LOCATION FETERITA KSEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Aridic Epiaquerts
TYPICAL PEDON: Feterita silty clay loam- in CRP grass. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches (0 to 15 centimeters); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and common medium roots throughout; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick, 10 to 20 centimeters thick)
BA--6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters thick); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) iron accumulations along pore lining and root channels; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and roots medium throughout; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches, 0 to 25 centimeters)
Bw--12 to 19 inches (30 to 48 centimeters); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) iron accumulations along pore lining and root channels; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches, 13 to 30 centimeters)
Bwss1--19 to 27 inches (48 to 68 centimeters); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) iron accumulations along pore lining and root channels; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium root throughout; very few faint discontinuous very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) slickensides orientated 25 degrees; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
Bwss2--27 to 34 inches (68 to 86 centimeters); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; common medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) iron accumulations along pore lining and root channels; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine roots throughout; few faint discontinuous dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) slickensides orientated 35 degrees; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
Bwss3--34 to 42 inches (86 to 107 centimeters); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) iron accumulations along pore lining and root channels; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; few distinct discontinuous very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) slickensides orientated 30 degrees; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (combine thickness of the Bwss horizons is 16 to 30 inches, 40 to 76 centimeters)
Bssk1--42 to 52 inches (107 to 132 centimeters); pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine roots throughout; very few faint discontinuous very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) slickensides orientated 25 degrees; few fine irregular carbonate threads between peds and few fine irregular carbonate concretions throughout; strongly effervescent throughout; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Bssk2--52 to 57 inches (132 to 145 centimeters); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silty clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common medium roots throughout; very few distinct discontinuous very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) slickensides orientated 25 degrees; common fine irregular carbonate threads between peds; violently effervescent throughout; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (combine thickness of the Bssk horizon is 12 to 20 inches, 30 to 50 centimeters)
Bk--57 to 64 inches (145 to 162 centimeters); pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine roots throughout; few fine irregular carbonate threads between peds; violently effervescent throughout; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary (8 to 15 inches, 20 to 38 centimeters)
BCk--64 to 80 inches (162 to 203 centimeters) ; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silty clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine irregular carbonate threads throughout; violently effervescent moderately alkaline
TYPE LOCATION: Morton County, Kansas; 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) north and 5 miles (8 kilometers) east of Richfield; 500 feet (152 meters) west and 800 feet (243 meters) south of the northeast corner, sec. 20, T. 31 S., R. 40 W.; (USGS Shore Airport SW topographic quadrangle; latitude 37 degrees 20 minutes 34 seconds N. and longitude 101 degrees 41 minutes 05 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic
Soil temperature regime: mesic
Mean annual soil temperature: 55 to 58 degrees F (13 to 14 degrees C).
Particle-size control section: 35 to 50 percent clay
Depth to bedrock: greater than 80 inches (203 centimeters)
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: from 24 to 40 inches (61 to 102 centimeters)
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 24 to 40 inches (61 to 101 centimeters)
Depth to water table: 0 to 10 inches (0 to 25 centimeters) kind is perched, months are Mar. to Sep.
Ap horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 (dry) 2 or 3(moist)
Chroma: 2 or less
Texture: silty clay loam, clay or silty clay
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bw horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 (dry) 2 or 3 (moist)
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silty clay loam, or silty clay
Redoximorphic features: 0 to 1 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bwss horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 (dry) 3 to 5 (moist)
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silty clay loam, clay or silty clay
Redoximorphic features: 1 to 20 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bssk horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 (dry) 3 to 5 (moist)
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: silty clay loam, clay or silty clay
Redoximorphic features: 2 to 20 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bk or BCk horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 (dry) 4 or 5 (moist)
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: silt loam, silty clay loam or clay loam
Redoximorphic features: 2 to 20 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Some pedon have a C horizon below depths of 60 inches (152 centimeters).
COMPETING SERIES: These are Danielson and Lura soils. These soils lack carbonates within the soil profile.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Feterita soils are on basin floors of enclosed depressions on tableland and terraces, which vary from a few inches to 10 feet (3 meters) below the surrounding areas. Slopes are plane or concave, and gradients are less than 1 percent. The soils formed in clayey alluvium overlying more silty or loamy calcareous alluvium. The mean annual temperature ranges from 54 to 58 degrees F (12 to 14 degrees C.), and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 17 to 20 inches (43 to 51 centimeters). Thornthwaites Annual P-E Index ranges from 28 to 40.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Belfon, Bigbow, Richfield, Wagonbed, Ulysses and Keith soils. These soils contain less clay in the series control section and are well drained. These soils occur on higher landform positions
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is ponded. Permeability is very slow. The substrata are typically more permeable than the overlying horizons.
USE AND VEGETATION: About half of the acreage is cultivated to winter wheat or grain sorghum along with surrounding better drained soils, and about half is in native range or is used as wetland wildlife habitat. Native vegetation fluctuates from western wheatgrass, buffalograss, and associated species to wetland vegetation, such as smartweed, ragweed, barnyardgrass, and sedges, following periods of extended inundation.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: In the western one-third of Kansas. The series is of small extent
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Morton County, Kansas, 1993.
REMARKS: Areas where this soil occurs were formerly mapped as Lofton, Randall, Pleasant and Ness soils. Diagnostic features recognized in this soil are: mollic epipedon - the zone fron the surface to a depth of 34 inches (86 centimeters) (Ap, BA, Bw, Bwss1, and Bwss2); cambic horizon - the zone from 6 inches (15 centimeters)to a depth of 42 inches ( 107 centimeters) (BA, Bw, Bwss1, Bwss2 and Bwss3)