LOCATION ELTREE                  KS+NE SD

Established Series
Rev. CEW-RLS
11/2011

ELTREE SERIES

The Eltree series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in calcareous silty alluvial or colluvial over alluvial sediments. They are on paleoterraces on river valleys in the Rolling Plains and Breaks (MLRA 73). Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual temperature is 12 degrees C (54 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is 58 centimeters (23 inches) at the type location.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Haplustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Eltree silt loam - in a nearly level cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 25 centimeters (0 to 10 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; many fine pores; many clusters of worm casts; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

A1--25 to 48 centimeters (10 to 19 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium pores; common clusters of worm casts; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.

A2--48 to 66 centimeters (19 to 26 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; common fine and medium open pores; common clusters of worm casts; several spots and threads of segregated lime; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. Combined thickness of the A horizon ranges from 25 to 76 centimeters (10 to 30 inches.)

Bk1--66 to 89 centimeters (26 to 35 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common fine and large pores; common clusters of worm casts; common soft small accumulations and threads of calcium carbonate; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Bk2--89 to 124 centimeters (35 to 49 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common fine and medium pores; many soft accumulations and threads of calcium carbonate, a few small calcium carbonate concretions; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. The combined thickness of the Bk horizons range from 38 to 97 centimeters (15 to 38 inches.)

C--124 to 200 centimeters (49 to 80 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, firm; sticky and plastic; common soft masses and threads of calcium carbonate, a few small calcium carbonate concretions; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Ellis County, Kansas; about 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) east and 603 Meters (3/8 mile) south of Schoenchen; 1158 meters (3,800 feet) east and 518 meters (1,700 feet) south of the northwest corner of sec. 35, T. 15 S., R. 18 W. Libenthal, Kansas topographic quadrangle; lat. 38 degrees, 42 minutes, 25.1 seconds N, long. 99 degrees, 17 minutes, 17.3 seconds W., NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to free calcium carbonate: 0 to 38 centimeters (0 to 15 inches).
Soil temperature regime: mesic
Mean annual soil temperature: 11 to 14 degrees C (52 to 57 degrees F).
Depth to redoximorphic features: greater than 200 centimeters (80 inches).
Particle size control section (weighted average): Clay content: 20 to 33 percent.
Particle size control section (weighted average): Sand content: 6 to 15 percent.
Mollic epipedon: 50 to 100 centimeters (20 to 40 inches) thick.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: Less than 15 percent throughout profile.



Ap and A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 2 or 3 moist; 3 to 5 dry.
Chroma: 1 to 3.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.
Texture: silt loam.
Clay: 12 to 26.
Sand: 2 to 25.

Bk horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 3 to 5 moist; 4 to 7 dry.
Chroma: 2 to 4.
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline.
Texture: silt loam, or silty clay loam.
Clay: 22 to 32 percent clay.
Sand: 2 to 25 percent sand.

C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 3 to 5 moist; 4 to 7 dry.
Chroma: 2 to 4.
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam.
Clay: 22 to 32 percent clay.
Sand: 2 to 25 percent sand.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blackwood, Duroc, Graceville, Trent, Viborg, and Yankton series.
Blackwood, Duroc, Graceville, Trent, and Viborg soils do not have free carbonates above depths of 38 centimeters (15 inches).
Yankton soils contain more sand within a depth of 50 to 100 centimeters (20 to 40 inches).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material: Silty alluvial or colluvial over alluvial sediments
Landform: Paleoterraces on River Valleys.
Slopes: 0 to 15 percent.
Elevation: 586 meters (1922 feet).
Mean annual soil temperature: 11 to 14 degrees C (52 to 57 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 55 centimeters to 70 centimeters (22 to 28 inches).
Frost-free period: 140 to 180 days.
Thornthwaite annual P-E index ranges from 32 to 44.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Armo and Roxbury soils. Armo soils have a thinner mollic epipedon and are on higher hillslopes above Eltree. The Roxbury soils have an irregular decrease in carbon between 25 and 125 centimeters and are on flood plains.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow on the more level slopes to rapid on the steeper slopes. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high.

USE AND VEGETATION: The less sloping areas are mostly cultivated. Winter wheat and grain sorghum are the principal crops. Steeper slopes are mostly used for livestock grazing. Native vegetation is dominantly tall and mid grasses, big bluestem, little bluestem, indiangrass, switchgrass, and sideoats grama. Ecological site name: Limy Upland (Draft) Under Peer Review (PE 20-26). Ecological site ID: R073XY012KS

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western and north-central Kansas, north- central Nebraska, and south-eastern South Dakota. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ellis County, Kansas, 8/6/70.

Remarks: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon--0 to 66 centimeters (0 to 26 inches); cambic horizon-- 66 to 124 centimeters (26 to 49 inches); ustic moisture regime.

08/2011 RLS: Removed uplands, footslopes from geographic setting and introductory paragraph. Added MLRA to introductory paragraph. Added quad, lat, long, and datum to type location. Changed format and added soil temperature regime, mean annual soil temperature, depth to redoximorphic features, mean annual soil temperature, allowed horizon textures, particle size clay and sand to the range in characteristics. Changed geographically associated soils. Added geographic setting. Added measurements in metric.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.