LOCATION STICKNEY SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Glossic Natrustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Stickney loam - on a plane slope of less than 1 percent in a cultivated field. When described the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
E--7 to 10 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
B/E--10 to 13 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam (Bt), black (10YR 2/1) moist, with gray (10YR 5/1) clean sand grains occupying about 15% of the volume (E), dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Btn1--13 to 17 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and fine blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Btn2--17 to 21 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) clay loam, black (2.5Y 2/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and fine blocky; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Btn3--21 to 24 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; dark gray (10YR 4/1) coatings on peds; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few distinct clay films on vertical faces of peds; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (Combined Btn horizons is 6 to 20 inches thick.)
Btnz--24 to 29 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; many fine nests of gypsum and other salts; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bz--29 to 34 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine concretions (iron and manganese oxides); many fine nests and striations of gypsum and other salts; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bkz--34 to 47 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) and light gray (2.5Y 7/1) clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) and light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) moist; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) redox concentrations; weak coarse blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine concretions (iron and manganese oxides); common fine nests of gypsum and other salts; many fine accumulations of carbonate; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 25 inches thick)
C--47 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) and light gray (2.5Y 7/1) clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) and light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine nests of gypsum and other salts; common fine accumulations of carbonate; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Davison County, South Dakota; about 3 miles east and 1 mile south of Metzgerville; 180 feet north and 370 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 245, T. 101 N., R. 62 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to carbonate typically is 30 to 35 inches and ranges from 20 to 49 inches. The mollic epipedon ranges from 20 to 40 inches thick and extends into the Btn horizon. Gypsum crystals are above or mixed with horizons of carbonate accumulation and are at depths below 20 to 30 inches. The natric horizon contains an estimated SAR or ESP of 10 to 20. Thickness of the interfingering or tonguing of E horizon into Bt horizon is 2 to 4 inches thick.
The A horizon has value of 3 to 5, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silt loam, loam, or silty clay loam, and ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline.
The E horizon has value of 5 or 6, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is silt loam, loam, or silty clay loam, and is slightly acid or neutral. B/E or E/B horizons have colors of the E and B horizons.
The Btn horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5, 2 to 4 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay or clay averaging between 35 to 45 percent clay. It ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
The Btnz, Bz, and Bkz horizons have value of 5 to 7, 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is clay loam or silty clay loam and is slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline. Few to many accumulations of gypsum, other salts and carbonate are in most pedons. Few to common redox features are in some pedons, below a depth of 30 inches. Some pedons have Bk horizons without gypsum or other salts.
The C horizon typically is multicolored and has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 to 7, 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is clay loam or loam. It has common or many accumulations of carbonate. The C horizon is slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline. Few to common redox features are in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Demky and Walke series. Demky and Walke soils have a mollic epipedon less than 20 inches thick and typically have carbonate at shallower depths.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Stickney soils are on the broad nearly level areas on glacial till plains. Surfaces are plane to slightly concave. Slope gradients typically are 0 to 3 percent, but range from 0 to 6 percent. The soils formed in calcareous clay loam or loam glacial till. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 45 to 50 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 17 to 24 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beadle, Clarno, Dudley, Houdek, Jerauld, Prosper, and Tetonka soils. Beadle, Clarno, and Houdek soils do not have a natric horizon and are on higher parts of the landscape. Dudley and Jerauld soils do not have tonguing and interfingering of the albic horizon into the argillic horizon and are in similar landscapes. Prosper soils do not have a natric horizon and are in swales. Tetonka soils are wetter and are in depressions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Runoff is low to high depending on slope. Permeability is slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Stickney soils are cultivated. Small grain, alfalfa, and tame grasses are the major crops. Native grass species are green needlegrass, western wheatgrass, sideoats grama, little bluestem, blue grama, sedges, and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central South Dakota, east of the Missouri River. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hutchinson County, South Dakota, 1974.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 21 inches (Ap, E, B/E, Btn1, & Btn2 horizons); natric horizon - the zone from a depth of about 10 to 29 inches (B/E, Btn1, Btn2, Btn3, & Btnz horizons).