LOCATION NUCKOLLS           NE+KS
Established Series
Rev. LGR
11/2005

NUCKOLLS SERIES


The Nuckolls series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in loess on uplands. Slopes range from 3 to 30 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 53 centimeters (21 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C (51 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Haplustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Nuckolls silt loam - native grass. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 25 centimeters (0 to 10 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; hard, friable; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (18 to 36 centimeters (7 to 14 inches) thick)

BA--25 to 36 centimeters (10 to 14 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 centimeters (3 to 6 inches) thick)

Bw--36 to 76 centimeters (14 to 30 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 51 centimeters (10 to 20 inches) thick)

C1--76 to 132 centimeters (30 to 52 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable; slight effervescence, moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.

C2--132 to 203 centimeters (52 to 80 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable; slight effervescence, moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Harlan County, Nebraska; about 5 miles south and 2 miles west of Republican City; 0.25 mile west and 0.6 mile north and 15 meters (50 feet) west of the southeast corner of sec. 33, T. 1 N., R. 17 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Thickness of the solum: 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Depth to free carbonates: 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Mollic epipedon: 18 to 36 centimeters (7 to 14 inches), includes the A horizon and the upper part of the B horizon

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5YR
Value: 4 or 5 and 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline.

Bw horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5YR
Value: 5 or 6 and 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 22 to 32 percent
Dark organic stains: on ped faces of some pedons
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline.

C horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5YR
Value: 6 or 7
Chroma: 4
Texture: loam to light silty clay loam
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bend, Homme and Uly soils.
Bend soils have varves above a depth of 40 inches.
Homme soils have argillic horizons containing more clay
Uly soils have less reddish hue and are shallower to free carbonates

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loess presumed to be older and more weathered than Peoria loess
Landscape: simple to complex, and mostly concave valley sides and convex on narrow ridgetops
Slopes: 3 to 30 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 48 to 61 centimeters (19 to 24 inches)
Mean annual temperature: 10 to 14 degrees C (50 to 57 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Canyon, Coly, Holdrege, Kipson, and Meadin soils.
Canyon, Kipson, and Meadin soils occur where the underlying material is limy sandstone, limy shale, or gravel.
Coly and Holdrege soils are common associates formed in younger less leached loess.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: well drained
Runoff: moderately low to high
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: moderately high

USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the area is in native vegetation.
Major crops are wheat and grain sorghum.
The native vegetation is mostly mid and tall prairie grass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central part of Nebraska and the north-central part of Kansas. The soils of this series are moderately extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Adams County, Nebraska, 1925.

REMARKS: The diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: Mollic epipedon: 0 to 46 centimeters (0 to 18 inches) (A horizon)
Moisture regime: ustic
Severely eroded Nuckolls soils will no longer classify as Mollisols and will need to be recorrelated to a new series.

11/2005 LM and JCR converted to semi-tab format and added metric conversion and saturated hydraulic conductivity


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.