LOCATION TOWNER ND+MN SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy over loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Hapludolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Towner loamy fine sand on a concave south-facing slope of 2 percent under grassland. When described the soil was moist to 20 inches and dry below 20 inches. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
A1--0 to 6 inches; black (10YR 2/1) loamy fine sand, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine roots; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
A2--6 to 20 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loamy fine sand, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined A horizons 8 to 35 inches thick)
Bw--20 to 29 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loamy fine sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 26 inches thick)
2Bk--29 to 36 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 25 inches thick)
2C--36 to 60 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Pierce County, North Dakota; about 1 mile west and 1 mile north of Orrin; 552 feet west and 530 feet south of the northeast corner, sec. 5, T. 153 N., R. 74 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the loamy material commonly is 24 to 36 inches but ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The mollic epipedon ranges from 16 to 30 inches thick.
The A horizon has 10YR hue, value of 2 or 3 and 3 or 4 dry, and chroma of 1. It is loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam or fine sandy loam. The lower A horizon below depths of about 19 inches has 10YR or 2.5Y hue, value of 2 to 4 and 3 to 6 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loamy sand, loamy fine sand or fine sand. The A horizon is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bw horizon has 10YR or 2.5Y hue, value of 3 to 5 and 4 to 6 dry, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is loamy sand, loamy fine sand or fine sand. It is neutral or slightly alkaline. Some pedons have a 2Bw horizon. A stony or gravelly layer is at the contact between the sandy mantle and the 2Bk horizon in some pedons.
The 2Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and 6 to 8 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam, clay loam, silty clay loam or silt loam. Some pedons have a BCk horizon.
The 2C horizon has 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y hue, value of 4 to 6, and 6 to 8 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4. It typically is loam or clay loam glacial till containing up to 19 percent coarse fragments, but some is silt loam or silty clay loam lacustrine sediments. In addition, some pedons contain pockets or layers of sandy or clayey materials in some pedons. The 2C horizon is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Some pedons have a C horizon above the 2C horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Dickey series. Dickey soils have a mollic epipedon less than 16 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Towner soils are on level to rolling sand-mantled till or glaciolacustrine plains. Slopes are smooth or concave and range from 0 to 15 percent. The soils formed in wind and water deposited sands over glacial till or lacustrine sediments. The climate is cool, subhumid, with a mean annual air temperature ranging from 36 to 48 degrees F, and a mean annual precipitation ranging from 15 to 24 inches. Most of the precipitation falls in the spring and summer.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Dickey soils and the Egeland, Embden, Grimstad, Hecla, Maddock, Serden, Swenoda and Ulen soils. Dickey and Maddock soils commonly are on nearby more sloping, higher lying areas. Maddock soils are sandy. Egeland and Serden are on nearby glaciolacustrine and outwash plains. Egeland soils are coarse-loamy and Serden soils are sandy and do not have a mollic epipedon. Embden, Grimstad, Hecla, Swenoda, and Ulen soils are on nearby deltas and lake plains. Embden soils are coarse-loamy and pachic. Grimstad and Ulen soils have a calcic horizon within depths of 16 inches. Hecla soils have mottles with chromas of 2 or less within 40 inches of the surface. Swenoda soils are coarse-loamy and pachic.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well and moderately well drained. Runoff is negligible to low depending on slope and surface texture. Rapid or moderately rapid permeability in the upper part and moderate or moderately slow in the 2Bk and 2C horizons. A perched seasonal high water table is above the 2Bk or 2C horizon at a depth of 3 to 5 feet at some time during the period of April through June in the moderately well drained phase. It is at a depth of 4 to more than 6 feet for the same period in the well drained phase.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for growing small grains, corn, hay and pasture. Native vegetation is prairie sandreed, needleandthread, Kentucky bluegrass, and other grasses and grass-likes.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern and central North Dakota, northwestern Minnesota and northeastern South Dakota. The series is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Richland County, North Dakota, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 29 inches (A1, A2 and Bw horizons); calcic horizon - the zone from 29 to 36 inches (2Bk horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory samples S50ND-5-5, S50ND-25-5, S51ND-5-19 and ND-54-P-8.