LOCATION FONNER NEEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Cumulic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Fonner sandy loam with a slope of less than l percent, in a cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; gray (l0YR 5/l) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (l0YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--7 to 20 inches; dark gray (l0YR 4/l) sandy loam, very dark brown (l0YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined A horizon l3 to 22 inches thick.)
AC--20 to 26 inches; gray (l0YR 5/l) loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (l0YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; medium acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to l2 inches thick)
Cl--26 to 30 inches; light brownish gray (l0YR 6/2) gravelly sand, dark grayish brown (l0YR 4/2) moist; single grained; loose, very friable; about l6 percent gravel; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to l4 inches thick)
C2--30 to 60 inches; light gray (l0YR 7/2) coarse sand, brown (l0YR 5/3) moist; single grained; loose; about l0 percent gravel; medium acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Merrick County, Nebraska; about 3.5 miles west and l.25 miles south of Clarks, Nebraska; l,450 feet south and l00 feet east of northwest corner of sec. 9, T. l4 N., R. 5 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 20 to 30 inches in thickness, and the solum ranges from 20 to 34 inches thick. Typically, free carbonates are lacking in the profile. In some pedons, carbonates are below a depth of 30 inches. Depth to the gravelly sand or coarse sand ranges from 20 to 40 inches.
The A horizon has hue of l0YR, value of 4 or 5 and 2 or 3 moist, with chroma of l or 2 (dry or moist). It is typically sandy loam or loam but ranges to silt loam and fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from strongly acid through slightly acid.
The C horizon has hue of l0YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 through 8 and 3 through 6 moist, and chroma of l through 3 (dry or moist). It is typically gravelly sand, with strata of finer and coarser textured material throughout. Reaction ranges from strongly acid through neutral. Faint or distinct mottles are in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family. Similar soils are in the Alda, Darr, Inavale, and Lex series. Alda and Darr soils are coarse-loamy. In addition, Alda soils are calcareous and Darr soils are somewhat excessively drained. Inavale soils lack a mollic epipedon and are somewhat excessively drained. Lex soils are fine-loamy over sandy or sandy- skeletal, are calcareous, and are somewhat poorly drained.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fonner soils are on nearly level bottom lands, mainly of large stream valleys. They formed in stratified loamy and sandy alluvium over mixed sand and gravel. Slope gradient ranges from 0 to 2 percent. The range of mean annual temperature is 48 to 55 degrees F, and the range of mean annual precipitation is 20 to 30 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing Alda, Darr, Inavale, and Lex soils, and the Janude, Lockton, Novina and Platte soils. Janude and Novina soils are coarse- loamy. Lockton soils are fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal. Platte soils have coarse sand or gravelly sand at a depth of l2 to 20 inches, are somewhat poorly or poorly drained, and are on slightly lower elevations.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability in the upper part of the control section is rapid; permeability in the lower part is very rapid. The seasonal high water table ranges from a depth of about 3 feet in most wet years to about 6 feet in most dry years. The water table fluctuates widely, receding to a depth of 8 or l0 feet in the late summer and early fall of some years. Fonner soils are rarely flooded.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the acreage is in cultivated crops. Most areas are irrigated. Corn, soybeans, and grain sorghum are the principal crops. The remaining acreage is mainly in native grass and used for grazing or hay. Native vegetation is principally big bluestem, little bluestem, switchgrass, and Indiangrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and eastern Nebraska. The Fonner series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Merrick County, Nebraska; l978.
REMARKS: Fonner soils were mapped as part of the Alda series in earlier surveys.
ADDITIONAL DATA: See lab data of typical pedon number S75NE-l2l-26.