LOCATION CLAWHAMMER NE

Established Series
RRH
01/2012

CLAWHAMMER SERIES

The Clawhammer series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils formed in loamy and sandy eolian deposits on swales on interdunes on sandhills of the Nebraska Sandhills (MLRA 65). Permeability is moderate. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 46 centimeters (18 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is about 9 degrees C. (48 degrees F.) at the type location.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Typic Halaquepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Clawhammer sandy clay loam with a slope of 1 percent on a poorly drained native grass area. When described, the soil was moist to 130 centimeters (51 inches) and wet below. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ak--0 to 29 centimeters (0 to11 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate medium subangular parting to moderate thin platy structure; very friable, hard; many fine and very fine roots; violent effervescence; finely disseminated carbonate throughout; exchangeable sodium percentage >100; sodium adsorption ratio = 130; electrical conductivity = 4.29; very strongly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [3 to 28 centimeters (1 to 11 inches thick)]

ACkg1--29 to 48 centimeters (11 to 19 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2)) fine sandy loam, light gray (7/2) dry; common patchy faint very dark grayish brown (10YR3/2) moist organic stains on all faces of peds; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist iron threadlike masses lining pores; weak coarse prismatic parting to weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, hard; many fine and very fine roots; violent effervescence; finely disseminated carbonate throughout; exchangeable sodium percentage >100; sodium adsorption ratio = 180; electrical conductivity = 4.97; very strongly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

ACkg2--48 to 70 centimeters (19 to 28 inches); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist irregular iron masses lining pores; weak coarse prismatic parting to weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly hard; common fine and very fine roots; violent effervescence; finely disseminated carbonate throughout and common fine prominent very weakly cemented pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) moist irregular shell fragments throughout; exchangeable sodium percentage > 100; sodium adsorption ratio = 157; electrical conductivity = 3.45; very strongly alkaline; clear wavy boundary [Combined thickness of the ACkg horizon is 15 to 81 centimeters (6 to 32 inches) thick]

Cg1--70 to 109 centimeters (28 to 43 inches); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) loamy fine sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; common fine distinct threadlike dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist irregular iron masses throughout; weak coarse prismatic structure; very friable, hard; few fine and very fine roots; common fine prominent very weakly cemented pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) moist irregular shell fragments throughout; violent effervescence; finely disseminated carbonate throughout and common fine prominent very weakly cemented pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) moist irregular shell fragments throughout; exchangeable sodium percentage > 100; sodium adsorption ratio = 46; electrical conductivity = 2.03; very strongly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Cg2--109 to 130 centimeters (43 to 51 inches); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loamy fine sand, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; weak coarse prismatic structure; very friable, soft; violent effervescence; finely disseminated carbonate throughout and common fine prominent very weakly cemented pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) moist irregular shell fragments throughout; exchangeable sodium percentage > 100; sodium adsorption ratio = 44; electrical conductivity = 2.06 very strongly alkaline; abrupt way boundary.

Cg3--130 to 173 centimeters (51 to 68 inches); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) fine sand, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; common coarse distinct gray (5Y 5/1) moist irregular iron depletions throughout; weak coarse prismatic structure; very friable, soft; strong effervescence; finely disseminated carbonate throughout and common fine prominent very weakly cemented pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) moist irregular shell fragments throughout; exchangeable sodium percentage = 67; sodium adsorption ratio = 25; electrical conductivity = 1.03; very strongly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary.

Akb--173 to 200 centimeters (68 to 79 inches); very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) fine sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; weak coarse prismatic structure; very friable, soft; violent effervescence; finely disseminated carbonate throughout and common fine prominent very weakly cemented pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) moist irregular shell fragments throughout; exchangeable sodium percentage = 25; sodium adsorption ratio = 7; electrical conductivity = 0.27; strongly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Arthur County, Nebraska; about 17.6 kilometers (11 miles) east and 12.8 kilometers (8 miles) north of Arthur, Nebraska; 183 meters (600 feet) south and 183 meters (600 feet) west of the northwest corner of sec. 23, T. 20 N., R. 36 W. Lena topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees, 41 minutes, 55 seconds North and longitude 101 degrees, 25 minutes, 41 seconds West.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Moisture regime: aquic
Depth to redoximorphic features: 15 to 91 centimeters (6 to 36 inches)
Endosaturation depth: 15 to 91 centimeters (6 to 36 inches)
Depths of Carbonates: typically 0 to 200 centimeters (0 to 79 inches)
Exchangeable sodium percentage: 15 to greater than 100%
Sodium adsorption ratio: 13 to 130
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Sand content: 25 to 73 percent
Silt content: 10 to 35 percent
Non-carbonate clay content: 7 to 18 percent

