LOCATION BLANCHE NEEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Blanche very fine sandy loam - on a nearly level slope in a cultivated field. When described, the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; common very fine and few fine roots; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--6 to 11 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; common very fine and few fine roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 6 to 14 inches.)
Bw1--11 to 19 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, very friable; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--19 to 26 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable; few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common worm channels about 2 to 4 mm in diameter; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 11 to 18 inches.)
Bk--26 to 34 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; common fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many mycelial-like threads of calcium carbonate; common chips and fragments of limestone; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Cr--34 to 80 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) weakly cemented limestone of the Ogallala formation; light gray (10YR 7/2) moist; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Chase County, Nebraska; 8 miles west and 13 miles north of Imperial; 1450 feet west and 516 feet south of the northeast corner, sec. 6, T. 8 N., R. 39 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to carbonates: 8 to 32 inches
Depth to Cr horizon: 20 to 40 inches
Mollic epipedon thickness: 7 to 20 inches
Solum thickness: 17 to 39 inches
Comments: Some pedons have a C horizon. Horizons with a color value less than 5.5 dry and 3.5 moist extend to depths of 20 to 32 inches, but the organic carbon content at depths greater than 20 inches is less than .6 percent.
Ap and A horizons:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 5 dry, 2 to 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline
Texture: very fine sandy loam, loam, fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, loamy sand
Bw1 horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 3
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline
Texture: fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam
Bw2 horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 3
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
Texture: fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam
Bk or BCk horizon (if it occurs):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 3
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
Texture: fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam, loamy fine sand
Cr horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 7 to 8 dry, 6 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
COMPETING SERIES:
Alice soils: are very deep, do not have a paralithic contact
Busher soils: have fine-grained sandstone between 40 and 60 inches
Chappell soils: are underlain by gravel between 20 to 40 inches
Creighton soils: are very deep, do not have a paralithic contact
Jayem soils: are very deep, do not have a paralithic contact
Lexsworth (T) soils: are very deep, do not have a paralithic contact
Phiferson soils: are dry in the soil moisture control section for longer periods during the growing season
Stapleton soils: are very deep, do not have a paralithic contact
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: tablelands, uplands
Landform position: plains
Slopes: 0 to 20 percent - typically 0 to 3 percent
Elevation: 3000 to 4000 feet
Parent material: loamy calcareous residuum weathered from weakly cemented limestone or very fine-grained sandstone of the Ogallala formation
Mean annual air temperature: 48 to 55 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 14 to 18 inches
Frost-free period: 130 to 150 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Busher soils: are deep on similar topographic positions
Canyon soils: are shallow on ridges and knolls
Dailey soils: are very deep sandy soils in swales
Jayem soils: are very deep on similar topographic positions
Rosebud soils: have a fine-loamy argillic horizon on the same type of landscape
Valent soils: are very deep sandy soils on higher hummocky sandhills
Woodly soils: are very deep, have a fine-loamy argillic horizon on higher undulating uplands
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage: well
Runoff: low to medium
Permeability: moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly cultivated with a small acreage in rangeland. Winter wheat is the principal dryland crop. Corn and alfalfa are the principal irrigated crops. Native vegetation is mid and short grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The soils of this series are not extensive in western Nebraska. Their total extent is about 5000 acres.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Chase County, Nebraska, 1980.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon: mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 19 inches (the Ap, A and Bw1 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: S79NE29-31.
OTHER DATA:
T: 3
K: .17
WEG: 2
WEI: 134