LOCATION SAHKAHTAY MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Mollic Endoaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Sahkahtay sandy loam, on a slightly concave slope of less than 1 percent. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; black (10YR 2/1) sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common very fine roots; 5 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Eg--4 to 14 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sand, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) Fe concentrations; single grain; loose; few very fine roots; 5 percent gravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)
Btg1--14 to 18 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy loam; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and common fine distinct olive yellow (2.5Y 6/8) Fe concentrations; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few distinct dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay films on faces of peds and pores; few fine roots; 5 percent gravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Btg2--18 to 23 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) gravelly sandy clay loam; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and common medium distinct light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) Fe concentrations; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common distinct very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) clay films on faces of peds and pores; few very fine roots; 15 percent gravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Cg--23 to 60 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) gravelly coarse sand; common medium distinct olive yellow (2.5Y 6/8) Fe concentrations; single grain; loose; 25 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Clearwater County, Minnesota; about 1 mile east of Shevlin; located about 100 feet north and 2,300 feet east of the southwest corner of section 22, T. 147 N., R. 36 W.; USGS Solway topographic quadrangle; lat. 47 degrees 31 minutes 44 seconds N. and long. 95 degrees 14 minutes 18 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to carbonates is 14 to 30 inches.
Some pedons have an O horizon at the surface that is as much as 3 inches thick.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is sandy loam or loamy sand. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.
The Eg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma 1 or 2. Texture is sand or loamy sand. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.
The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y; value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is sandy loam, sandy clay loam, loam, clay loam or their gravelly analogs. Clay content averages 18 to 30 percent. Rock fragment content ranges from 2 to 20 percent. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
The Cg has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is loamy sand, sand, loamy coarse sand, coarse sand or their gravelly analogs. Rock fragment content averages 10 to 35 percent; subhorizons containing less than 10 percent or more than 35 percent rock fragments may be present. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sahkahtay soils are on slightly concave to plane positions on glacial lake plains, outwash plains and moraines. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. They formed in glacial outwash, lake plains and glacial beach deposits. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 37 to 42 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 21 to 25 inches. Frost-free period ranges from 95 to 130 days. Elevation ranges from 1,050 to 1,400 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Deerwood, Hangaard, Karlstad, Sugarbush and Syrene soils. Very poorly drained Deerwood soils are in depressional areas. Poorly drained Hangaard and Syrene soils do not have argillic horizons. Moderately well drained Karlstad and well drained Sugarbush soils are on higher lying positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is moderate in the upper part and rapid or very rapid in the underlying material. Depth to an apparent seasonal high water table is as high as 0.5 to 1.5 feet at some time from April through June in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Much of this soil is in woodland. Predominant trees are aspen, black ash, balsam fir and paper birch. Some areas have been cleared and are used for pasture or are cropped to small grains.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern and Western Minnesota. Not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clearwater County, Minnesota, 1992.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 14 inches (A and Eg horizons); albic horizon - the zone from 4 to 14 inches (Eg horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from 14 to 23 inches (Btg horizons); aquic moisture regime