LOCATION TURTON SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Natrudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Turton loam - on a nearly level 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 parting to weak very fine granular; slightly hard, friable; many fine and very fine roots; medium acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--7 to 15 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak very fine granular; slightly hard, friable; many fine and very fine roots; many fine pores; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined A horizons 7 to 16 inches thick)
E--15 to 19 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; common fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redox concentrations; weak thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable; common very fine roots; many fine pores; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Btn1--19 to 23 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong coarse and medium columnar structure parting to moderate coarse and medium angular blocky; very hard, friable; common very fine roots along faces of peds; few fine pores; thin continuous gray (10YR 6/1) coatings on the tops of columns; coatings of clean sand grains on faces of peds; strongly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Btn2--23 to 27 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate coarse and medium prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse and medium angular blocky; very hard, friable; few very fine roots along faces of peds; coatings of clean sand grains on faces of peds; strongly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined Btn horizons 7 to 18 inches thick)
Btnkz--27 to 41 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; moderate coarse and medium prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse and medium angular blocky; very hard, friable; common medium and fine accumulations of carbonate; common fine nests of salts; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Bkz--41 to 47 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak coarse and medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium angular blocky; hard, friable; many coarse, medium and fine accumulations of carbonate; common fine nests of salts; violent effervescence; very strongly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
C--47 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) very fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; many fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redox concentrations and common medium and fine faint gray (10YR 6/1) redox depletions; massive; slightly hard, friable; common fine nests of salts; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Brown County, South Dakota; about 3 1/2 miles south of Houghton; 2,220 feet north and 525 feet east of the southwest corner, sec. 20, T. 126 N., R. 61 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 40 inches. The depth to carbonates ranges from 18 to 35 inches. Depth to accumulations of salt ranges from 16 to 30 inches. The natric horizon has an estimated SAR of 15 to 35. The soil contains a high amount of very fine sand.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1. It is loam, fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam. It ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7 and 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is very fine sandy loam, loam or fine sandy loam. It ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
The Btn horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and 2 to 4 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is loam, clay loam, silty clay loam or silt loam. The Btn horizon contains 18 to 30 percent clay and less than 15 percent sand that is fine sand or coarser. It ranges from slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline.
The Btnkz horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 7 and 2 to 6 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is loam, clay loam, silty clay loam or silt loam. It ranges from slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline. It has few to many accumulations of carbonate and few to many nests of salts.
The Bkz horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is loam, clay loam, silt loam or fine sandy loam. It ranges from moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline. It has few to many accumulations of carbonate and few to many nests of salts.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is very fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam or fine sandy loam. It is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Turton soils are on level to nearly level glacial lake plains. Slope gradients are 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in loamy, calcareous glaciolacustrine sediments. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 38 to 45 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 16 to 24 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Bearden, Eckman, Embden, Gardena, Stirum, Swenoda and Towner soils. Bearden soils have a calcic horizon and are at edges of swales and depressions. Eckman, Embden, Gardena, Swenoda and Towner soils do not have a natric horizon and are on slightly higher parts of the landscape. In addition, Eckman and Gardena soils have a coarse-silty control section; Embden and Swenoda soils have a coarse-loamy control section; and Towner soils are sandy over silty lacustrine sediments. The poorly drained Stirum soils are in slight depressions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained and somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is negligible to low depending on slope. Permeability is slow in the subsoil and moderate to slow in the underlying material.
USE AND VEGETATION: Almost all areas of the Turton soils are cultivated. Alfalfa and small grains are the principal crops. Some areas are used for pasture or hayland. Native vegetation is western wheatgrass, green needlegrass, blue grama, sedges, and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern South Dakota. The series is of small extent.
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); albic horizon - the zone from 15 to 19 inches ( E horizon); natric horizon - the zone from 19 to 41 inches (Btn1, Btn2 and Btnkz horizons).
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Brown County, South Dakota, 1987.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory samples S83SD13-57, S83SD13-59.