LOCATION RABER SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Typic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Raber loam - on an east-facing convex slope of 3 percent in native grass. When described the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; common fine roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--4 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; shiny film on faces of peds; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--7 to 13 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium and fine subangular and blocky; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; shiny film on faces of peds; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined Bt horizons is 8 to 12 inches thick.)
Btk--13 to 20 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; patchy film on faces of peds; common medium and coarse accumulations of carbonate; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Bk--20 to 32 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; many medium and coarse accumulations of carbonate; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (8 to 25 inches thick)
C1--32 to 44 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; few fine distinct mottles of yellowish red (5YR 4/8) and dark gray (5Y 4/1); weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine accumulations of carbonate; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
C2--44 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) and light gray (5Y 6/1) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) and dark gray (5Y 4/1) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common fine iron stains; few fine accumulations of carbonate; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Hughes County, South Dakota; about 17 miles south and 1 mile east of Harrold; 1056 feet north and 30 feet east of fence from the southwest corner of sec. 34, T. 110 N., R. 74 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to carbonate ranges from about 12 to 20 inches. Up to 15 percent by volume pebbles and cobbles up to 6 inches in diameter are in most pedons. The mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 18 inches in thickness.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. It typically is loam or clay loam, but is silt loam in some pedons. It is slightly acid or neutral.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5 and 2 to 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is clay loam or clay with an estimated 35 to 45 percent clay and with more than 15 percent fine or coarser sand. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Btk and Bk horizons have hue of 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. They have few to many, fine to coarse accumulations of carbonate. They are slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is clay loam or clay. Mottling inherent to the parent material is common in the C horizon below depths of about 30 inches. Bedded shale is between depths of 40 and 60 inches in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Beadle, Carlson, Harney, Kirley, McClure, Mento, Peno, Reliance, and Spearville soils in the same family. Beadle soils have thicker A horizons and are more moist in the soil moisture control section during the 120 days following the summer solstice. Carlson soils contain more carbonate in the C horizon. Harney, McClure, Mento, Reliance, and Spearville contain less than 15 percent fine or coarser sand in the series control section and formed in silty materials. In addition, Mento soils have 5 to 15 percent exchangeable sodium in the B and C horizons. Kirley soils formed in alluvium. Peno soils have carbonate at depths of 6 to 11 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Raber soils are nearly level to strongly sloping on uplands. Slopes are plane or convex. Slope gradients range from 0 to 15 percent. Raber soils formed in firm clay loam glacial till. Mean annual temperature ranges from 45 to 48 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 17 to 19 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cavo, Demky, Eakin, Gettys, Glenham, Highmore, Jerauld, Oko, and Peno soils. The Cavo, Demky, and Jerauld soils have a natric horizon and are on nearly level to gently sloping areas. The Eakin and Highmore soils are on nearby level or gentle slopes and are fine silty. The Gettys and Peno soils typically are on adjacent steeper slopes. The Gettys soils do not have an argillic horizon. Glenham soils are fine-loamy. Oko soils contain more clay in the series control section. Glenham and Oko soils are on similar landscapes to the Raber series.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow on nearly level areas and medium on sloping areas. Permeability is moderately slow or slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for cropland and range. Principal crops are corn, small grains, and alfalfa. Native vegetation is mainly western wheatgrass, green needlegrass, blue grama, sideoats grama, sedges, and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central South Dakota. The series is extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Potter County, South Dakota, 1955.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 13 inches (A, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons); argillic horizon - the zone from a depth of about 4 to 20 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Btk horizons).