LOCATION NEESOPAH           CO
Established Series
Rev. AJC
09/2001

NEESOPAH SERIES


The Neesopah soils consist of deep, well to moderately well drained, moderate to rapid permeabile soils formed in thick calcareous moderately coarse textured alluvium or eolian material. These nearly level soils are on terraces. Slopes range fron 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual air temperature is 52 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 14 inches

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Ustic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Neesopah sandy clay loam - cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Ap--0 to 14 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure hat parts to medium granules; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; peds are extremely hard; partly decomposed organic plant remains; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)

Bt--14 to 26 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure that parts to medium subangular blocks; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; thin wax-like patches on some faces of peds and wax-like coatings and bridges on and between sand grains; few wax-like coatings and fillings on the inside of root channels and pores; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 30 inches thick)

Bk--26 to 30 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few glossy patches on some faces of peds and discontinuous glossy coatings on the inside of some root channels and pores; visible secondary calcium carbonate occurring as concretions and in thin seams and streaks; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)

Ck--30 to 40 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) light sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; visible secondary calcium carbonate occurring as concretions and in thin seams and streaks; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Crowley County, Colorado; approximately .1 mile east and 110 feet north of S1/4 corner Sec. 14, T. 21 S., R. 58 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to argillic horizon: 10 to 20 inches
Depth to calcic horizon: 15 to 50 inches
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 14

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Sand content: 25 to 36 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
Size: Gravel

A horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y to 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: silty clay loam or loam
Clay content: more than 18 percent clay
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline (1:5 dilution unbuffered organic dye).

Bt2 horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y to 7.5YR
Value: of 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: typically sandy loam
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Silt content: 5 to 40 percent
Sand content: 45 to 83 percent
Reaction: mildly to strongly alkaline (1.5 dilution unbuffered organic dye).

C horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y through 7.5YR
Texture: typically sandy loam
Clay content: 3 to 18 percent
Silt content: 5 to 40 percent
Sand content: 45 to 83 percent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
Note: Calcium carbonate equivalent of the fine earth ranges from about 3 to 14 percent.

COMPETING SERIES:
The current competitors are the Bentonnie, Bijou, Terro, Terry, Tintero and Vonalee series.
Bijou soils have noncontrasting sand and gravel substratums at depth of less than 40 inches and is noncalcareous to 40 inches or more.
Vonalee soils lack the thick manmade Ap and has a cooler annual mean temperature.
Terro and Terry soils have a paralithic contact between 20 and 40 inches.
Betonnie and Tintero soils have hue of 7.5YR or redder.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material: thick calcareous moderately coarse textured alluvium or eolian material
Landform: nearly level terraces
Slope: 0 to 2 percent
Mean annual temperature: 52 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 14 inches
Precipitation pattern: with peak periods of precipitation in the spring and early summer

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
These are the Kornman and Nepesta soils.
Kornman soils have stratified control sections and lack an argillic horizon.
Nepesta soils have a fine-silty control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage: well to moderately well drained
Runoff: low to very low
Permeability: moderate to rapid

USE AND VEGETATION: Used as irrigated cropland. Principal crops are corn, sorghum, alfalfa, small grains, truck crops, and melons.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Arkansas River Valley, southern Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Crowley County, Colorado, 1973.

REMARKS: Last updated by the state 5/73.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this profile are:
Argillic horizon: 14 to 26 inches (Bt horizon)
Calcic horizon: 26 to 40 inches (Bk and Ck horizon)

Updated the classification, competing series and placed in semitab format. LRM 03/01


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.