LOCATION PLATTE                  NE+KS SD

Established Series
Rev. JRW, RRZ, TDW
01/2012

PLATTE SERIES

The Platte series consists of soils that are shallow over coarse sand to gravelly coarse sand. They are somewhat poorly drained soils. They formed in sandy and loamy alluvium deposited over coarse sand or gravelly sand on river valley flood plains. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C (51 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is about 64 centimeters (25 inches) at the type location.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, Mixed, mesic Aeric Fluvaquents

TYPICAL PEDON: Platte loam with a slope of less than 1 percent in irrigated cropland. When described, the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 13 centimeters (0 to 5 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--13 to 20 centimeters (5 to 8 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) very fine sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; common medium distinct brown (7.5YR 5/4) iron masses in the soil matrix; weak medium and fine granular structure; soft; very friable; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined A horizon ranges from 15 to 23 centimeters (6 to 9 inches) thick)

C--20 to 41 centimeters (8 to 16 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) very fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; common fine to coarse distinct brown (7.5YR 5/4) iron masses in the matrix; massive; soft, very friable; strata of loamy sand in the lower part; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (13 to 20 centimeters (5 to 8 inches) thick)

2Cg--41 to 203 centimeters (16 to 80 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly coarse sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; single grain; loose; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Adams County, Nebraska; about 4 miles north and 2 1/2 miles west of Kenesaw, about 396 meters (1,300 feet) west and 320 meters (1050 feet) north of the southeast corner, sec. 6, T. 8 N., R. 12 W. Denman USGS quadrangle, lat. 40 degrees, 41 minutes, 9 seconds N; long. 98 degrees, 42 minutes, 35 seconds W., NAD83

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature: 9 to 13 degrees C (49 to 56 degrees F) The soils are wet from December through May and intermittently moist or wet from May through December, driest months are July through September. These soils are saturated with water within 46 centimeters (18 inches) of the soil surface at some time between April and June in most years
Depth to secondary carbonates: Greater than 203 centimeters (80 inches), allowed within 102 centimeters (40 inches)
Depth to redoximorphic features: 15 to 35 centimeters (6 to 14 inches)
Depth to endosaturation: 46 to 91 centimeters (1.5 to 3 feet)
Depth to Rock Fragments: 25 to 51 centimeters (10 to 20 inches) below the soil surface
Thickness of the Mollic color (15 to 23 centimeters (6 to 9 inches).

Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 and 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loam or fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy fine sand, and loamy sand
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent by volume; 2 to 20mm in size
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Sand Content: 45 to 85 percent
Redoximorphic features: common, fine and medium, yellowish brown to brown (10YR and 7.5 YR Value 4 to 5 Chroma 4 to 6) iron masses or concentrations
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline to neutral
Comment: Some pedons have an AC horizon.

C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 to 8 and 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam, but ranges to include loamy fine sand, loamy sand, and sand in the lower part of some pedons
Clay content: 5 to 10 percent
Sand Content: 45 to 85 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 14 percent by volume; 2 to 20mm in size
Redoximorphic features: common to many, fine and medium, yellowish brown to brown (10YR and 7.5 YR Value 4 to 5 Chroma 4 to 6) iron masses or concentrations
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 3 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline but ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline

2Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 to 8 and 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: coarse sand, gravelly coarse sand or gravelly sand
Clay content: 0 to 5 percent
Sand Content: 90 to 100 percent
Rock fragments: 2 to 34 percent by volume; 2 to 75mm in size, the upper part commonly contains less gravel than the lower part, stratification of the sandy and gravelly layers is common
Redoximorphic features: common, fine and medium, yellowish brown to brown (10YR and 7.5 YR Value 4 to 5 Chroma 4 to 6) iron masses or concentrations
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 3 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline but ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: derived from 10 to 20 inches of sandy and loamy alluvium that is underlain by coarse sand to gravelly coarse sand Landform: flood plains that are commonly dissected by remnant drainage channels
Slopes: 0 to 3 percent
Elevation: 457 to 1524 meters (1500 to 5000 feet)
Mean annual temperature: 8 to 12 degrees C (47 to 54 degrees F) Mean annual precipitation: 36 to 76 centimeters (14 to 30 inches)Frost-free period: 120 to 170 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alda, Gothenburg, Lex, and Wann.