Ak horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6, 2 to 5 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam, loam, fine sandy loam
Reaction: strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline

ACk horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 5 to 7, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam, loam, fine sandy loam
Reaction: strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline

Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 10Y
Value: 5 to 7, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sand, sand
Reaction ranges: slightly alkaline to very strongly alkaline

2Abk horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 or 5, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam, loam, fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, fine sand
Reaction: slightly alkaline to very strongly alkaline
Some pedons lack 2Abk horizons.

COMPETING SERIES:
The Lisco series is the only competing series. Lisco soils have a cambic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: coarse loamy and sandy eolian deposits
Landscape: sandhills
Landform: swales on interdunes
Slopes: 0 to 1 percent
Elevation: 914 to 1189 meters (3000 to 3900 feet)
Mean annual air temperature: 8 to 10 degrees C. (46 to 49 degrees F.)
Mean annual soil temperature: 9 to 11 degrees C. (46 to 51 degrees F.)
Mean annual precipitation: 41 to 48 centimeters (16 to 19 inches)
Frost Free Days: 120 to 140

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Crowther, Elsmere, Nenzel, Valentine, and Wildhorse soils.
Crowther, Elsmere, Nenzel, and Valentine soils do not have ESP greater than 15 or SAR of 13 or more.
Crowther soils are on similar or slightly lower swales on interdunes and are poorly and very poorly drained having a seasonal zone of saturation or aquic conditions beginning at the surface and having ponding on the very poorly drained soil up to 15 centimeters (6 inches).
Elsmere soils are on slightly higher swales on interdunes and are sandy in the control section.
Nenzel soils are on higher swales and hummocks on interdunes and are moderately well drained having a seasonal zone of saturation or aquic conditions beginning at 91 centimeters (36 inches).
Valentine soils are on higher dunes and are excessively drained having no seasonal zone of saturation or aquic conditions.
Wildhorse soils are on slightly higher swales on interdunes and are sandy in the control section.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: poorly drained
Runoff: negligible or low
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: moderate
Ponding frequency: none
Ponding duration: none

USE AND VEGETATION: The major use is livestock grazing. The rangeland native plant community for the saline subirrigated ecological site (R065XY025NE) is principally inland saltgrass alkali sacaton, foxtail barley, and western wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The sandhills of Nebraska and sandhills of southwestern South Dakota (MLRA 65, LRR G). The series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Arthur County, Nebraska, 2009

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 29 centimeters (0 to11 inches) (the Ak horizon)
Exchangeable sodium percentage: 0 to 200 centimeters (0 to 79 inches) (Ak, ACkg1, ACkg2, Cg1, Cg2, Cg3, and 2Abk horizons).
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 173 centimeters (0 to 68 inches) (Ak, ACkg1, ACkg2, Cg1, Cg2, and Cg3 horizons).

Aquic soil conditions: 29 to 200 centimeters (11 to 79 inches) (ACkg1, ACkg2, Cg1, Cg2, Cg3, and 2Abk horizons).
Clawhammer series is to replace the Lute soils that were mapped on interdunes on sandhills. Lute soils have been mapped on interdunes of sandhills and on stream terraces and floodplains of valleys in Sheridan and Holt Counties. The Official Series Description type location for the Lute series is not in the Nebraska sandhills and is in Tripp, County,
South Dakota. Lisco soils were considered during mapping for the coarse-loamy alkali soils in the sandhills in Cherry, Sheridan, and Garden Counties. These were correlated to Wildhorse soils. In Cherry County they were located with saline spot symbols on the Crowther and Cullison soils.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Pedon 08NE005041 which is the typical pedon for the series has been sampled for the National Soil Survey Center, Soil Survey Laboratory. Comparison data is also available for the Lute series: pedon 71SD123001 which is the type location for the Lute series and pedon 76NE089005 in Holt County. In Cherry County, Pedon
89NE031039 was sampled as Cullison and the SSL classified it as coarse-loamy, mixed, subactive, mesic Typic Halaquept.
________________________________________

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.