LOCATION RANSLO SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Typic Natraquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ranslo silt loam - on plane slope of less than 1 percent in native vegetation. When described, the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly plastic; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
E--4 to 9 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) crushing to very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Btn--9 to 14 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; shiny films on faces of peds; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 30 inches thick)
Btnkz1--14 to 26 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; shiny films on faces of peds; few fine accumulations of salt; few fine accumulations of calcium carbonate; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Btnkz2--26 to 35 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) mottles; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine accumulations of salt; few fine accumulations of calcium carbonate; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Btnkz horizon is 0 to 30 inches thick.)
Bkz--35 to 42 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) and light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many fine and medium accumulations of salt; many fine and medium accumulations of calcium carbonate; violent effervescence; strongly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
C--42 to 60 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few to common fine and medium accumulations of salt; few to common fine and medium accumulations of calcium carbonate; violent effervescence; strongly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Edmunds County, South Dakota; about 7 miles south and 2 miles east of Ipswich; 1200 feet west and 135 feet south of northeast corner of sec. 35, T. 122 N., R. 68 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the mollic epipedon typically is 20 to 30 inches and includes the upper part of the Bt horizon but ranges from 7 to 40 inches. Combined thickness of the A and E horizon is more than 5 inches. The exchangeable magnesium plus sodium is more than half of the total CEC within a depth of 16 inches.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 and 4 or 5 dry. It typically is silt loam, but some pedons are silty clay loam or loam. It ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
The E horizon has value of 2 to 4 and 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silt loam or loam and neutral to slightly acid. Some pedons have a B/E horizon. Some pedons have an A/E horizon.
The Btn horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3 and 3 to 5 dry. It is silty clay loam, silty clay and clay loam. Some pedons have columnar tops but they are degraded 1/2 inch to 1 inch. It is neutral to moderately alkaline.
The Btnkz horizon has hue of 10YR and 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5 and 4 to 7 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silty clay loam, clay loam, silty clay or clay averaging between 35 and 50 percent clay. It is mildly to strongly alkaline. Accumulations of gypsum and other salts are not in some pedons. Few or common, faint to prominent mottles are in the lower part of most pedons.
The Bkz horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y; value of 3 to 6 and 4 to 7 dry; and chroma of 1 to 3. It is sandy clay loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay. It is slightly to strongly alkaline. Some pedons have Bk or BC horizons.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 3 to 6 and 4 to 7 dry, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is clay loam, sandy clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay or clay and commonly has thin strata of coarser textured materials, especially below 40 inches. It ranges from slightly to strongly alkaline. Accumulations of carbonate and salts are in most pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are Harriet, Heil, and Ryan soils. Harriet, Heil, and Ryan soils have combined A and E horizons less than 5 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ranslo soils are on nearly level stream terraces and flood plains. Surfaces are plane or slightly convex micro-highs of less than 1 percent slope gradient. Ranslo soils formed in clayey alluvium. Mean annual temperature ranges from 34 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation from 14 to 20 inches. Growing season is about 120 to 155 days; average growing season precipitation ranges from 13 to 16 inches; and growing degree days are about 2600 to 3300.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: They are the competing Harriet soils and the Bowbells, Grassna, Miranda, Niobell, and Noonan soils. Harriet soils are in micro-lows in complex with Ranslo soils. Bowbells and Grassna soils lack natric horizons and are in swales. Miranda, Niobell, and Noonan soils are fine-loamy and are on nearby uplands.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; low runoff; Permeability is slow in the solum and slow to moderate in the underlying material. A water table is at a depth of 1 to 3 feet part of the time in most years. Ranslo soils are subject to common very brief flooding.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas used as rangeland or native pasture. Native vegetation includes big bluestem, western wheatgrass, switchgrass, kentucky bluegrass, sedges and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central South Dakota east of the Missouri River. It is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Edmunds County, South Dakota, 1973.
REMARKS: This series was previously submitted as Fairview with its type location in Faulk County, South Dakota.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 26 inches (A, E, Btn, Btnkz1 horizon); argillic (natric) horizon the zone form about 9 to 35 inches (Btn, Btnkz1, Btnkz2 horizons).