LOCATION MCCULIGAN          NE
Established Series
LGR
11/2005

MCCULIGAN SERIES


The McCuligan series consists of very deep poorly drained soils formed in stratified loamy and sandy alluvium deposited 25 to 51 centimeters (10 to 20 inches) thick over gravelly sands on flood plains. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 10 degrees C. (50 degrees F.) and mean annual precipitation is about 43 centimeters (17 inches) at the type location.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Mollic Fluvaquents

TYPICAL PEDON: McCuligan loam with a slope of less than 0.5 percent in native grass. When described the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches); gray (10YR 5/1) loam; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft; very friable; sodium adsorption ratio 9; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 23 centimeters (6 to 9 inches) thick)

ACg--18 to 30 centimeters (7 to 12 inches); stratified grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very fine sandy loam; dark gray (10YR 4/1) and very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron masses in the matrix; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard; friable; sodium adsorption ratio 8; electrical conductivity 4 mmhos/cm; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 25 centimeters (0 to 10 inches) thick)

Cg1--30 to 46 centimeters (12 to 18 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) sand; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; common coarse prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) iron masses in the matrix; single grain; loose; neutral; few thin strata of very fine sandy loam; abrupt wavy boundary.

2Cg2--46 to 203 centimeters (18 to 80 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly coarse sand; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; many coarse prominent dark gray (N 4/0) areas of iron depletion in the matrix; single grain; loose; 28 percent gravel by volume; neutral.

TYPE LOCATION: Garden County, Nebraska; about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) south and 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) west of Oshkosh, Nebraska; 305 meters (1000 feet) west and 671 meters (2200 feet) south of the northeast corner, Sec. 4, T. 16 N., R. 44 W. Oshkosh topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees, 23 minutes, 15 seconds N. and longitude 102 degrees, 20 minutes, 15 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the 2Cg horizon: 25 to 51 centimeters (10 to 20 inches)
Free carbonates: typically at the surface (Cg and 2Cg horizons typically noncalcareous)
Percent gravel by volume 51 to 152 centimeters (20 to 60 inches): typically 15 to 35 percent but ranges 2 to 35 percent.

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam
Sodium adsorption ratio: 2 to 9
Electrical conductivity: 1 to 4 mmhos/cm.
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

ACg horizon: (when present)
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: stratified loam, very fine sandy loam, silt loam, clay loam, or fine sandy loam
Redoximorphic concentrations: reddish to brownish iron masses
Sodium adsorption ratio: 6 to 13
Electrical conductivity: 2 to 8 mmhos/cm.
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4
Redoximorphic concentrations: Reddish to brownish iron masses
Texture: sand or fine sand with thin strata of coarser or finer textures
Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.

2Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 to 8, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: dominantly, gravelly sand or gravelly coarse sand but ranges to include coarse sand, strata of sands and gravelly sands are common
Redoximorphic features: dark brown manganese accumulations and reddish iron masses and grayish areas of iron depletion
Gravel: 2 to 35 percent by volume

COMPETING SERIES: The Barney soils are the only other soils in the family. Barney soils typically have 2 to 15 percent gravel by volume at depths between 20 and 60 inches and are not affected by alkali. The soil moisture control section is also saturated for longer periods during the growing season.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: 25 to 51 centimeters (10 to 20 inches) thick stratified loamy and sandy alluvium deposited over gravelly sands
Landform: flood plains commonly dissected by remnant stream channels
Slopes: 0 to 2 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 36 to 46 centimeters (14 to 18 inches)
Mean annual temperature: 8 to 12 degrees C. (47 to 53 degrees F.)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gothenburg, Jankosh and Lewellen soils.
Gothenburg soils do not have the mollic colors to qualify for a mollic subgroup and are lower on the landscape.
Jankosh soils are coarse-silty over sandy or sandy skeletal and are higher on the landscape.
Lewellen soils do not have a mollic epipedon, are moderately deep over gravelly sands and are strongly affected by alkali. They have a seasonal high water table that ranges from 46 to 91 centimeters (1.5 to 3.0 feet) and are slightly higher on the landscape.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: poorly drained
Runoff: low
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: moderately high over very rapid.
Seasonal high water table: 0 to 1.5 feet
Flooding: occasionally

USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the acreage is in native grass used for grazing or for hayland.
The dominant species are prairie cordgrass, swithchgrass, big bluestem and indiangrass.

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

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Garden County, Nebraska, 1994.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic color: 0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches) (A horizon)
Aquic soil conditions: 18 to 203 centimeters (7 to 80 inches)(ACg, Cg1 and 2Cg2 horizons)
High chromas or brownish colors in the Cg and 2Cg horizons are due to the colors of mineral sand grains rather than indicators of saturation and reduction.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Pedon S90NE-069-017 sampled and described for NSSL at the following site:
http://ssldata.sc.egov.usda.gov/rptExecute.asp?p=17689&r=1&submit1=Get+Report

This soil was previously mapped with the Platte soils.

Modified format by LRM in 10/2005 to include metric conversion and change permeability to saturated hydraulic conductivity.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.