LOCATION PARCHIN SD+MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Natrustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Parchin fine sandy loam - on a south-facing concave slope of 2 percent in native range. When described the soils was moist to 60 inches. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
A1--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable; many fine roots; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
A2--3 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy fine sand; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse subangular blocky; soft, very friable; common fine roots; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined A horizons 2 to 7 inches thick)
E--6 to 10 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy fine sand; dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse platy structure parting to weak medium and fine subangular blocky; soft, very friable; common fine roots; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Btn1--10 to 12 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate medium columnar structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm, slightly sticky, and plastic; thin nearly continuous pale brown (10YR 6/3) coatings on tops of columnar peds; many fine roots along surfaces of peds; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Btn2--12 to 15 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm, slightly sticky, and plastic; common fine roots; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Btnk--15 to 18 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy clay loam; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; common fine threads of carbonate accumulations; strong effervescence, matrix does not have effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined Btn horizons 6 to 20 inches thick)
Bk--18 to 27 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam, olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse subangular blocky; hard, friable; few fine roots; common threads and spots of accumulations of carbonate; violent effervescence; strongly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Cr1--27 to 37 inches; light gray (5Y 6/1) soft bedded sandstone crushing to loamy fine sand with strata of fine sandy loam and sandy clay loam, dark gray (5Y 4/1) moist; massive; hard, very friable; few threads and spots accumulations of carbonate; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Cr2--37 to 60 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) soft bedded sandstone crushing to sandy clay loam with strata of fine sandy loam and loamy fine sand, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Perkins County, South Dakota, about 12 miles east and 2 miles south of Zeona; 900 feet east and 155 feet north of southwest corner of sec. 16, T. 14 N., R. 12 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to bedrock typically is 25 to 30 inches but ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to carbonates ranges from 10 to 25 inches. Depth to gypsum or other visible salts is more than 16 inches. The combined thickness of the A and E horizons is 5 inches or more.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 and 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is loamy fine sand, loamy very fine sand, fine sandy loam, and very fine sandy loam, and ranges from strongly acid to neutral.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 or 6 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It typically is loamy fine sand or loamy very fine sand but some pedons are fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam. It ranges from medium acid to neutral.
The Btn horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It typically is sandy clay loam but is loam or clay loam in some pedons and typically contains 22 to 30 percent clay but ranges from 18 to 34 percent clay. It ranges from slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline, but is neutral in the Btn1 horizon of some pedons. Fine threads of gypsum or other salts are present in the lower Btn horizon of some pedons.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, and 5Y; value of 5 or 6 and 4 or 5 moist; and chroma of 2 or 3. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, sandy clay loam, loam or clay loam. It ranges from slightly to strongly alkaline. It has few to common accumulations of carbonate . It contains few or common threads and nests of gypsum and other salts in some pedons.
Some pedons have C horizons which have colors of the Cr horizon.
The Cr horizon has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is soft sandstone crushing to loamy fine sand with thin layers of fine sandy loam to clay loam or sandy clay loam with layers of fine sandy loam, loamy, or loamy fine sand. It ranges from slightly to strongly alkaline. It has few to common accumulations of carbonate in the upper part. It has few to common accumulations of gypsum in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Archin, Armitage, Bullock, Rominell and Tisworth soils. None of these soils, except Bullock, have bedrock at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. In addition, Armitage soils have greater than 15 percent coarse fragments, have a Bt1 horizon with greater than 40 percent clay, are thinner to the base of the E horizon and have carbonates and salts nearer the surface and Rominell soils are more alkaline in the A and Bt horizons. Bullock soils are less than 5 inches to the base of the E horizon and have carbonates and salts nearer the surface.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Parchin soils are on nearly level to moderately steep uplands and have plane or concave slopes. The slope gradients range from 0 to 25 percent slopes. The soils formed in sandy and loamy residuum weathered from sandy and loamy sedimentary rocks. Mean annual air temperature is 39 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is 10 to 18 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Bullock soils and the Absher, Assinniboine, Cabbart, Delridge, Loburn, Marmarth, Rhame, and Twilight soils. Bullock soils are in the microrelief with the Parchin soils. Absher soils are on similar landscapes. They do not have bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Assinniboine, Cabbart, Delridge, Marmarth, and Twilight soils are above the Parchin soils, usually are steeper, and do not have a natric horizon. In addition, Assinniboine, Marmarth, and Rhame soils have a mollic epipedon and Cabbart soils have bedrock at depths less than 20 inches. Loburn soils are on similar landscape postions and have a fine natric horizon. Areas of slickspots are intermingled with the Parchin soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is slow or very slow in the solum and moderate in the underlying material.
USE AND VEGETATION: These are used mainly for range but few small areas are cultivated. The principal vegetation is western wheatgrass, green needlegrass, blue grama, sedges, and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Montana, western South Dakota, and possibly in adjacent areas of North Dakota and Wyoming. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Perkins County, South Dakota, 1977.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features were recognized in this pedon are: ochric horizon - zone from the surface to 10 inches, mollic colored in upper 3 inches (A1, A2, and E horizons); natric horizon - zone from about 10 to 18 inches (Btn1, Btn2, and Btnk horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL Data: 78P2122-148 and NSSL 78SD-063-39.