LOCATION SIDNEY NEEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Calciustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Sidney loam from a Sidney-Canyon complex on a 5 percent convex east- facing side slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable; common very fine and few fine roots; strong effervescence; 2 percent by volume calcareous sandstone gravel; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 38 centimeters (4 to 15 inches) thick)
Bw--18 to 41 centimeters (7 to 16 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; soft, very friable; common very fine and fine roots; strong effervescence; 2 percent by volume calcareous sandstone gravel; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 41 centimeters (0 to 16 inches) thick)
Bk--41 to 66 centimeters (16 to 26 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; common fine roots; violent effervescence; 2 percent by volume calcareous sandstone gravel; many mycelial-like threads and seams of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 38 centimeters (0 to 15 inches) thick)
C--66 to 122 centimeters (26 to 48 inches); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive, soft, very friable; few fine roots; strong effervescence; 5 percent by volume calcareous sandstone gravel; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Cr--122 to 203 centimeters (48 to 80 inches); very pale brown (10YR 8/2) weakly cemented fine grained sandstone, light gray (10YR 7/2) moist; violent effervescence, moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Banner County, Nebraska; about 11.3 kilometers (7 miles) south and 8 kilometers (5 miles) east of Harrisburg; 762 kilometers (2,500 feet) east and 518 kilometers (1,700 feet) north of the southwest corner of section 10, T. 17 N., R. 55 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 10 to 13 degrees C. (49 to 55 degrees F)
Depth to paralithic contact: 102 to 152 centimeters (40 to 60 inches)
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 0 to 46 centimeters (0 to 18 inches), typically 0 to 25 centimeters (0 to 10 inches)
Thickness of mollic epipedon: 18 to 51 centimeters (7 to 20 inches)
Thickness of solum: 18 to 76 centimeters (7 to 30 inches)
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Sand content:
Control section: silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam that generally averages less than 65 percent total sand and about 35 percent or less very fine sand.
Rock fragments:
Calcareous sandstone: typically less than 5 percent by volume but range from 0 to 15 percent
Some pedons contain volcanic ash with glass shards that comprise from 20 to 80 percent by volume of the very fine sand and coarse silt.
In some pedons, a few granitic pebbles are throughout the profile.
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam
Reaction: typically slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline, neutral to slightly alkaline in pedons that are leached of carbonates
Some pedons have an AC horizon with color and texture intermediate between the A and C horizon.
Bw horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bk horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 to 8, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 25 percent (lab data)
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 8, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam or sandy loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 15 ercent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
Cr horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 to 8, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: weakly cemented fine grained sandstone
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Graystone,
Greenhope,
Guy,
Humbarsprings and
Laird series.
Graystone and Laird soils are generally calcareous to the surface.
Greenhope and Guy soils have up to 35 percent course fragments.
Humbarsprings soils do not have a paralithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: derived from loamy, calcareous residuum weathered from weakly cemented fine grain sandstone
Landform: summits, side slopes and upper foot slopes on uplands
Slopes: 3 to 20 percent
Elevation: 914 to 1524 meters (3000 to 5000 feet)
Mean annual temperature: 8 to 12 degrees C. (47 to 53 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 36 to 46 centimeters (14 to 18 inches)
Frost-free period: 120 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are
Alliance,
Ascalon,
Canyon,
Creighton,
Duroc,
Rosebud and
Satanta soils.
Alliance soils have an argillic horizon, are fine-silty and are on similar positions
Ascalon soils have an argillic horizon and are on similar positions
Canyon soils are shallow over sandstone and are on similar positions
Creighton soils do not have bedrock above a depth of 60 inches and are on similar positions
Duroc soils deep, have pachic epipedons and are in swales
Rosebud soils have an argillic horizon, have sandstone at depths between 20 to 40 inches, and are on similar positions
Satanta soils have an argillic horizon and are on similar positions
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: moderately high
Runoff: low on the gentle slopes to medium on the moderately steep slopes
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of the Sidney soils are cultivated.
Some areas are irrigated with the rest in native grass and is used for range. Winter wheat is the main dryland crop, corn and alfalfa are the irrigated crops.
The native grasses are mainly needleandthread, blue grama and western wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nebraska and possibly adjacent areas of Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Banner County, Nebraska, 1989.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches) (the Ap horizon)
Cambic horizon: 18 to 41 centimeters (7 inches to 16 inches) (the Bw horizon)
4/25/2000:PRF
Series taxonomy was modified from Torriorthentic Haplustolls to Aridic Calciustolls based on the lab data from two site. A calcic horizon with a CaCO3 equivalent of >= 5% was found in both sets of data.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data is available on pedon S87NE-007-34.
Modified format by LRM in 10/2005 to include metric conversion and change permeability to saturated hydraulic conductivity.