LOCATION DETROIT KS+NEEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Pachic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Detroit silty clay loam-cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
AB--7 to 14 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 9 to 18 inches.)
Bt1--14 to 23 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common faint clay films on faces of peds; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--23 to 32 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common faint clay films on faces of peds; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Bt3--32 to 38 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few fine faint clay films; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt is 13 to 30 inches.)
BC--38 to 46 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) irregularly shaped masses of iron accumulation; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; sticky and plastic; common fine accumulations of very dark brown oxides; few fine accumulations of carbonates below 40 inches; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
C1--46 to 53 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) irregularly shaped masses of iron accumulation; massive; slightly hard, very friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine accumulations of very dark brown oxides; few fine accumulations of carbonates; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
C2--53 to 80 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) irregularly shaped masses of iron accumulation; massive; slightly hard, friable; sticky and plastic; a few strata of grayish brown (10YR 5/2) material; common fine carbonate concretions; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Saline County, Kansas; about 2 miles north and 2 miles east of Salina Post Office (downtown); 100 feet east and 160 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 5, T. 14 S., R. 2 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is moist in some part from April through October; ustic moisture regime
Depth to secondary carbonates: 22 to 80 inches; with few to common, fine carbonates concretions and nodules from 50 to 80 inches
Thickness of mollic epipedon: 20 to 50 inches; may include the entire Bt horizon
Thickness of solum: 24 to more than 60 inches.
A and AB horizons: (or BA horizon)
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or less
Texture: silty clay loam or silt loam
Reaction: neutral or slightly acid
Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silty clay or silty clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent clay
Reaction neutral or slightly alkaline; in some pedons, free carbonates are in the lower part of the horizon
BC and C horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Crete, Ladysmith, Lane, Onita, Pinespring, Rago, Smolan, and Sponiker series. Crete and Ladysmith soils contain more clay in the series control section. Lane, Onita, Rago, and Sponiker soils are drier in the soil moisture control section during May and June. Smolan soils have redder than 10YR hue in the series control section. Pinespring soil average more than 40 percent sand in the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Detroit soils are on nearly level stream terraces. Dominant slope is less than 1 percent but ranges up to 2 percent. These soils formed in silty, calcareous alluvium. In few places, these soils formed in loess on broad upland flats and swales. Average annual precipitation is about 20 to 30 inches, Thornthwaites Annual P-E Index is about 34 to 54, and the mean temperature ranges from 55 to 57 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Hord, Muir, New Cambria, Sutphen, Hobbs, Humbarger, Roxbury, Solomon, and Tobin soils. All are on flood plains. Hobbs, Roxbury, and Tobin soils are fine-silty. Humbarger soils are fine-loamy. Solomon soils are calcareous at depths of less than 15 inches. Where Detroit soils occur on the uplands, Butler, Holdrege, and Scott soils are associated. Butler and Scott soils are in basins or depressions below Detroit soils. Both have an abrupt textural change between the A and B horizons and are less well drained. Holdrege soils are on slopes above Detroit soils. Holdrege soils are fine-silty and have a thinner mollic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Runoff is medium to high. Permeability is slow. Flooding is rare on terraces, none on uplands.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the soils are cultivated. Principal crops are wheat, alfalfa, and sorghums. Native vegetation was tall grasses with some deciduous trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Kansas and southern Nebraska. The series is extensive, slightly more than 100,000 acres.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Saline County, Kansas, 1952.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon--the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 38 inches; argillic horizon--the zone from a depth of about 14 to 38 inches;
OSD Modification RRZ 6/2002: changed the depth of CaCo3 to 80 inches.
10/3/02 PRF
Modified position to reflect stream terace as the dominant position. Allowed it to occur on upland. Corrected runoff to match SSM Table 3-10.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Physical and chemical data for this pedon are available from the National Soil Survey Laboratory (sample numbers 79P1679-79P1686). http://ssldata.sc.egov.usda.gov/rptExecute.asp?p=7416&r=1&submit1=Get+Report