LOCATION ELSMERE NE+CO KS OK SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Aquic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Elsmere loamy fine sand on a swale with a slope of less than 1 percent in a native meadow. When described, the soil was moist to 102 centimeters (40 inches) and wet below. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 15 centimeters (0 to 6 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy fine sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable; many very fine and fine roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
A2--15 to 36 centimeters (6 to 14 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loamy fine sand, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft; very friable; many very fine and fine roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (Combined A horizon ranges from 25 to 64 centimeters (10 to 25 inches) thick.)
AC--36 to 58 centimeters (14 to 23 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grain; loose; common very fine roots; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 48 centimeters (0 to 19 inches) thick)
Cg--58 to 200 centimeters (23 to 79 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) iron masses in the matrix; single grain; loose; few very fine roots; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Brown County, Nebraska; 28.9 kilometers (18 miles) south of Ainsworth; 350 meters (1150 feet) east and 38 meters (125 feet) north of southwest corner, sec. 22, T. 27 N., R. 22 W. Raven topographic quadrangle; lat. 42 degrees, 17 minutes, 19 seconds N. and long. 99 degrees, 52 minutes, 17 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: ustic
Soil temperature: mesic
Thickness of mollic epipedon: 25 to 64 centimeters (10 to 25 inches)
Depth to secondary carbonates: can be from 0 to 25 centimeters (0 to 10 inches) and can be in finer textured layers below 102 centimeters (40 inches)
Depth to redoximorphic features: 46 to 91 centimeters (18 to 36 inches)
Depth to endosaturation: 46 to 91 centimeters (18 to 36 inches)
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 1 to 10 percent
Sand content: 78 to 99 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 (2 or 3 moist)
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sandy loam, sandy loam
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
AC horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 (2 to 4 moist)
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sand, sand
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 (4 to 6 moist)
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sand, loamy fine sand, loamy sand, sand
Some pedons have layers of darker colored, finer textured, or gravelly material below a depth of 102 centimeters (40 inches).
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: mostly eolian sands when on interdunes on sandhills, some alluvial sands when on stream terraces on valleys
Landscape: mostly sandhills, some stream valleys
Landform: mostly swales and hummocks (when in complex with more poorly drained soils) on interdunes, some stream terraces
Slope: 0 to 3 percent
Elevation: 457 to 1066 meters (1500 to 3500 feet)
Mean annual precipitation: 41 to 66 centimeters (16 to 26 inches)
Mean annual air temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C. (46 to 52 degrees F.)
Frost Free Days: 120 to 160
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Els,
Ipage,
Loup,
Marlake,
Nenzel, and
Valentine soils.
Els soils are on similar swales on interdunes but do not have mollic epipedons.
Ipage soils are higher on hummocks on interdunes, do not have mollic epipedons, and are moderately well drained having a seasonal zone of saturation or aquic conditions beginning at 91 centimeters (36 inches).
Loup soils are lower on swales on interdunes and are poorly and very poorly drained having a seasonal zone of saturation or aquic conditions beginning at the surface.
Marlake soils are in depressions on interdunes and are very poorly drained having a seasonal zone of saturation or aquic conditions beginning at the surface and having ponding up to 61 centimeters (24 inches).
Nenzel soils are slightly higher on swales on interdunes and are somewhat poorly 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.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage; somewhat poorly drained
Runoff: negligible
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: high or very high
USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are livestock grazing and haying. A few areas are cultivated and irrigated. Crops are mainly alfalfa, corn, grain sorghum, wheat, and forages. The rangeland native plant community for the subirrigated ecological site (R065XY029NE) is principally big bluestem, little bluestem, yellow Indiangrass, and switchgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: In and near the Sandhills of Nebraska and South Dakota (LRR G, MLRA 65) with minor distribution in Colorado, and Kansas. The series is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cherry County, Nebraska, 1947.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 36 centimeters (0 to 14 inches) (A1 and A2 horizons)
Aquic soil conditions: 58 to 200 centimeters (23 to 79 inches) (Cg horizon).
Phases recognized: calcareous, saline-alkali, drained, and loamy substratum
5/2007 RRH: A stream terrace phase or new series will need to be established for the Elsmere soils located on non-flooded stream terraces of valleys.
5/2005: metric conversion and permeability changed to saturated hydraulic conductivity
5/2007 RRH: Introductory Paragraph: revised landform/landscape; Typical Pedon: A horizon: expanded thickness range. Range in Characteristics: A horizon: deleted fine sand and sand as organic carbon would not be 0.6 or higher; Geographic Setting: revised; Geographically Associated Soils: revised, deleted Dunday, Gannett, Gus, Ord, Ovina, Thruman, and Tryon soils, added Marlake soils; Use and Vegetation, Distribution and Extent and Additional Data: revised.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Data for pedon IDs 77NE089004, 79NE123008, 80NE149003, and 91NE031021 are available from the National Soil Survey Center, Soil Survey Laboratory and pedon ID 83NE031007 from the Nebraska Department of Roads. Pedon ID 84NE017084 represents the Typical Pedon and is in NASIS.