parnell and Vallers soils are in drainageways and on flats. The very poorly drained Parnell soils are in depressions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Runoff is slow or moderate. Permeability is moderately slow or slow in the upper part and moderately slow or moderate in the lower part. In undisturbed areas the seasonal water table is at 2 to 4 feet below the surface from April to June.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used to grow corn, soybeans, and small grains. Native vegetation is prairie grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central Minnesota. The series is of limited extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota, 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to about 14 inches (Ap and Bt horizons); argillic horizon - the zone from about 9 to 21 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons); aquic subgroup - iron depletions with chroma of two or less and aquic conditions, both within 40 inches of the surface. Also, 35 to 60 percent clay (weighted average) between 10 and 40 inches.
Classification only was changed in 5/94. Competing series and other items will be updated later.
ADDITIONAL DATA: CFC number 4426 by University of Minnesota Soil Survey Laboratory for this pedon.