LOCATION NATICK NE

Established Series
Rev. RRH
02/2012

NATICK SERIES

The Natick series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in alluvial sands on stream terraces of valleys dissecting the Nebraska Sandhills (MLRA 65). Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C. (48 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is about 56 centimeters (22 inches) at the type location.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Oxyaquic Ustipsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Natick sand on a 1 percent linear southeast facing slope from a map unit of Natick sand, 0 to 3 percent slopes in native rangeland. When described, the soil was moist to 200 centimeters (79 inches). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A1--0 to 8 centimeters (0 to 3 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable; many fine and very fine roots throughout; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary

A2--8 to 15 centimeters (3 to 6 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky parting to weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; many fine and very fine roots throughout; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. [combined thickness of the A horizon is 8 to 25 centimeters (3 to 10 inches) thick]

AC--15 to 27 centimeters (6 to 11 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist: weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; many fine and very fine roots throughout; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 41 centimeters (0 to 16 inches) thick]

C1--27 to 67 centimeters (11 to 26 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grain; loose; common fine and very fine roots throughout; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.

C2--67 to 93 centimeters (26 to 37 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist, iron masses in the soil matrix; single grain; loose; common fine and very fine roots throughout; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist, lamellae of loamy fine sand, 2 to 3 millimeters thick; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

2C3--93 to 144 centimeters (37 to 57 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; single grain; loose; common fine and very fine roots throughout; common fine and medium prominent irregular strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist, masses of oxidized iron throughout; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist, lamellae of loamy fine sand, 5 to 50 millimeters thick; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

2C4--144 to 183 centimeters (57 to 72 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; single grain; loose; common fine and very fine roots throughout; common medium and coarse prominent irregular strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist, masses of oxidized iron throughout; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist, lamellae of loamy fine sand, 5 to 50 millimeters thick; strata of dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist, sand, 5 to 10 millimeters thick; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

2C5--183 to 200 centimeters (72 to 79 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; single grain; loose; common and medium coarse prominent irregular strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist, masses of oxidized iron throughout; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist, lamellae of loamy fine sand, 5 to 50 millimeters thick; strata of dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist, sand, 5 to 10 millimeters thick; neutral.

TYPE LOCATION: Thomas County, Nebraska; about 11.2 kilometers (7 miles) east of Thedford, Nebraska; located about 448 meters (1470 feet) south and 320 meters (1050 feet) east of the northwest corner of sec. 22, T.23 N., R. 27 W., Natick USGS quad; lat.41 degrees, 57 minutes, 11 seconds N. and long. 100 degrees, 26 minutes, 18.7 seconds W., NAD 83

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Moisture regime: Ustic
Depth to carbonates: typically none, can be from 100 to 200 centimeters (39 to 79 inches)
Depth to redoximorphic features: 61 to 183 centimeters (24 to 72 inches)
Depth to endosaturation: 61 to 183 centimeters (24 to 72 inches)
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 1 to 10 percent
Total Sand content: 78 to 99 percent
Medium sand content: 25 to 40 percent
Fine sand content: 30 to 49 percent

A horizon:
Hue 10YR
Value: 4 to 6, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

AC horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral.

C horizon:
Hue: 10YR and 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 8, 3 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand
Reaction: slightly acid to neutral

2C horizon:
Hue: 10YR and 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 8, 3 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand with thin alluvial strata of finer textured material below 125 centimeters (49 inches)
Lamellae: loamy fine sand with thin alluvial strata of finer textured material below 125 centimeters (49 inches)
Reaction: slightly acid to neutral
Some pedons have 2Cg horizons with textures similar to the 2C horizon.
Some pedons lack lamellae

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ipage and Saxman series.
Ipage soils average less than 25 percent medium sand and 50 percent or more fine sand in the 25 to 100 centimeters (10 to 39 inches) control section.
Saxman soils do not have carbonates.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvial sands
Landscape: valleys
Landform: stream terraces
Slope: 0 to 3 percent
Elevation: 610 to 1067 meters (2000 to 3500 feet)
Mean annual precipitation: 41 to 64 centimeters (16 to 25 inches)
Mean annual air temperature: 8 to 10 degrees C. (46 to 50 degrees F.)
Frost Free Days: 120 to 150

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Calamus, Thedford, Pivot and Valentine soils.
Calamus soils are on floodplains and have an irregular decrease in organic matter between 25 and 125 centimeters (10 and 49 inches).
Thedford (tentative) soils are on similar stream terraces and have mollic epipedons and an irregular decrease in organic matter between 25 and 125 centimeters (10 and 49 inches).
Pivot soils are on lower stream terraces and are somewhat excessively drained having no seasonal zone of saturation or aquic conditions.
Valentine soils are on dunes and are excessively drained having no seasonal zone of saturation or aquic conditions.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: Moderately well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: very high
Runoff: negligible
Seasonal high water table: 61 to 183 centimeters ( 24 to 72 inches) to greater than 200 centimeters (80 inches).

USE AND VEGETATION: The major use is livestock grazing. Some areas are cultivated or hayed. Irrigated corn and alfalfa are the major crops. The rangeland native plant community for the sandy lowland ecological site (R065XY029NE) is principally sand bluestem, little bluestem, prairie sandreed, needle and thread, and blue grama.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Natick series is of small extent in and near the sandhills of Nebraska and South Dakota and mostly in LRR G, MLRA 65..

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Thomas County, Nebraska, 2010.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Aquic conditions: 67 centimeters to 200 centimeters (26 to 79 inches) (C2, 2C3, 2C4, and 2C5 horizons)
Lithologic Discontinuity: 93 to 200 centimeters (37 to 79 inches) (2C3, 2C4, and 2C5 horizons)
A calcareous phase of the Natick series may be needed.
These soils were included with the Dunday, Ipage, and Valentine soils in older surveys.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Data is available from the National Soil Survey Center, Soil Survey Laboratory for the typical pedon, Pedon ID 09NE171014.
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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.