LOCATION NOYES MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, smectitic, frigid Vertic Argiaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Noyes sandy clay loam with plane level slope on a glacial lake plain in cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; black (10YR 2/1) sandy clay loam; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common clean sand grains; mildly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
A12--9 to 13 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) and black (10YR 2/1) sandy clay loam; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common clean sand grains; mildly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
IIB2t--13 to 22 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to strong fine angular blocky structure; very firm; thin continuous very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) clay films on faces of peds; many clean sand grains on faces of peds in the upper part; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
IIB3t--22 to 35 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky structure; very firm; thin patchy very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) clay films on faces of peds; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 16 inches thick)
IIC1g--35 to 44 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay; many fine distinct olive brown (2.5Y 4/6) mottles; moderate fine and very fine angular blocky structure; very firm; many masses of gypsum crystals; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
IIC2g--44 to 60 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay, common inclusions of black (2.5Y 2/2) and olive brown (2.5Y 4/4); moderate very fine angular blocky structure; very firm; few gypsum coatings on faces of peds; slight effervescence; mildly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Kittson County, Minnesota; about 2,580 feet south and 1,000 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 24, T. 159 N., R. 48 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of solum ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The depth to free carbonates ranges from 15 to 30 inches. The upper loamy water-deposited sediments ranges from 10 to 20 inches in thickness and overlies clayey lacustrine sediments. These soils lack coarse fragments. Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 38 to 45 degrees F. These soils are saturated with water during at least some part of the growing season in most years unless artificially drained.
The A1 horizon and Ap horizon have hue of 10YR, value of 2, and chroma of 1 or 2. They are fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam. They have weak or moderate, granular or subangular blocky structure and they are friable or firm. They are neutral or mildly alkaline. The content of clean sand grains ranges from few to many in these horizons.
Some pedons have an A2 horizon as much as 4 inches thick. It has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Its range in texture is the same as the A1 horizon, except that it is loamy fine sand or loamy very fine sand in some pedons.
The B horizon has a matrix with hue of 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. Mottles are in this horizon in some pedons. The B horizon averages between 60 and 80 percent clay. Subhorizons in some pedons contain less than 60 percent clay. The B horizon has weak through strong prismatic primary structure with moderate or strong, angular or subangular blocky structure. It is firm or very firm. It ranges from neutral through moderately alkaline in the upper part and is mildly or moderately alkaline in the lower part. Clay films are thin or medium and patchy to continuous.
The C horizon has a matrix with hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, dominant value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. It typically is a clay averaging over 60 percent clay, but layers as coarse as silt loam or silt are in some pedons. It has weak through strong angular blocky structure. It is mildly or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: No other series is in this family. Closely related series are the Doran, Enloe, Fargo, Galchutt, and Northcote. The Doran soils contain less clay in the B horizon and C horizons. The Enloe and Galchutt soils contain less clay in the B horizon and have albic horizons. The Fargo series has less clay in the B horizon and lacks an argillic horizon. The Northcote soils lack argillic horizons, and contain more clay in the A horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils have plain and slightly concave slopes with gradient of less than 1 percent on glacial lake plains. They primarily are on nearly level terrain adjacent to major drainageways. They formed in 10 to 20 inches of a loamy lacustrine sediment over clayey lacustrine sediments. These sediments are of Glacial Lake Agassiz. The climate is subhumid continental with short warm summers and long cold winters. Mean annual temperature ranges from 36 to 43 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 18 to 22 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Donaldson, Northcote, and Wheatville soils. The moderately well and somewhat poorly drained Donaldson and Wheatville soils have a thicker loamy surface layer and are on somewhat higher lying positions. Also, the Wheatville soils have calcic horizons at shallow depths. The poorly drained Northcote soils have landscape positions similar to the Noyes soils, but they commonly are farther away from drainageways than the Noyes soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly and somewhat poorly drained. Permeability is moderate in the A horizon and slow in the remainder of the soil. Surface runoff is slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most all of these soils are cultivated. Principal crops are small grains, but sugar beets, sunflowers, and potatoes are significant crops. Native vegetation probably was savanna-tall grass prairie species and trees such as trembling aspen, balsam poplar, and bur oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Minnesota in the Red River Valley. Inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kittson County, Minnesota, January, 1975.
REMARKS: This soil would have been classified as Humic Gley in the former system. Soil is challenged for placement in the fine family particle size class Argiborolls.
Classification only was changed 5/94. Competing series and other updates will be made later.
ADDITIONAL DATA: For results of some laboratory analyses, refer to MAES Central File Code Nos. 1331 for data on the typifying pedon and 1595 for data on another pedon.