LOCATION BENKELMAN NEEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Aridic Ustorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Benkelman very fine sandy loam with a slope of 1 percent in a cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 4 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam; brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable; few fine roots; 1 percent calcium carbonate; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
AC--4 to 11 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very fine sandy loam; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; few, fine and very fine roots; 2 percent calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
C1--11 to 22 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam; brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable; 3 percent calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
C2--22 to 34 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very fine sandy loam; pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable; few, fine bedding planes of loamy fine sand; 2 percent calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline; diffuse wavy boundary.
C3--34 to 46 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very fine sandy loam; pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable; 3 percent calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline; diffuse wavy boundary.
C4--46 to 80 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very fine sandy loam; pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable; 2 percent calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Dundy County, Nebraska; about 3 miles north and 4 miles east of Benkelman, Nebraska; 800 feet north and 1400 feet east of the southwest corner of section 36, T.2 N., R.37 W. Max topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees, 5 minutes, 33 seconds North and longitude 101 degrees, 27 minutes West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to carbonates: 0 to 10 inches, typically at the surface
Particle-size control section calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Series control section particle-size distribution: irregular due to the alluvial deposition of the parent material, thin bedding planes are common
Series control section sand: typically more than 80 percent, by weighted average, of the total sand consists of very fine sand
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma 2 to 3
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
Texture: very fine sandy loam, loam
Comments: Horizons having value of less than 5.5 dry and 3.5 moist are less than 6 inches thick.
AC horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 to 6 dry, 4 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 3
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
Texture: very fine sandy loam, loam
Comments: Some pedons do not have an AC horizon.
C horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Reaction: moderately to strongly alkaline
Texture: very fine sandy loam, loam
COMPETING SERIES:
Nevee: depth to bedrock ranges from 40 to 60 inches or more, formed in silty alluvium weathered from reddish colored silty shale, siltstone or sandstone
Sulco: have more uniform particle size distribution throughout the series control section, have carbonate accumulations as masses in the series control section, have calcium carbonate equivalent that ranges from 5 to 15 percent in the particle size control section on higher landscapes
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: river valleys
Landform: stream terraces and alluvial fans
Slopes: 0 to 2 percent
Elevation: 2500 to 4500 feet
Parent material: calcareous, loamy alluvial sediments derived from loess
Mean annual air temperature: 47 to 54 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 14 to 18 inches
Frost-free period: 120 to 150 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Bridget: have a mollic epipedon on similar landforms
Craft: are highly stratified on flood plains
Otero: are coarse-loamy on similar landforms
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is low. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: The Benkelman soils are used mostly for cropland. A large acreage is irrigated. Alfalfa and corn are the main crops grown.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nebraska and possibly northwest Kansas, northeast Colorado and southeast Wyoming.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dundy County, Nebraska, 1995.
REMARKS: The Benkelman soils were previously mapped with the Bridgeport soils. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 4 inches (A horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Pedon S89NE-057-100 sampled for National Soil Survey Laboratory.
OTHER DATA:
T: 5
K: .37
WEG: 3
WEI: 86