LOCATION STIRUM ND+SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Natraquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Stirum fine sandy loam - cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; black (10YR 2/1) fine sandy loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined A horizons 3 to 13 inches thick)
Btn--7 to 15 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; strong coarse columnar structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay films on faces of peds; slight effervescence; strongly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 15 inches thick)
Bk--15 to 26 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) redoximorphic concentrations; strong very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, plastic; strong effervescence; very strongly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
Bg--26 to 34 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) very fine sandy loam, light gray (5Y 7/2) dry; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and many medium very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) redoximorphic concentrations; weak subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly sticky; slight effervescence; strongly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
Bkg--34 to 44 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) silt loam, light gray (5Y 7/2) dry; many medium prominent dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) and many coarse very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) redoximorphic concentrations; weak fine angular blocky structure; slightly plastic; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
2Cg--44 to 60 inches; gray (5Y 5/1) loamy fine sand, light gray (5Y 7/1) dry; many medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and few very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) redoximorphic concentrations; single grained; strongly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Cass County, North Dakota; about 5 miles east and 1/2 mile south of Alice; 2,290 feet south and 240 feet east of the northwest corner, sec. 24, T. 138 N., R. 54 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Carbonates occur within a depth of 10 inches, but are throughout most pedons. The thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 24 inches. A ponded phase is recognized.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y or is neutral, value of 2 or 3 and 3 to 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or less. It ranges from loam to loamy sand. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Some pedons have an E horizon.
The Btn horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y or is neutral, value of 3 to 6 and 4 to 8 dry, and chroma of 2 or less. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam or loam containing 10 to 18 percent noncarbonate clay. It is moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline. The horizon in some pedons is gleyed or contains accumulations of carbonates, salts or gypsum. Some pedons have a Bw horizon. It has textures the same as the Btn horizon, but has thin layers of sandy clay loam in some profiles.
The Bk horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y or is neutral, value of 4 to 7 and 5 to 8 dry, and chroma of 4 or less. It has textures ranging from sandy clay loam to loamy fine sand. It is moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline. The horizon is gleyed or contains accumulations of salts or gypsum in some pedons. Some pedons have a BCk horizon.
The Cg or 2Cg horizons have hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y or are neutral, value of 3 to 7 and 5 to 8 dry, and chroma of 6 or less. They have textures ranging from silt loam to fine sand. Textures of sand are allowed below depths of 30 inches. Some pedons contain strata of finer textures. They are moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Stirum soils are on level and nearly level, slightly depressed parts of outwash plains, deltas, lake plains, floodplains and adjacent to current lakes. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. The soils formed in glaciofluvial deposits, glaciolacustrine deposits or alluvium. The climate is subhumid. Mean annual air temperature is 36 to 45 degrees F. and mean annual precipitation is 15 to 23 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arveson, Embden, Fossum, Glyndon, Hecla, Maddock and Ulen soils. None of these soils have natric horizons. Arveson and Fossum soils occur on positions similar to Stirum soils. The other soils are on nearby, higher lying areas.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly and very poorly drained. Runoff is negligible or low depending on slope. Moderately slow permeability in the Btn horizon and moderate to rapid below the Btn horizon. An apparent seasonal high water table is at a depth of 0.5 foot above the surface to 1.5 foot below the surface at some time during the period of March through July in the poorly drained phase. It is at a depth of 2 feet above the surface to 1 foot below the surface at some time during the period of November through July in the very poorly drained or ponded phases.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for hay and pasture. Small grains are grown in a few areas. Native vegetation is tall wetland grasses and sedges such as prairie cordgrass and slough grass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern and central North Dakota and northeastern South Dakota. The soil is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sargent County, North Dakota, 1961.
REMARKS: Revised 3/95.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 7 inches (Ap horizon); natric horizon - the zone from 7 to 15 inches (Btn horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: See S57ND-9-6 for laboratory data of typifying pedon.