LOCATION NESS KS+OK TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Ustic Epiaquerts
TYPICAL PEDON: Ness silty clay in native range. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 10 centimeters (0 to 4 inches); very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1), silty clay, dark gray (2.5Y 4/1), dry; 3 percent fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) mottles; moderate medium granular and weak medium angular blocky structure; very firm, very hard, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; many fine and medium roots throughout; slightly acid, gradual smooth boundary. (Thickness of horizon ranges from 8 to 25 centimeters (3 to 10 inches) thick)
Bss1--10 to 51 centimeters (4 to 20 inches); very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1), silty clay, dark gray (2.5Y 4/1), dry; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very firm, very hard, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; 1 percent continuous faint slickensides (pedogenic) throughout; neutral, gradual smooth boundary.
Bss2--51 to 79 centimeters (20 to 31 inches); very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1), silty clay, dark gray (2.5Y 4/1), dry; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very firm, very hard, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common fine roots throughout and common fine roots throughout; 10 percent continuous faint slickensides (pedogenic) throughout; slightly alkaline, clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of horizons ranges from 30 to 80 centimeters (12 to 32 inches) thick)
BC--79 to 94 centimeters (31 to 37 inches); 50 percent very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) and 50 percent brown (10YR 5/3), silty clay loam; weak fine angular blocky structure; firm, hard, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common fine roots throughout; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline, gradual smooth boundary. (Thickness of horizon ranges from 10 to 25 centimeters (4 to 10 inches) thick)
2C1--94 to 157 centimeters (37 to 62 inches); brown (10YR 5/3), silty clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3), dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 3 percent fine and medium irregular carbonate threads throughout; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline, gradual smooth boundary.
2C2--157 to 203 centimeters (62 to 80 inches); brown (10YR 4/3), silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3), dry; weak fine angular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 3 percent fine and medium irregular carbonate threads throughout; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline. (Combined thickness of horizons ranges from 50 to 150 centimeters (20 to 60 inches) thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Hodgeman County, Kansas; 6 kilometers (3 1/2 miles) north and 4 kilometers (2 1/4 miles) west of the intersection of U.S. Highways 283 and Kansas State Highway 156 in Jetmore, Kansas; 91 meters (300 feet) west and 780 meters (2,560 feet) north of the southeast corner of Section 15, Township 22 South, Range 24 West. Latitude: 38 degrees, 8 minutes, 18.60 seconds north, Longitude: 99 degrees, 56 minutes, 8.80 seconds west; Datum: NAD 1983; UTM Zone: 14, UTM Easting: 417993 meters, UTM Northing: 4221390 meters.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth of solum: 51 to 127 centimeters (20 to 50 inches)
Depth of free carbonate: 61 to 152 centimeters (24 to 60 inches)
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 36 to 48 percent
Sand content: 0 to 10 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay or silty clay
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline
Bss horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silty clay or clay
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
BC horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5 dry and 2 to 5 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silty clay or clay
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
2C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay, but clay decreases with depth.
Reaction: moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline
Note: Some pedons silt loam below depths of about 102 centimeters (40 inches)
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Hansford series.
Hansford soils contain more fine sand and coarser in the profile
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material: clayey alluvium overlying more silty calcareous eolian deposits
Landform: enclosed depressions
Slope: less than 1 percent
Mean annual temperature: 11 to 14 degrees C. (52 to 57 degrees F.)
Mean annual precipitation: 43 to 58 centimeters (17 to 23 inches)
Thornthwaites Annual P-E Index: 28 to 40
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Richfield,
Harney,
Roxbury,
Spearville,
Uly, and
Ulysses soils.
Roxbury, Uly, and Ulysses soils are less clayey.
Richfield, Harney, and Spearville soils have argillic horizons.
All of these soils are on higher topography.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: poorly drained
Runoff: ponded
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: low
Substrata: typically more permeable than the overlying horizons
USE AND VEGETATION: About half of the acreage is cultivated to winter wheat or grain sorghum along with the surrounding better drained soils, and about half is in native range or is used as wetland wildlife habitat.
Native vegetation varies wetland vegetation, such as spikerush, smartweed, bur ragweed, barnyardgrass, and sedges, to associated upland species such as western wheatgrass and buffalograss depending on the present watershed hydrology.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: In the western one-half of Kansas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hodgeman County, Kansas, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this profile are:
Depth of mollic epipedon: 0 to 94 centimeters (0 to 37 inches), (A, Bss1, Bss2, BC horizons)
Aquic conditions: 0 to 79 centimeters (0 to 31 inches), (A, Bss1, Bss2 horizons)
periodic saturation, reduction and redox features
Associated with Laboratory Pedon ID 99KS083001
Updated the classification, competing series and placed in semitab format. SPG 05/05
Modified format by LRM in 8/2006 to include change permeability to saturated hydraulic conductivity.