LOCATION ZEELAND NDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Pachic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Zeeland loam on a west facing slope of 5 percent in a cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; about 1 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined A horizons 8 to 14 inches thick)
Bw--8 to 15 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist organic coatings; about 2 percent gravel; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Bt--15 to 24 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; discontinuous distinct clay films on faces of peds; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist organic coatings; about 2 percent gravel; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (9 to 20 inches thick)
Bk--24 to 35 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist mottles; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; about 3 percent gravel; many medium and coarse irregularly shaped masses of carbonates; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 11 thick)
BCk--35 to 44 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist mottles; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, firm, sticky and slightly plastic; about 5 percent gravel; many medium and coarse irregularly shaped masses of carbonates; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
C--44 to 60 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; common fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist and gray (10YR 6/1) moist mottles; massive; slightly hard, firm,
sticky and slightly plastic; about 10 percent gravel; common fine irregularly shaped masses of carbonates; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: McIntosh County, North Dakota: about 3 miles west of Venturia; 2550 feet north and 300 feet west of the southeast corner, sec. 7, T. 129 N., R. 71 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 16 to 34 inches. Depth to carbonates ranges from 22 to 40 inches. The soil has from 1 to 10 percent coarse fragments throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is loam, silt loam or clay loam. It is neutral.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 and 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is loam. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and 2 to 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is clay loam or clay averaging from 35 to 50 percent clay. It is neutral or slightly alkaline. It is mottled in some pedons.
The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is clay loam with 30 to 45 percent clay. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. It is mottled in most pedons. Pedons have either a Bk horizon or Btk horizon or both. The Btk horizon, where present, is clay loam or clay averaging from 35 to 50 percent clay. It is up to 10 inches thick. It has other properties similar to that of the Bk horizon.
The BCk and C horizons have hue of 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. They are clay loam with 30 to 45 percent clay. They are slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Some pedons do not have C horizons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Fughes, Grail, Hillery, Kubler, Pagoda and Zoltay series. Fughes and Hillery soils do not have horizons of carbonate accumulation within about 60 inches. In addition, Hillery soils have greater than 50 percent clay in the control section. Grail soils do not have coarse fragments. Kubler soils have color hues of 7.5YR and redder. The Pagoda soils have a soil moisture control section that is usually dry from May 15 to June 15. Zoltay soils have more than 15 percent coarse fragments.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zeeland soils are on level to undulating slightly concave areas on glacial till plains. Slope gradients commonly are less than 3 percent but range from 0 to 6 percent. The soils formed in calcareous glacial till that is high in shale. Mean annual temperature is 34 to 42 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Bearpaw, Bowbells, Hamerly, Noonan, Parnell and Williams soils. Bearpaw soils are on convex positions of the till plain. They have a mollic epipedon less than 16 inches thick. Bowbells, Noonan and Williams soils are on nearby till plains. They are fine-loamy. In addition, Noonan soils have a natric horizon. Hamerly soils are adjacent to shallow depressions and have calcic horizons within 16 inches. Parnell soils are in depressions and are very poorly drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Surface runoff is very slow to medium. Moderately slow permeability in the upper part and slow permeability in the substratum. Nearly level areas are subject to some overflow from surrounding slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are cropped to small grains. Some is used for hay and pasture. Native vegetation was green needlegrass, Western wheatgrass, porcupinegrass, bearded wheatgrass and big bluestem.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central North Dakota, and possibly northern South Dakota and northern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: McIntosh County, North Dakota, 1992.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 24 inches (Ap, Bw and Bt horizons); argillic horizon - The zone from 15 to 24 inches (Bt horizon).