LOCATION RELIANCE                SD+NE

Established Series
Rev. RFS-KJH, NCJ
07/2013

RELIANCE SERIES

The Reliance series consists of deep or very deep, well drained soils formed in loess on undulating upland plains. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C (49 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is about 480 millimeters (19 inches).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Typic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Reliance silty clay loam - on a northeast-facing, slightly convex slope of 2 percent in a cultivated field. When described the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; hard, friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [15 to 36 centimeters (6 to 14 inches) thick.]

Bt1--18 to 30 centimeters (7 to 12 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and fine subangular blocky; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many tongues of very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; organic coats on faces of peds; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bt2--30 to 56 centimeters (12 to 22 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium and fine blocky; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; clay films on faces of peds; few tongues of very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 20 to 56 centimeters (8 to 22 inches).]

Btk--56 to 66 centimeters (22 to 26 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and fine blocky and subangular blocky; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; clay films on faces of peds; few fine soft accumulations of carbonate; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 15 centimeters (0 to 6 inches thick).]

Bk1--66 to 84 centimeters (26 to 33 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine soft accumulation of carbonates; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bk2--84 to 104 centimeters (33 to 41 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak subangular blocky; hard, friable; common fine soft accumulations of carbonate; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bk horizon is 18 to 51 centimeters (7 to 20 inches thick).]

C--104 to 152 centimeters (41 to 60 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; hard, friable; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Gregory County, South Dakota; about 2 miles east and 1 mile south of Lucas; 110 feet north and 1,100 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 25, T. 98 N., R. 71 W.; latitude 43 degrees, 16 minutes, 13.297 seconds north and longitude 99 degrees, 11 minutes, 37.415 seconds west, NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture Control Section:
The soil moisture control section is moist in some parts from April to July; intermittently moist from October to March; driest in August and September; typic ustic moisture regime.

Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 8 to 11degrees C (46-52 degrees F)

Particle Size Control Section (weighted average):
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Sand content: less than 15 percent fine sand and coarser

The depth to carbonates is at depths of 14 to 36 inches.
The mollic epipedon typically is 25 to 51 centimeters (10 to 20 inches) in thickness, but is as thin as 18 centimeters (7 inches) when eroded.

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silty clay loam or silt loam
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral

Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry and 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Ped surface features: clay films on faces of peds
Reaction: slightly acid to mildly alkaline Some pedons do not have accumulations of carbonate in the lower Bt horizon.

Bk horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry and 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silty clay loam or silt loam
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline.
Concentrations: common or many fine or medium accumulations of carbonate

C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry and 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Clay, bedded shale, sand or gravel, or weakly cemented sandstone or siltstone is between depths of 40 and 60 inches in some pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Beadle, Brolliar, Carlson, Harney, McClure, Mento, Raber, and Spearville soils in the same family. Beadle and Raber soils have clay loam or clay argillic horizons and formed in glacial till. Brolliar soils have hard fractured Basalt between depths of 50 and 100 centimeters (20 to 40 inches). Carlson, Harney, Mento, and Spearville have mean annual soil temperature greater than 11 degrees C (52 degrees F). Carlson soils have hues that range to 7.5YR. McClure soils have contrasting clayey substrata between depths of 50 and 100 centimeters (about 20 to 40 inches). Mento soils have 5 to 15 percent exchangeable sodium in the B and C horizons. Spearville soils typically have more clay in the argillic horizon.


GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material: loess and silty materials of mixed origin with contrasting substrata typically below depths of 150 centimeters (about 5 feet), but ranging to as shallow as 100 centimeters (about 40 inches).
Landscape: level to strongly sloping uplands
Landform: plains
Slope shape: plane or slightly convex
Slope: 0 to 15 percent, typically less than 6 percent
Mean annual air temperature: 7 to 10 degrees C (45 to 50 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 380 to 610 millimeters (15 to 24 inches)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing McClure soils and the Agar, DeGrey, Hoven, Lowry, Millboro, Onita, Promise and Scott soils. Agar and McClure soils are in similar nearby landscapes. Agar soils have a fine-silty argillic horizon. DeGrey and Hoven soils have a natric horizon. DeGrey soils are on similar landscapes. Hoven and Scott soils are in depressions. Scott soils are more moist and pond water. Lowry soils have a coarse-silty control section and do not have an argillic horizon, and are on nearby landscapes. Millboro soils contain more clay in the series control section and typically are on landscapes below the Reliance soils. Onita soils have a mollic epipedon more than 20 inches thick and are in swales. Promise soils are in similar nearby landscapes and have a very-fine textured control section.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: Well drained.
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: moderately high
Surface runoff: low to very high depending on slope
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cropped to winter wheat, corn, sorghum, and alfalfa. Native vegetation includes western wheatgrass, green needlegrass, needleandthread, sideoats grama, blue grama, big bluestem, little bluestem, porcupine grass, sedges, and forbs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central South Dakota and north central Nebraska. The series is of large extent in MLRA's 63A, 63B, and 66.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado

SERIES ESTABLISHED:
Lyman County, South Dakota, 1940.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 30 centimeters [12 inches (Ap and Bt1 horizons)]; argillic horizon - the zone from about 18 to 66 centimeters [7 to 26 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Btk horizons)].

NCJ 5/2013 - Overall update of Range in Characteristics, competing series, diagnostic features and changed to tabular format.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.