LOCATION TIFFANY ND+SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Tiffany fine sandy loam - cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. Where described, the soil was moist to 48 inches and saturated below 48 inches.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; black (10YR 2/1) fine sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many fine pores; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--10 to 15 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) fine sandy loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; many fine distinct brown (10YR 4/3) redoximorphic concentrations; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common medium pores; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined A horizons 10 to 24 inches thick)
AC--15 to 23 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; many medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) redoximorphic concentrations; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common fine pores; few fine black iron-manganese concretions; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
C1--23 to 36 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) fine sandy loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) dry; many medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations and few fine distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) redoximorphic depletions; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common fine pores; few fine black iron-manganese concretions; slight effervescence in lower part; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
C2--36 to 60 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) and light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) stratified fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, and loamy very fine sand, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) and light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; many fine and medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and very dark brown (10YR 2/2) redoximorphic concentrations, and olive gray (5Y 5/2) redoximorphic depletions; massive; slightly hard, very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine iron-manganese concretions; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Grand Forks County, North Dakota; about 2 miles west and 2 miles south of Arvilla; 550 feet south and 330 feet east of the northwest corner, sec. 23, T. 151 N., R. 54 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 10 to 24 inches. The 10- to 40-inch particle-size control section averages fine sandy loam to silt loam with less than 18% clay. Depth to carbonates commonly ranges from 20 to 50 inches, but is more than 60 inches in some pedons.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or is neutral, value of 2 or 3 and 3 to 5 dry, and chroma of 1 or less. Hue of 2.5Y and chroma of 2 is allowed in the lower part. The A horizon is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, very fine sandy loam or silt loam. It is slightly acid to slightly alkaline. It typically has redoximorphic features in the lower part.
The AC horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 3. It has redoximorphic features that increase in number and distinctness with depth. It is neutral or slightly alkaline. Some pedons have a Bw or Bk horizon.
The C horizon has a wide variety of colors due to redoximorphic features and is often stratified. It is neutral or slightly alkaline. Loamy, silty and clayey substratum phases are recognized (see REMARKS). Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in these phases.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Delamere, Forada and Runeberg series. Delamere soils are somewhat poorly drained and do not have a wet soil moisture status within a depth of 1.5 feet during the period of March through July. Forado soils have sand and gravel 2C horizons at a depth of less than 40 inches. Runeburg soils have formed in glacial till and contain rock fragments.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tiffany soils are in depressions and basins on glaciolacustrine deltas and outwash plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 1 percent. The soils formed in glacial outwash composed mostly of fine and very fine sands. The climate is cool subhumid. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 36 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation from 15 to 23 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Delamere and the Embden, Gardena, Glyndon, Hecla and Wyndmere soils. Delamere soils are in shallow depressions and swales. Embden, Gardena, and Hecla soils are on higher topographic positions and do not have redoximorphic features in the A horizons. Glyndon and Wyndmere soils are on nearby swales and low flats and have calcic horizons within depths of 16 inches.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained. Very slow runoff. Moderately high or high saturated hydraulic conductivity. A seasonal high water table is at the surface to 1.5 feet below the surface at some time during the period of March through July.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly used for growing hay and pasture. Some drained areas are used for growing small grains. Natural vegetation is typically tall grasses as big bluestem, prairie cordgrass and sedges. Sedges and rushes dominant on the wetter sites.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and eastern North Dakota, and possibly northwestern Minnesota and northeastern South Dakota. The soil is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cass County, North Dakota, 1961.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 15 inches (Ap and A horizons); characteristic associated with wetness - chroma of 1 and distinct redoximorphic concentrations in the lower part of the mollic epipedon (A horizon).
Series will be established, as time permits and as needed, for the loamy, silty and clayey substratum phases. Loamy and silty substratum phases will be Typic Endoaquolls and the clayey phase Typic Epiaquolls.