LOCATION KEITH NE+CO KS SD WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Keith silt loam, on a 1 percent slope, in a cultivated field (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 13 centimeters (0 to 5 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, friable; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--13 to 23 centimeters (5 to 9 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. Combined thickness of A horizons ranges from 15 to 49 centimeters (6 to 19 inches).
Bt1--23 to 36 centimeters (9 to 14 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable; few thin patchy clay films; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--36 to 58 centimeters (14 to 23 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable; few thin patchy clay films; neutral; clear smooth boundary. Combined thickness of Bt horizons ranges from 20 to 46 centimeters (8 to 18 inches).
BC--58 to 84 centimeters (23 to 33 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist, weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. Horizon thickness ranges from 0 to 46 centimeters (0 to 18 inches).
C--84 to 152 centimeters (33 to 60 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable; few accumulations and streaks of carbonate; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Hitchcock County, Nebraska; 13 kilometers (8 miles) south and 8 kilometers (5 miles) west of Trenton; located about 335 meters (1,100 feet) south and 33.5 meters (110 feet) east of the northwest corner of sec. 13, T. 1 N., R. 34 W. Trenton SE USGS quad; lat. 40 degrees 3 minutes 28 seconds N and long. 101 degrees 6 minutes 58 seconds W., NAD 83
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 9 to 13 degrees C (48 to 55 degrees F)
Depth to argillic horizon: 8 to 51 centimeters (3 to 20 inches)
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 23 to 97 centimeters (9 to 38 inches)
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 18 to 49 centimeters (7 to 19 inches)
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 20 to 34 percent
Ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic
Ap horizon or A where present
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 and 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam
Clay content: 14 to 20 percent
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral
Bt1 horizon
Hue: 7.5 YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 and 2 through 4 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silt loam, silty clay loam, loam, or clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 34 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bt2 horizon or Btk where present
Hue: 7.5 YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 and 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silt loam, silty clay loam, loam, or clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 34 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Identifiable secondary carbonates: 0 to 15 percent
BC horizon or Bk or BCk where present
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 and 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loam, very fine sandy loam, silty clay loam, silt loam and clay loam
Clay content: 0 to 34 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Identifiable secondary carbonates: 0 to 15 percent
C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 to 8 and 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silt loam, loam or very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 0 to 25 percent
Buried soils are below a depth of 102 centimeters (40 inches) in some pedons
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
Some pedons have carbonate accumulation in the C horizon
COMPETING SERIES:
Aliante soils have a drier moisture control section in late spring and early summer.
Alliance soils are deep to a paralithic contact of soft, weathered sandstone.
Cale soils are effervescent at the surface.
Calemore soils have identifiable secondary carbonates within 10 to 38 centimeters (4 to 15 inches) of the mineral soil surface.
Hugoton soils have the top of the C horizons greater than 203 centimeters (80 inches) below mineral soil surface.
Kadoka soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact.
Norka soils have no part of the argillic horizon below 38 centimeters (15 inches).
Thirtynine soils have a cooler soil temperature.
Vale soils have hues redder than 10YR.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: derived from loess
Landform: hills, plains, and stream terraces
Slopes: 0 to 6 percent
Elevation: 762 meters to 1676 meters (2500 to 5500 feet)
Mean annual air temperature: 8 to 13 degrees C (46 to 55 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 36 to 51 centimeters (14 to 20 inches)
Frost-free period: 120 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
These are the
Richfield,
Ulysses,
Goshen,
Kuma,
Lodgepole, and
Tripp soils. Richfield soils are in the fine family and on similar positions. Ulysses soils do not have an argillic horizon and are higher on the landscape. Goshen soils formed in silty alluvium and are commonly lower in the landscape. Kuma soils have a mollic epipedon thicker than 51 centimeters (20 inches) and are commonly lower in the landscape. Lodgepole soils are in the fine family and in depressions. Tripp soils do not have an argillic horizon and are on stream terraces.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: moderately high
Runoff: ranges from low on the nearly level slopes to high on moderately steep slopes
USE AND VEGETATION: About 80 percent of the acreage of these soils is in cultivated cropland and 20 percent is principally native range. The main crops under dryland farming are alfalfa, grain sorghum, millet, and winter wheat. The dominant grasses on native range are blue grama, buffalograss, little bluestem, needleandthread, threadleaf sedge, and western wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nebraska, northwestern Kansas, and southwestern South Dakota, eastern Wyoming, and northeastern Colorado in MLRAs 67 and 72. The acreage is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Deuel County, Nebraska, 1921.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon: the zone from 0 to 36 centimeters (0 to 14 inches) (Ap, A and Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon: the zone from 23 to 58 centimeters (9 to 23 inches) (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Additional information on Keith soils is available in "Soil Survey Laboratory Data and Descriptions for Some Soils of Nebraska," Soil Survey Investigation Report No. 5, pages 84 through 95. In the western and northern area of occurrence, Keith soils formed in less than 6 feet of loess.