LOCATION DIX NE+KS SD WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Torriorthentic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Dix gravelly sandy loam with a 20 percent slope in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
AC--6 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; soft, very friable; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (1 to 10 inches thick)
2C1--10 to 15 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grained; loose; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
2C2--15 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) and very pale brown (10YR 8/2) moist, very gravelly sand; single grained; loose; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Deuel County, Nebraska; about 2 miles north and 2 miles west of Chappell, Nebraska; 1790 feet north and 2640 feet west of the southeast corner, sec. 8, T. 13 N., R. 45 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon: 7 to 20 inches in thickness
Depth to very gravelly sandy material: 10 to 20 inches
In some areas the soil has a thin layer of loess
The soil commonly becomes coarser textured with depth from the surface to the C horizon
Dix soils typically lack free carbonates
In some areas, the pebbles have a coating of lime
A horizon:
Hue of 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 and 2 or 3 moist
Chroma:2 or 3
Texture: loam, gravelly loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, or gravelly loamy sand with 2 to 35 percent gravel
Reaction: slightly acid through mildly alkaline
AC horizon:
Hue: 10YR of 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6, 2 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture: typically gravelly loamy coarse sand, but ranges to include very gravelly sand to gravelly loam
Reaction: neutral through moderately alkaline
2C1 horizon: if present
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 through 8 and 3 through 6 moist
Chroma of 2 through 4
Texture: gravelly loamy coarse sand, very gravelly sand, or extremely gravelly sand with 15 to 70 percent gravel
Reaction: neutral through moderately alkaline
2C2 horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 through 8 and 3 through 6 moist
Chroma of 2 through 6
Texture: extremely gravelly sand, very gravelly sand, very gravelly coarse sand, gravelly coarse sand, or gravelly loamy coarse sand, which continues to depths below 40 inches. The percent of gravel averages between 35 and 70 percent
Reaction: neutral through moderately alkaline.
In some pedons, this horizon is composed of sandstone gravels or other fragments of weathered bedrock
Weathered bedrock occurs below a depth of 40 inches in some pedons
COMPETING SERIES:
Chaseville and
Columbine soils contain a high percent of coarse arkosic sand, which is very hard when dry
Chaseville soils have redder hue in the series control section
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loamy, sandy, and gravelly materials of varied origins that is deposited over gravelly coarse sand and very gravelly sand
Landscape: stream terraces, alluvial fans, foot slopes, and uplands
Landform: plains and hillslopes
Slope: 0 to 60 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 14 to 19 inches
Mean annual air temperature: 45 to 55 degrees F
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:.
Canyon soils are shallow and have limy fine grained sandstone or weakly cemented limestone bedrock at a depth of 10 to 20 inches
Rosebud soils are moderately deep with calcareous fine grained sandstone or limestone at a depth of 20 to 40 inches
Alliance soils have soft sandstone bedrock below a depth of 40 inches.
Alice and
Creighton soils are deep and in the coarse-loamy family
Oglala soils are deep and coarse-silty
Tassel soils are 10 to 20 inches deep over sandstone bedrock
Dix soils are higher than the associated soils, except where they are on terrace breaks and fans
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained.
Permeability is rapid in the solum and very rapid in the underlying very gravelly sand. Runoff is slow or medium, depending primarily on slope gradient.
USE AND VEGETATION: Nearly all the acreage of Dix soils is rangeland.
The main grass species are blue grama, needleandthread, and sand bluestem.
Other plants common on this soil are broom snakeweed, yucca, and pricklypear.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nebraska and adjacent areas of Wyoming, Kansas, Colorado, and South Dakota. Dix soils are extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kimball County, Nebraska, 1960.