Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Major Land Resource Area 055D
Major Land Resource Area
Accessed: 04/22/2026
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2
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Next, learn more about the selected ecological site and its characteristic dynamics by browsing the ecological site description and exploring alternative state and transition model formats.
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Ecological sites
Major Land Resource Areas
Ecological site photos
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interactive key
precipitation
frost free days
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Filters
Interactive key
Precipitation
Frost free days
Elevation
Slope
Landform
Parent material origin
Parent material kind
Soil texture
Run-off Landscape Positions (upland, normally convex, short slopes)
Normal Landscape Positions (upland, slopes normally linear except sandy/sands/choppy sands sites with complex slopes)
Run-in Landscape Positions (floodplains, drainageways, other open drainage systems-- NOT depressions)
Other Landscape Positions (basins, depressions, run-off and/or run-in positions)
Dig a hole to a depth of 20 inches. Is there a root restricting layer within 10 inches of the soil surface?
Yes
R055DY016SD – Very Shallow
R055DY016SD – Very Shallow
No: Is there a root restricting layer between 10 and 20 inches of the soil surface?
Yes: Is the root restricting layer gravel (>15% gravel by volume)?
No: Does the soil effervesce with acid (10% HCL) within 6 inches of the surface?
Yes
R055DY014SD – Shallow Gravel
R055DY014SD – Shallow Gravel
No: The root restricting layer is bedrock (siltstone, shale, mudstone, sandstone, etc)
R055DY043SD – Shallow Loamy
R055DY043SD – Shallow Loamy
Yes
R055DY012SD – Thin Upland
R055DY012SD – Thin Upland
No: See "III. Normal Landscape Positions"
Dig a hole to a depth of 20 inches. Is there a claypan (columnar structure) within 16 inches of the surface?
Yes: See "IV. Other Landscape Positions"
No: What is the surface and subsoil texture?
Clay, Silty Clay (40-55% clay) or Loamy surface with Clayey Subsoil
R055DY011SD – Clayey
R055DY011SD – Clayey
Loam, Silt Loam, Silty Clay Loam, Clay Loam, Sandy Clay Loam, Very Fine Sandy Loam
R055DY010SD – Loamy
R055DY010SD – Loamy
Sandy Loam, Fine Sandy Loam, Loamy Very Fine Sand
R055DY009SD – Sandy
R055DY009SD – Sandy
Sand, Loamy Sand, Loamy Fine Sand
R055DY008SD – Sands
R055DY008SD – Sands
Loamy Fine Sand or Fine Sand on dunes with a slope typically >15%
R055DY041SD – Choppy Sands
R055DY041SD – Choppy Sands
Observe the soil profile to a depth of 60 inches. Is there evidence of a permanent water table within 2 feet of the surface and the site is dominated by hydrophytes?
Yes: Are there visible salts (sodium, gypsum, etc.) within 16 inches of the surface?
No: Is there evidence of a permanent water table between 2 and 5 feet of the surface?
Yes
R055DY007SD – Saline Lowland
R055DY007SD – Saline Lowland
No
R055DY002SD – Linear Meadow
R055DY002SD – Linear Meadow
Yes: Does the soil effervesce with acid at or near the surface?
No: Does water flow into and over/through the site?
Yes
R055DY006SD – Limy Subirrigated
R055DY006SD – Limy Subirrigated
No: Is the soil texture Fine Sandy Loam, Sandy Loam, or Loamy Sand?
Yes
R055DY044SD – Subirrigated Sands
R055DY044SD – Subirrigated Sands
No
R055DY003SD – Subirrigated
R055DY003SD – Subirrigated
Yes: Does it have a flooding frequency?
No: See "IV. Other Landscape Positions"
Yes
R055DY040SD – Loamy Floodplain
R055DY040SD – Loamy Floodplain
No
R055DY020SD – Loamy Overflow
R055DY020SD – Loamy Overflow
Is the site in an upland position?
Yes: Does the soil have a claypan within 16 inches of the surface?
No: Is the area in a basin or closed depression with no outlet?
Yes: Is the claypan within 4 inches of the surface?
No: Re-think your position and start again
Yes
R055DY015SD – Thin Claypan
R055DY015SD – Thin Claypan
No: Is the surface soil texture fine sandy loam or silt loam?
Yes
R055DY042SD – Sandy Claypan
R055DY042SD – Sandy Claypan
No: All other textures
R055DY013SD – Claypan
R055DY013SD – Claypan
Yes: To what degree does the site pond water?
