LOCATION MUSCOTAH           KS+NE
Established Series
Rev. SAS-JCR
11/2008

MUSCOTAH SERIES


The Muscotah series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in clayey alluvium. Muscotah soils are on flood plains. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 86 centimeters, and the mean annual temperature is about 12 degrees C (53 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Aquertic Hapludolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Muscotah silty clay loam - cultivated (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.

Ap--0 to 23 centimeters; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots throughout; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

A1--23 to 41 centimeters; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable; sticky and plastic; few very fine roots throughout; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.

A2--41 to 58 centimeters; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm; sticky and plastic; few very fine roots throughout; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) soft masses of iron accumulation; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 46 to 81 centimeters)

Bss1--58 to 89 centimeters; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots throughout; few distinct slickensides; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) soft masses of iron accumulation; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.

Bss2--89 to 112 centimeters; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; very sticky and very plastic; common distinct slickensides; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) soft masses of iron accumulation; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.

Bss3--112 to 152 centimeters; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay; dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; very sticky and very plastic; common distinct slickensides; few fine rounded iron-manganese concretions; common fine faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) iron depletions; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.

Bss4--152 to 178 centimeters; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay; dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; very sticky and very plastic; common distinct discontinuous intersecting slickensides; few fine rounded iron-manganese concretions, and few medium irregular carbonate nodules; common medium distinct dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) iron depletions; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bw horizons is 51 to 127 centimeters)

Bgss--178 to 203 centimeters; olive gray (5Y 4/2) silty clay; olive gray (5Y 5/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; very sticky and very plastic; free water at 191 centimeters; common distinct discontinuous intersecting slickensides; common fine prominent olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) soft masses of iron accumulation; few fine rounded iron-manganese concretions, and common fine and medium irregular carbonate nodules; neutral. (15 to 51 centimeters thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Brown County, Kansas; about 4 miles south and 1 mile west of Muscotah; 230 feet west and 500 feet north of the southeast corner of Sec. 18, T. 4 S., R. 16 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is Udic moisture regime.
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: More than 76 centimeters
Depth to redox concentrations: 41 to 61 centimeters
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: More than 91 centimeters
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Sand content: Less than 20 percent

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3 moist, 3 or 4 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: Silty clay loam, silty overwash phase is recognized
Clay content: 27 to 40 percent, 18 to 27 percent for silty overwash
Reaction: Moderately acid to neutral

Bss horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 2 or 3 moist, 3 to 5 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: Silty clay loam, silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Sand content: Less than 10 percent
Reaction: Moderately acid to slightly alkaline

Bgss horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y to 5Y
Value: 2 to 5 moist, 3 to 6 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: Silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Sand content: Less than 10 percent
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline
Cg horizons are in some pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Collinwood, Guckeen, Kandiyohi, Lakeport,
Nameoki, and Ocheda series.Collinwooddoes not have a gley horizon.
Guckeen:can have carbonates above 76 centimeters.
Kandiyohi:mollic thickness ranges from 20 to 51 centimeters.
Lakeport:mollic thickness ranges from 41 to 61 centimeters.
Nameoki:mollic thickness ranges from 25 to 51 centimeters.
Ocheda:formed in till.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: Clayey alluvium
Landform: Floodplains
Slopes: 0 to 2 percent
Mean annual temperature: 11 to 13 degrees C (51 to 55 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 74 to 94 centimeters
Frost-free period: 170 to 190 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chase, Kennebec, and
Kenridge soils.
Chase soils have an argillic horizon and are on higher floodplain positions.
The Kennebec and Kenridge soils have less clay and are near the stream channels.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage: Somewhat poorly
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: slow
Seasonal high water table: 1.5 to 3 feet
Months: January to June
Flooded: Occasional
Duration: Brief
Months: March to June

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated. Principal crops are corn, wheat,
and soybeans. Native vegetation is tall prairie grasses and trees.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeast Kansas and possibly Southeast Nebraska;
not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Brown County, Kansas, 1991.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 25 to 102 centimeters. (A1, A2, Bw1 and Bw2 horizons)
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 178 centimeters. (All A, Bw horizons)
Redoximorphic concentrations: In the zone from 41 to 112 centimeters. (A2, Bw1, Bw2 horizons)
Redoximorphic depletions: In the zone from 112 to 178 centimeters. (Bw3, Bw4 horizons)
Endosaturation: The zone of saturation > 46 centimeters. (A2 through Bg horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: These soils were originally mapped as Wabash in the original
Brown County survey. These soils are better drained than Wabash soils. The name was changed from the proposed Powhattan series. A complete pedon analysis is available from NSSL as pedon number S90-KS-013-008. ]

9/2008 GJJ added metric conversions, removed English units, and made some format
changes.

10/2008 JCR Changed the taxonomic nomenclature from Bw and Bg to Bss and Bgss as
slickensides were identified in the typical pedon. There are many supporting profile descriptions with slickensides. This soil has not been changed to a vertisol because the upper 18 centimeters for most pedons is less than 30 percent clay.

11/2008 JCR expanded seasonal saturation to January through June based on observations of field soil scientists.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.