LOCATION RONDELL            SD+ND
Established Series
LDS-CJH
03/2000

RONDELL SERIES


The Rondell series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils formed in glaciolacustrine sediments. Permeability is moderately slow or slow in the subsoil and moderate to slow in the underlying material. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 21 inches, and mean annual air temperature is about 42 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Aquic Calciudolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Rondell silt loam - on a slope of 1 percent in a cultivated field. When described the soil was dry to 12 inches and moist below. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 7 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, friable; strong effervescence (3 percent calcium carbonate); neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--7 to 12 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; few fine accumulations of carbonate; strong effervescence (4 percent calcium carbonate); neutral, clear wavy boundary. (Combined A horizons are 7 to 15 inches thick)

Bk1--12 to 24 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak medium and fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable; violent effervescence (39 percent calcium carbonate); moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bk2--24 to 35 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) silt loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak medium and fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable; violent effervescence (36 percent calcium carbonate); moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined Bk horizons are 15 to 35 inches thick)

C1--35 to 45 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; common medium and fine distinct gray (10YR 6/1) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist redoximorphic concentrations; massive; slightly hard, very friable; strong effervescence (23 percent calcium carbonate); slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

C2--45 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) silt loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; many coarse and medium distinct gray (10YR 6/1) moist redoximorphic depletions and common medium and fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist redoximorphic concentrations; massive; slightly hard, very friable; laminations 1 to 2 mm thick; strong effervescence (13 percent calcium carbonate); slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Brown County, South Dakota; about 4 miles north and 1/2 mile east of Claremont; 2,565 feet west and 150 feet north of the southeast corner, sec. 11, T. 126 N., R. 60 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 15 inches. Free calcium carbonate typically is at the surface, but some pedons are leached to 5 inches. The calcic horizon is at depths of 16 inches or less. The calcium carbonate equivalent of the calcic horizon ranges from 15 to 45 percent.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. It typically is silt loam, but is silty clay loam in some pedons. It ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.

The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 6 to 8 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. The calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 15 to 45 percent. It ranges from slightly to strongly alkaline.

The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 to 8 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It has common to many redoximorphic features of chroma of 2 or less. It is silt loam or silty clay loam and typically is varved with very thin strata of very fine sand to clay. Varves range from 1 mm to 5 mm in thickness. It ranges from slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rondell soils are level and nearly level on plane and convex surfaces in glacial lake plains. Slope gradients are 0 to 3 percent. These soils formed in silty, calcareous glaciolacustrine sediments. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 39 to 45 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 16 to 20 inches. Growing season is about 125 to 135 days; average growing season precipitation ranges from 14 to 17 inches; and growing degree days are about 2600 to 3200.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bearden, Beotia, Gardena, Great Bend, Harmony, Putney, Tonka, and Winship soils. Bearden soils are in slightly lower positions on the landscape. Putney soils are on higher convex parts of the landscape. Beotia and Gardena soils have mollic epipedons more than 16 inches thick. Beotia and Gardena soils are in swales. Harmony and Winship soils have an argillic horizon. Harmony soils are on broad smooth flats. Winship soils are in shallow depressions and flat drainageways. The Great Bend soils are well drained and contain less carbonates. Great Bend soils are on higher convex parts of the landscape. The poorly drained Tonka soils have a fine textured control section and are in depressions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Surface runoff is low or medium. Permeability is moderately slow or slow in the subsoil and moderate to slow in the underlying material. Rondell soils have a perched water table between depths of 2.5 and 5 feet.

USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are used to grow small grains, corn, sunflowers, and alfalfa. Native vegetation is green needlegrass, sideoats grama, needleandthread, little bluestem, big bluestem, blue grama, sedges, and forbs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern South Dakota and southeastern North Dakota. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Brown County, South Dakota, 1987.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of about 12 inches (Ap, A horizons); calcic horizon - the zone from about 12 to 35 inches (Bk1, Bk2 horizons).


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.