No: Re-think your position and start again
The site ponds water for 4 to 8 weeks in the spring or after heavy rain and has high organic matter content
R055DY004SD – Wet Meadow
R055DY004SD – Wet Meadow
The site ponds water until early summer and has high organic matter content
R055DY001SD – Shallow Marsh
R055DY001SD – Shallow Marsh
The site ponds water year round in most years and has high organic matter content
R055DY037SD – Deep Marsh
R055DY037SD – Deep Marsh
Long term average mean annual precipitation
- No filter
- 50 – 60cm (20 – 24in)
—
cm
Long term average frost free days
- No filter
- 110 – 130days
—
days
- No filter
- 0 – 200m (0 – 700ft)
- 200 – 400m (700 – 1300ft)
- 400 – 600m (1300 – 2000ft)
- 600 – 800m (2000 – 2600ft)
—
m
- No filter
- 0 – 3%
- 3 – 5%
- 5 – 10%
- 10 – 15%
- 15 – 20%
- 20 – 25%
- 25 – 30%
- 30 – 35%
—
%
- No filter
- Beach
- Beach ridge
- Delta plain
- Depression
- Drainageway
- Escarpment
- Flat
- Flood plain
- Ground moraine
- Lake plain
- Lakeshore
- Lava plain
- Moraine
- Outwash plain
- Pothole
- Ridge
- Sand sheet
- Seep
- Stream terrace
- Swale
- Terrace
- Till plain
- No filter
- Shale, unspecified
- No filter
- Alluvium
- Colluvium
- Eolian deposits
- Eolian sands
- Glaciofluvial deposits
- Glaciolacustrine deposits
- Glaciomarine deposits
- Residuum
- Till, unspecified
Soil surface texture
- No filter
- Clay
- Clay loam
- Coarse sandy loam
- Fine sand
- Fine sandy loam
- Loam
- Loamy coarse sand
- Loamy fine sand
- Loamy sand
- Sand
- Silt
- Silty clay
- Silty clay loam
- Silt loam
- Sandy loam
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Ecological site keys
MLRA 55D - Glacial Lake Dakota
I.
Run-off Landscape Positions (upland, normally convex, short slopes)
A.
Dig a hole to a depth of 20 inches. Is there a root restricting layer within 10 inches of the soil surface?
2
No: Is there a root restricting layer between 10 and 20 inches of the soil surface?
i.
Yes: Is the root restricting layer gravel (>15% gravel by volume)?
b.
No: The root restricting layer is bedrock (siltstone, shale, mudstone, sandstone, etc)
... R055DY043SD – Shallow Loamy
ii.
No: Does the soil effervesce with acid (10% HCL) within 6 inches of the surface?
b.
No: See "III. Normal Landscape Positions"
II.
Normal Landscape Positions (upland, slopes normally linear except sandy/sands/choppy sands sites with complex slopes)
A.
Dig a hole to a depth of 20 inches. Is there a claypan (columnar structure) within 16 inches of the surface?
1
Yes: See "IV. Other Landscape Positions"
2
No: What is the surface and subsoil texture?
ii.
Loam, Silt Loam, Silty Clay Loam, Clay Loam, Sandy Clay Loam, Very Fine Sandy Loam
... R055DY010SD – Loamy
III.
Run-in Landscape Positions (floodplains, drainageways, other open drainage systems-- NOT depressions)
A.
Observe the soil profile to a depth of 60 inches. Is there evidence of a permanent water table within 2 feet of the surface and the site is dominated by hydrophytes?
1
Yes: Are there visible salts (sodium, gypsum, etc.) within 16 inches of the surface?
2
No: Is there evidence of a permanent water table between 2 and 5 feet of the surface?
i.
Yes: Does the soil effervesce with acid at or near the surface?
b.
No: Is the soil texture Fine Sandy Loam, Sandy Loam, or Loamy Sand?
ii.
No: Does water flow into and over/through the site?
a.
Yes: Does it have a flooding frequency?
b.
No: See "IV. Other Landscape Positions"
IV.
Other Landscape Positions (basins, depressions, run-off and/or run-in positions)
A.
Is the site in an upland position?
1
Yes: Does the soil have a claypan within 16 inches of the surface?
ii.
Yes: Is the claypan within 4 inches of the surface?
b.
No: Is the surface soil texture fine sandy loam or silt loam?
iii.
No: Re-think your position and start again
2
No: Is the area in a basin or closed depression with no outlet?
i.
Yes: To what degree does the site pond water?
a.
The site ponds water for 4 to 8 weeks in the spring or after heavy rain and has high organic matter content
... R055DY004SD – Wet Meadow
b.
The site ponds water until early summer and has high organic matter content
... R055DY001SD – Shallow Marsh
c.
The site ponds water year round in most years and has high organic matter content
... R055DY037SD – Deep Marsh
ii.
No: Re-think your position and start again
The Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool is an information system framework developed by the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and New Mexico State University.
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