LOCATION THIEFRIVER MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy over clayey, mixed over smectitic, frigid Typic Calciaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Thiefriver fine sandy loam on a slightly concave area of a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; black (10YR 2/1) fine sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; 2 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--8 to 12 inches; black (10YR 2/1) fine sandy loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak medium platy structure; very friable; 1 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined A horizons 7 to 16 inches thick)
Bkg1--12 to 14 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) loamy fine sand; few fine faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) redoximorphic depletions; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; 4 percent gravel; few fine irregularly shaped light gray (10YR 7/2) masses of carbonate; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
Bkg2--14 to 19 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loamy fine sand; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; 1 percent gravel; few fine irregularly shaped light gray (10YR 7/2) masses of carbonate; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
Bkg3--19 to 23 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loamy fine sand; few fine prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) redoximorphic concentrations; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; 1 percent gravel; few fine irregularly shaped light gray (10YR 7/2) threads of carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined Bk horizons 6 to 18 inches thick)
Cg1--23 to 32 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand; common fine distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) redoximorphic concentrations; single grain; loose; 1 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
2Cg2--32 to 54 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) clay; common fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) redoximorphic concentrations; moderate very fine and fine angular blocky soil fragments; firm; 4 percent gravel; few fine irregularly shaped white (10YR 8/1) threads of carbonate; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
2Cg3--54 to 68 inches; dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) clay; common medium prominent light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) redoximorphic concentrations; massive; firm; 3 percent gravel; few fine irregularly shaped white (10YR 8/1) threads of carbonate; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
2Cg4--68 to 80 inches; dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) clay; common fine prominent light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) redoximorphic concentrations; massive; firm; 4 percent gravel; many fine irregularly shaped white (10YR 8/1) threads of carbonate; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Polk County, Minnesota, about 4.5 miles east and 1.5 miles north of Harold; 1,500 feet west and 1,700 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 15, T. 149 N., R. 45 W.; USGS Harold, MN topographic quadrangle; latitude 47 degrees 43 minutes 34 seconds N.; longitude 96 degrees 24 minutes 2 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 16 inches. Depth to the 2C horizon ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The upper mantle averages 0 to 15 percent rock fragments and the 2C horizon contains 0 to 5 percent rock fragments. A gravelly layer up to 10 inches thick is at the boundary between the Cg and 2Cg horizons in some pedons. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline throughout. Saline phases are recognized.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or is neutral, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 2 or less. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam. It is friable or very friable. Some pedons have an Ak horizon.
The Bkg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loamy fine sand, loamy sand, sandy loam or fine sandy loam. It is friable or very friable.
The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is sand, fine sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand.
The 2Cg horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 3 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay or clay. Some pedons have thin layers of silt loam or very fine sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Wyandotte series. Wyandotte soils contain more than 35 percent rock fragments within the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Thiefriver soils are level and nearly level and formed in 20 to 40 inches of coarse loamy and sandy or sandy lacustrine sediments over clayey till or lacustrine sediments on lake plains. These materials are of late Wisconsin age. Slopes are plane or concave with a gradient of 0 to 2 percent. Typically, these soils are on broad flats, but some are on long, narrow, and irregularly shaped areas that are 1 to 4 feet lower than adjacent better drained soils. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 36 to 45 degrees F, mean annual precipitation ranges from 19 to 24 inches. Frost-free period ranges from 90 to 140 days. Elevation above sea level ranges from 650 to 1200 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Wyandotte soils and the Clearwater, Espelie, Hilaire, Huot and Rosewood soils. Clearwater, Espelie, Rosewood and Wyandotte soils are on similar positions as Thiefriver soils. Clearwater soils are clayey throughout. Espelie soils lack a calcic horizon within 16 inches of the surface. Rosewood soils are sandy throughout. Hilaire and Huot soils are on higher lying positions and are better drained.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained or very poorly drained. Runoff is negligible or very low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately rapid or rapid in the upper part and slow in the clayey underlying horizons. Depth to an apparent seasonal high water table is at 0.5 to 1.5 feet at some time during the period of March through June in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Commonly cropped to small grains, sunflowers, corn, and hay. Native vegetation was tall grass prairie with scattered areas of aspen.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Minnesota. This series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pennington County, Minnesota, 1981.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 12 inches (Ap and A horizons); calcic horizon - the zone from 12 to 23 inches (Bkg horizons); aquic criteria - aquic conditions within 20 inches of the surface and calcic horizon within 16 inches of the surface; contrasting family - textural change at 32 inches.
These soils have been carried as an unnamed series in some places and have been included with Rockwell soils in others.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to MAES Central File Code Number 3186 for results of previous typifying pedon. Soil Interpretation Record number is: MN0412.