LOCATION BALTA KSEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Typic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Balta silty clay loam, on a southwest facing, convex, 5 percent slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap1--0 to 4 inches (0 to 10 centimeters); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; common very fine and fine roots; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick ) (8 to 18 centimeters thick)
Ap2--4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine granular parting to moderate medium granular; slightly hard, friable; common very fine and fine roots; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick) (0 to 15 centimeters thick)
Ap3--8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 centimeters); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; common very fine and fine roots; few fine irregular white (10YR 8/1) soft masses, very slightly effervescent throughout, abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick) (0 to 10 centimeters thick)
Btk1--12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 centimeters); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; common very fine and fine roots; very few distinct patchy very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist, organic coats on faces of peds and very few faint discontinuous very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist, clay films on faces of peds; few fine irregular white (10YR 8/1) hard carbonate nodules, strongly effervescent throughout; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 19 inches thick) (13 to 48 centimeters thick)
Btk2--18 to 28 inches (45 to 71 centimeters); 40 percent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and 60 percent pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, 40 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and 60 percent brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; common very fine and fine roots; very few distinct patchy very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist, organic coats on faces of peds and very few faint discontinuous dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist, clay films on faces of peds; few coarse irregular white (10YR 8/1) hard carbonate nodules and few fine irregular white (10YR 8/1) soft masses of lime; strongly effervescence throughout; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 27 inches thick) (10 to 70 centimeters thick)
Btk3--28 to 40 inches (71 to 101 centimeters); 40 percent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and 60 percent pale brown (10YR 6/3), silty clay loam, 40 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and 60 percent brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; common very fine and fine roots; very few faint patchy dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist, clay films on vertical faces of peds; few medium irregular white (10YR 8/1) soft masses of lime and few medium irregular white (10YR 8/1) hard carbonate nodules; strongly effervescence throughout; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 11 inches thick) (0 to 28 centimeters thick)
Bk1--40 to 56 inches (101 to 141 centimeters); pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable; few fine roots throughout; few fine moderate continuity tublar pores; few fine irregular white (10YR 8/1) soft masses of lime and few fine irregular white (10YR 8/1) hard carbonate nodules; strong effervescence throughout; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 34 inches thick) (20 to 86 centimeters thick)
Bk2--56 to 65 inches (141 to 164 centimeters); pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable; few fine roots throughout; few fine and medium moderate continuity tubular pores; very few prominent patchy very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist, organic coats in root channels; few fine irregular white (10YR 8/1) soft masses of lime; strongly effervescent throughout; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick) (0 to 50 centimeters thick)
Bk3--65 to 80 inches (164 to 202 centimeters); pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable; few fine roots; few fine and medium moderate continuity tubular pores; very few distinct patchy very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist, organic coats on vertical faces of peds; few fine irregular white (10YR 8/1) soft carbonate threads in cracks; very weakly effervescent throughout. (0 to 18 inches) (0 to 45 centimeters thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Russell County, Kansas; about 12 miles north of Bunker Hill; 700 feet east and 2300 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 1, T. 12 S., R. 13 W. Longitude 98 degrees 42 minutes 12 seconds west, Latitude 39 degrees 2 minutes 40 seconds north.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 48 to greater than 80 inches (121 to greater than 201 centimeters). Depth to free carbonates ranges from 3 to 19 inches (8 to 48 centimeters).
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6 and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is silt loam or silty clay loam and ranges from neutral to mildly alkaline.
The B horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 7 and 3 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 6. It is silt loam, silty clay loam or silty clay. This horizon ranges from slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline.
These soils formed in thin loess, less that 10 feet thick. In some pedons, the loess overlies a paralithic contact of chalk and chalky shale. Some pedons have a C horizon. Due to excessive erosion, some pedons are calcareous to the surface.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Amos(AZ), Arriba(NM), Lama(NM) and Lemmon(AZ) soils. Arriba soils formed in alluvium, are deep and have mixed mineralogy. Amos soils formed in residuum, are deep and have mixed mineralogy. Lama soils formed in mixed alluvium, are deep and have mixed mineralogy. Lemmon soils formed in alluvial and colluvial material, are moderately deep and have mixed mineralogy. The Amos, Arriba, Lama, and Lemmon soils are outside the moisture and temperature range for the Balta series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Balta soils are on uplands. The slope gradient is commonly 3 to 7 percent, but the range is 0 to 12 percent. The mean annual temperature varies from 53 to 55 degrees F (12 to 14 C.), and the mean annual precipitation varies from 21 to 28 inches (533 to 711 mm). Thornthwaite Annual P-E Index ranges from 31 to 44.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Harney, Nibson, and Wakeen soils. Harney soils have a mollic epipedon, and are on less eroded landforms. Nibson soils have a mollic epipedon, shallow, and are on lower positions. Wakeen soils have a mollic epipedon, moderately deep, and are on lower postions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium. Permeability is moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: All cultivated; wheat and sorghums are the principal crops. If re-seeded, Balta soils can be found in native grasses or tame grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Kansas. The series is of medium extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Russell County, Kansas, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 8 inches (0 to 20 centimeters) - (Ap horizon)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 12 to 40 inches (30 to 101 centimeters) - (Bt horizon)
Erosion, due to cultivation practices, has resulted in a change in soil classification. These soils were formerly mapped as Harney.