Alda soils have coarse sand to gravelly coarse sand at depths of more than 20 inches, have a mollic epipedon, are on the same landscape position
Gothenburg soils have coarse sand to gravelly coarse sand at depths less than 10 inches, and typically have loamy fine sand or coarser material in all layers in the particle size control sections, are lower on the landscape
Lex soils have coarse sand to gravelly coarse sand at depths of more than 20 inches, have a mollic epipedon, are higher on the landscape
Wann soils have coarse sand to gravelly coarse sand at depths of more than 20 inches, have a mollic epipedon, are higher on the landscape

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: somewhat poorly drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: high
Runoff: low
Depth of seasonal high water table: 46 to 91 centimeters (1.5 to 3 feet) highest in spring when water flow in the adjacent stream is highest, recedes during growing
Flooding: occasional to frequent

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in rangeland.
A small percentage of areas are cultivated with crops of corn, grain sorghum and soybeans.
Native vegetation is mainly big bluestem, switchgrass, prairie cordgrass, and little bluestem.
In places there is a sparse stand of willow and cottonwood trees.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Nebraska, Colorado, South Dakota, and Kansas. MLRA's 67A, 71, 72, 73, 79, and 102C. The series is of large extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hall County, Nebraska, 1959.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon-0 to 15 centimeters (0 to 6 inches)
Aquic conditions: 46 to 203 centimeters (18 to 80 inches) (2Cg horizon)

Some areas of these soils may classify as Aquic Ustifluvents. These soils need additional water table studies to determine their proper placement in the classification system. Some poorly drained Platte soils may be included in the McCuligan series.

Some pedons have finely disseminated carbonate in the A horizon as evidenced by strong effervescence. This could be related to microrelief in the landform and/or the fluctuations of the water table and capillary rise. This would make the carbonates secondary and should be investigated in the future.

12/2011 TDW Changed the statement "Slope is typically less than 1 percent, but ranges from 0 to 3 percent." to "Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent."
Changed Depth to endosaturation from .5 to 1 meter (1 to 3 feet) to 46 to 91 centimeters (1.5 to 3 feet)
Added Rock fragments to the A horizon range in characteristics
Added Calcium carbonate equivalent to the A horizon range in characteristics
Changed Rock fragments in the C horizon from Percent by volume of gravel ranges from 0 to 5 percent to 0 to 14 percent by volume; 2 to 20mm in size
Changed Calcium carbonate equivalent in the C horizon from 0 to 10 percent to 0 to 3 percent
Changed Rock fragments in the 2Cg horizon from percent by volume of gravel is typically 15 to 35 percent but ranges from 2 to 34, the upper part commonly contains less gravel than the lower part, stratification of the sandy and gravelly layers is common; to 2 to 34 percent by volume; 2 to 75mm in size, the upper part commonly contains less gravel than the lower part, stratification of the sandy and gravelly layers is common
Changed Calcium carbonate equivalent in the C horizon from 0 to 5 percent to 0 to 3 percent
Updated the list of geographically associated soil series
Changed Depth to seasonal high water table from 0.5 to 1 meter (1.0 to 3.0 feet) to 46 to 91 centimeters (1.5 to 3 feet)
Changed Aquic conditions from 41 to 203 centimeters (16 to 80 inches) to 46 to 203 centimeters (18 to 80 inches)
Added Redoximorphic features to horizon range in characteristics
Removed Redoximorphic statement "Redoximorphic features: common, fine and medium, yellowish brown to brown (10YR and 7.5 YR 4 to 5/4 to 6) iron masses or concentrations" from range in characteristics
Rock fragments in the C horizon were changed from 0-5% to 0-14%
Deleted poorly drained from the drainage class
Added clay content ranges to all horizon ranges
Added sand content ranges to all horizon ranges
Added MLRA's to the distribution and extent section
Moved the soil temperature statement from geographic settings to the range in characteristics section
Changed topographic quadrangle to USGS quadrangle in the type location section
Changed the statement that Wann was on similar landform positions to Wann is on higher landform positions
Removed loam, silty clay loam, and silt loam from the A horizon range in characteristics
Removed loam from the C horizon range in characteristics
Changed the statement "A small area is cultivated with crops.." to "A small percentage of areas are cultivated with crops.."
Changed range of chroma from 1 to 4 to 1 to 3.
Added the Ochric epipedon depths in remarks section
Removed "Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: disseminated throughout the A horizon but absent in some pedons"

ADDITIONAL DATA:

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.