LOCATION RUSHCREEK NEEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Fluventic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Rushcreek loam, on a 0.5 percent slope in irrigated cropland. When described the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2)loam; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak, fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; slight effervescence, slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--18 to 28 centimeters (7 to 11 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) loam; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak, medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 18 to 41 centimeters (7 to 16 inches) thick)
Bw1--28 to 61 centimeters (11 to 24 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate, medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; sodium adsorption ratio 9; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw2--61 to 86 centimeters (24 to 34 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; weak, medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; sodium adsorption ratio 11; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Bw horizon is 25 to 76 centimeters (10 to 30 inches) thick)
Bk--86 to 107 centimeters (34 to 42 inches); very pale brown (10YR 7/4) sandy loam; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; common, fine, faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron masses in the matrix; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; common thin strata of loam; sodium adsorption ratio 11; soft masses of calcium carbonates; strong effervescence, moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 46 centimeters (3 to 18 inches) thick)
Cg1--107 to 142 centimeters (42 to 56 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; common fine prominent gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions in the matrix; massive; soft, very friable; few, fine strata of sand; strong effervescence, slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
2Cg2--142 to 203 centimeters (56 to 80 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly coarse sand, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; single grain; loose; 16 percent gravel by volume; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Garden County, Nebraska about 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) northwest of Oshkosh, Nebraska on highway 26; 549 meters (1800 feet) west and 274 meters (900 feet) north of the southeast corner of section 20, T. 17 N., R. 44 W. USGS topographic quadrangle Coumbe Bluff; latitude 41 degrees, 26 minutes, 35 seconds North and longitude 102 degrees, 24 minutes, 40 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the solum: 51 to 140 centimeters (20 to 55 inches)
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 18 to 51 centimeters (7 to 20 inches) Carbonates: at the surface but range from 0 to 10 inches
Redoximorphic features: below 30 inches
Depth to the 2Cg horizon: 40 to 60 inches
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loam but includes very fine sandy loam
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 9
Bw horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: loam but includes clay loam
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Sodium absorption ratio: 9 to 13
Bk horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 6 or 7, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: stratified sandy loam but includes loam and very fine sandy loam
Carbonates: soft masses are present
Texture: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Sodium adsorption ratio: 9 to 13
Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 6 to 8, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma of 2 to 4
Texture: stratified sandy loam but includes very fine sandy loam and loam
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Sodium adsorption ratio: 6 to 9
2Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 6 to 8, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: gravelly coarse sand or gravelly sand but includes coarse sand
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Gravel content: 15 to 35 percent but ranges from 2 to 35 percent by volume
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: nearly level and are on high flood plains
Slopes: 0 to 2 percent
Parent material: 102 to 152 centimeters (40 to 60 inches) of loamy alluvium deposited over gravelly sand, gravelly coarse sand or coarse sand
Mean annual temperature: 8 to 12 degrees C. (47 to 53 degrees F.)
Mean annual precipitation: 36 to 46 centimeters (14 to 18 inches)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are
Bayard,
Jankosh,
Lewellen and
Scoville soils.
Bayard soils are coarse loamy and are higher on the landscape.
Jankosh and Lewellen soils are strongly alkaline and are lower on the landscape.
Scoville soils are sandy and higher on the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: moderately well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: Moderately
Water table: 0.9 to 1.8 meters (3 to 6 feet)
Flooding: rare
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for cropland and are mostly under gravity irrigation.
Corn and alfalfa are the principal crops.
Native vegetation is dominated by alkali sacation, inland saltgrass, blue grama and western wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Of small extent in western Nebraska.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Garden County, Nebraska, 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 28 centimeters (0 to 11 inches) (Ap and A horizons)
Cambic horizon: 28 to 86 centimeters (11 to 34 inches) (the Bw horizon)
Organic carbon: irregular decrease 25 to 127 centimeters (10 to 50 inches)
In cultivated areas irrigation has caused the A horizon to be more leached of carbonates and other salts than in areas that remain in native grass. These soils were previously mapped with McCook, saline-alkali.
Modified format by LRM in 10/2005 to include metric conversion and change permeability to saturated hydraulic conductivity.