LOCATION RIDGEVIEW               SD

Established Series
Rev. JK-KJH
01/2023

RIDGEVIEW SERIES


The Ridgeview series consists of deep, well drained soils formed in clayey residuum weathered from shale on uplands. Permeability is slow or very slow. Slopes range from 0 to 6 percent slopes. Mean annual precipitation is about 17 inches, and mean annual temperature is about 44 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Vertic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Ridgeview silty clay loam - on northeast-facing plane slope of 2 percent in native grass. Where described the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).

A--0 to 5 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak fine granular and subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common roots; cracks 1/2 inch wide; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)

BA--5 to 10 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silty clay, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and plastic; common roots; cracks 1/2 inch wide; pressure faces on peds; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)

Bt1--10 to 17 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong coarse and medium blocky; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and plastic; few roots; cracks 1/2 inch wide; few tongues of dark grayish brown (2.5YR 4/2) material; pressure faces on peds; slight effervescence; neutral; clear irregular boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)

Bt2--17 to 25 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to strong coarse blocky; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and plastic; few roots; cracks 1/4 inch wide; few tongues of dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) material; pressure faces on peds; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline; gradual boundary. (8 to 10 inches thick)

Bk--25 to 34 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and plastic; few fine and medium accumulations of carbonate; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline; gradual boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)

Bky--34 to 44 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few medium accumulations of carbonate; few striations and nests of gypsum; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline; gradual boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)

C--44 to 60 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Dewey County, South Dakota; about 7.5 miles north and 2.5 miles west of Lantry; 315 feet east and 115 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 6, T. 13 N., R. 22 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil does not have free carbonates to depths of 8 to 12 inches. When the soil is dry, cracks 1/2 to 1 inch wide and several feet long extend downward through the solum. The mollic epipedon ranges from 8 to 16 inches in thickness.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is neutral or slightly acid.

The Bt horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 to 6 and 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2. In some pedons a thin film of uncoated silt and sand grains are on the faces of peds in upper 1 or 2 inches. Tongues and coatings similar in color to the A horizon typically extend into or through the B horizon along cracks. The Bt horizon is silty clay or clay averaging between 45 and 60 percent clay. It ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.

The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and 3 to 5 moist and chroma of 2 to 4. It is silty clay or clay and is mildly or moderately alkaline.

The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 4. The C horizon is clay or silty clay. It is slightly or moderately alkaline. Bedded shale is between depths of 40 and 60 inches in some pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Gerbana (T, MT), and Gerber (MT) series. Gerbana soils are moderately deep over semiconsolidated shale and mudstone. Gerber soils formed in alluvium, till, or glaciolacustrine material and have a lithologic discontinuity over till within a depth of 60 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Ridgeview soils are on nearly level to gently sloping uplands, with slope gradients from 0 to 6 percent. Surfaces are concave or plane. The soils have formed in clayey residuum weathered from bedded shale. The mean annual temperature is 38 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 13 to 18 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Belfield, Daglum, Grail, Moreau, Regent, and Rhoades soils. Belfield soils are in swale positions in the same landscape and have a natric horizon. The Grail soils are in swales, have a mollic epipedon greater than 16 inches thick, and typically have less clay. Moreau soils do not have a argillic horizon and have bedrock at depths between 20 and 40 inches. Regent and Wyola soils typically have less clay and do not crack as much. In addition, Regent soils have bedrock at depths between 20 and 40 inches. Dalgum and Rhoades soils are in similar landscapes but are slightly lower (micro relief) and have a natric horizon. The Moreau and Regent soils are on similar but more sloping landscapes.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium on nearly level areas and high on gently sloping areas. Permeability is slow or very slow.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used as rangeland, hayland and cropland. Small grain and alfalfa are the main crops. Western wheatgrass, green needlegrass, blue grama, and buffalograss are the dominant grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern South Dakota and possibly southwestern North Dakota. The Ridgeview series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dewey County, South Dakota, 1972.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to the depth of about 10 inches (A, BA horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from about 10 to 25 inches (Bt1, Bt2 horizon).




National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.