LOCATION MCCASH                  NE

Established Series
Rev. SCB, LGR
12/2021

MCCASH SERIES

The McCash series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils formed in loamy and sandy colluvial materials. These soils are on uplands swales and have slopes ranging from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 52 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is about l9 inches at the type location.

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

TYPICAL PEDON: McCash very fine sandy loam with a slope of less than 1 percent in a cultivated field. When described, the soil was moist to 30 inches. (Colors are for a dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 8 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--8 to 15 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon ranges from 9 to 20 inches.)

Bw1--15 to 24 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Bw2--24 to 36 inches, brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon ranges from 15 to 34 inches.)

C--36 to 80 inches, brown (10YR 5/3) loamy very fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Hayes County, Nebraska; about 11 miles east and 2 miles north of Hayes Center, Nebraska; 50 feet south and 475 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 35, T. 7 N., R. 3l W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 24 to 54 inches and thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges between 20 and 54 inches. The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is typically very fine sandy loam and less commonly loamy very fine sand or silt loam. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline.

The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is typically very fine sandy loam and less commonly loamy very fine sand or silt loam. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline.

The C horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 through 7, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is typically loamy very fine sand and less commonly very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam. Buried A horizons or thin strata of slightly coarser or finer textured material are in the C horizon below a depth of 40 inches in some pedons. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: McCash is the only series in the family. Closely related series in other families are Duroc, Haxtun, Kuma, Eltree and Vetal. Duroc soils are fine-silty and have calcareous material within a depth of 36 inches. Haxtun soils are fine-loamy and have an argillic horizon. Kuma soils are fine-silty, have an argillic horizon and have calcareous material within the control section. In addition, Kuma soils have a polygenetic solum. Eltree soils are fine-silty and occur generally in wetter climates. Vetal soils are coarse-loamy.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: McCash soils are on level to very gently sloping upland swales and alluvial fans. Surfaces are concave or plane and slope gradients range from 0 to 3 percent. These soils formed in local loamy and sandy colluvial and alluvial materials. The range of mean annual precipitation is 14 to 20 inches, and the range of mean annual temperature is 48 to 53 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOIL: These are the competing Duroc and Haxtun soils and the Jayem, Sarben, and Tripp soils. Jayem soils are coarse-loamy, have a mollic epipedon less than 20 inches thick and are in higher positions on the landscape. Sarben soils are coarse-loamy, lack a mollic epipedon and are in higher positions on the landscape. Tripp soils have a mollic epipedon less than 20 inches thick and are in higher positions on the landscape.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is low. Permeability is moderate.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the acreage of McCash soils are in cropland. Wheat, corn, alfalfa and sorghum are the most common crops. The rest is mainly in rangeland or hayland with native grasses being a mixture of short and mid prairie grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Nebraska and possibly northeastern Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Chase County, Nebraska, l980.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of approximately 36 inches (Ap, A1, Bw1, Bw2 horizons) and cambic horizon--the zone from 15 to 36 inches (Bw1, Bw2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.