LOCATION NORWEST NEEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aeric Calciaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Norwest loam with a slope of less than 1 percent, in a cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
A1--18 to 28 centimeters (7 to 11 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
A2--28 to 38 centimeters (11 to 15 inches); gray (10YR 5/1) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 51 centimeters (10 to 20 inches) thick)
Bk--38 to 86 centimeters (15 to 34 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; calcium carbonate equivalent 20 percent; clear smooth boundary. (25 to 61 centimeters (10 to 24 inches) thick)
C1--86 to 99 centimeters (34 to 39 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron masses in the matrix; massive; slightly hard, friable; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
C2--99 to 203 centimeters (39 to 80 inches); stratified light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) and gray (2.5Y 5/1) clay loam and loamy sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) and very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; common and medium and coarse distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron masses in the matrix; massive; slightly hard, friable; few small soft accumulations of carbonates; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Keith County, Nebraska; about 5 kilometers (3 miles) east of Ogallala; 305 meters (1000 feet) west and 154 meters (500 feet) north of the southeast corner of section 3, T. 13 N., R. 38 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon: 25 to 51 centimeters (10 to 20 inches) (A horizon)
Solum thickness: 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Free carbonates: throughout the profile
Calcic horizon: within 41 centimeters (16 inches)
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline throughout
A horizon:
Value: 3 to 5, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Bk horizon:
Value: 6 or 7, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: typically loam averaging over 18 percent clay ranging to clay loam
C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: typically is stratified very fine sandy loam, clay loam and loamy sand with the range including loam and fine sandy loam
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: flood plains
Flooding: rare
Slope: 0 to 2 percent
Parent material: calcareous loamy alluvium
Mean annual temperature: 10 to 11 degrees C. (49 to 51 degrees F.)
Mean annual precipitation: 43 to 48 centimeters (17 to 19 inches)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Lex and
Wann soils.
Lex soils do not have a calcic horizon, have gravelly coarse sand at depths of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches) and are on similar landscape position.
Wann soils are coarse-loamy, do not have a calcic horizon, and are on similar landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: somewhat poorly drained
Runoff: low
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: is moderate.
Seasonally high apparent water table: 46 to 91 centimeters (1.5 to 3 feet)
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Norwest soils are cultivated and irrigated.
Some areas are in pasture.
Corn and alfalfa are the main irrigated crops.
The native grasses are mainly big bluestem, little bluestem, indiangrass, switchgrass, prairie cordgrass, and sedges.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nebraska. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Keith County, Nebraska, 1988.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: Mollic epipedon: 0 to 38 centimeters (15 inches) (Ap, A1, A2 horizons)
Calcic horizon: 38 to 86 centimeters (15 inches to 34 inches) (Bk horizon, which has a calcium carbonate equivalent of 20 percent)
Aeric soil feature: no distinct or prominent mottles directly below the mollic epipedon and chroma moist is 2 or more
This soil was previously mapped as Gibbon series.
Modified format by LRM in 8/2006 to include metric conversion and change permeability to saturated hydraulic conductivity.