LOCATION CASS NE+KS SD TX

Established Series
Rev. PTC, JCR, JGA
08/2011

CASS SERIES

The Cass series consists of deep, well drained soils. They formed in alluvium on floodplains in Central Nebraska Loess Hills, MLRA 71, Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 12 degrees C (53 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is about 660 millimeters (26 inches) at the type location.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Fluventic Haplustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Cass fine sandy loam - on a 1 percent southeast-facing slope in a cultivated field. When described, the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 23 centimeters (6 to 9 inches) thick)

A--18 to 30 centimeters (7 to 12 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft; very friable; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 28 centimeters (4 to 11 inches) thick)

AC--30 to 51 centimeters (12 to 20 inches); gray (10YR 5/1) fine sandy loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; soft; very friable; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 38 centimeters (0 to 15 inches) thick)

C1--51 to 119 centimeters (20 to 47 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable; neutral; diffuse wavy boundary. (25 to 76 centimeters (10 to 30 inches) thick)

C2--119 to 152 centimeters (47 to 60 inches); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loamy fine sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grain; loose; neutral.

TYPE LOCATION: Hall County, Nebraska; about 11.3 kilometers (7 miles) north of Doniphan, Nebraska; 396 meters (1,300 feet) east and 213 meters (700 feet) south of the northwest corner, sec. 17, T. 10 N., R. 9 W. USGS Doniphan, Nebraska quadrangle latitude 40 degrees 50 minutes 32.86 second north and longitude 98 degrees 22 minutes 14.65 seconds west, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: ustic bordering on udic
Soil temperature regime: mesic
Mean annual soil temperature: 10 to 14 degrees C (50 to 57 degrees F)
Particle-size control section (weighted average): clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Particle-size control section (weighted average): sand content: 50 to 75 percent
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: >152 centimeters (60 inches), some profiles contain strata of free carbonates below a depth of 64 centimeters (25 inches).
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 25 to 49 centimeters (10 to 19 inches)

Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: fine sandy loam or loam, and less commonly silt loam
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Sand content: 40 to 75 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

AC horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Sand content: 40 to 75 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy fine sand, or sand
Clay content: 1 to 15 percent
Sand content: 55 to 95 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline
Note: Strata of coarser material are common, and some profiles are fine sand and coarse sand in the lower part. Strata of silty clay loam or mixed sand and gravel are common below a depth of 100 centimeters (40 inches). Loamy and clayey substratum phases are recognized.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Darr series.
Darr soils have mixed sand and gravel between a depth of 50 to 100 centimeters (20 to 40 inches).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium
Landform: floodplains
Slopes: 0 to 3 percent
Elevation: 304 to 914 meters (1000 to 3000 feet)
Mean annual temperature: 9 to 13 degrees C (48 to 55 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 510 to 850 millimeters (20 to 34 inches)
Frost-free period: 140 to 200 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alda, Huscher, Inavale, Leshara and Wann soils.
Alda soils are on similar landform positions, and can have a seasonal water table at as shallow as 46 centimeters (18 inches).
Huscher soils are on similar landform positions, and have less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser sands in the particle size control section.
Inavale soils are on similar landform positions and have a sandy particle size control section.
Leshara soils are generally on slightly lower landforms and are wetter and greater than 18 percent clay in the particle size control section.
Wann soils are on similar landform positions, have a water table within 100 centimeters (40 inches) most years.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: Well drained
Surface runoff: very low runoff
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: high
Flooding: frequent to rarely
Water table: 183 centimeters (6 feet) or more

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated, and much of it is irrigated.
The main crops are corn, alfalfa, and sorghum.
The native vegetation is tall prairie grasses and deciduous trees along streams.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and eastern Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and South Dakota; LLR G, Dakota-Nebraska Eroded Tableland, MLRA 66; LLR H, Central Nebraska Loess Hills, MLRA 71, Central Kansas Sandstone Hills, MLRA 74, Central Loess Plains, MLRA 75, Southern High Plains, Northern Part MLRA 77A,and Loess Uplands, MLRA 102C.; LRR M, Till Plains, MLRA 102B, Kansas and Nebraska Loess-Drift Hills, MLRA 106, and Iowa and Missouri Deep Loess Hills, MLRA 107B; the series is extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cass County, Nebraska, 1913.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: 25 to 100 centimeters (10 to 40 inches). (A, AC, C1 horizons)
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 30 centimeters (0 to 12 inches) (Ap and A horizons)

Keys to soil Taxonomy: Eleventh edition, 2010

The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.

6/00
Added clay content from the Soil Interpretation Record to the Range in Characteristics.
Added frost free period from the Soil Interpretation Record to the Geographic Setting.
09/2005 Updated by LM and JCR to semi-tab format with metric conversion and changed permeability to saturated hydraulic conductivity.

8/11 JGA: Updated format during the Republican River Valley update. Updated Distribution and Extent based on current presence of named map units.

8/11 JCR Edited clay content and sand content ranges in horizons based on National Soil Survey Laboratory data. Deleted very fine sandy loam as a texture from the A and AC horizon.

Additional Data: Kansas State University Laboratory, Manhattan, Kansas; pedon: 10KS157115

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.