LOCATION SUNDANCE COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Sundance loamy sand - cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted )
Ap--0 to 8 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grained; loose; neutral abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Bt--8 to 17 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; few thin clay films on peds; neutral abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 23 inches thick)
2Btb--17 to 28 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; common faint clay films on peds; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 13 inches thick)
2Bkb--28 to 45 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; visible lime nodules; calcareous; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 19 inches thick)
2C--45 to 84 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Kiowa County, Colorado; 6.7 miles east, 2.5 miles south of Eads, Colorado; 700 feet west and 2,580 feet south of NE corner Sec. 3, T l9 S., R. 47 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the buried horizon is 10 to 30 inches. Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 49 to 58 degrees F. Depth to carbonates ranges from 15 to 30 inches. The soils range from neutral to moderately alkaline. The epipedon has less than .6 percent organic carbon. Rock fragments range up to 5 percent in the upper part of the profile and there are very few in the buried part. The upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon averages 18 to 35 percent clay.
The A horizon has Hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist and chroma of 3 or 4. It is sandy loam or sandy clay loam and averages 12 to 30 percent clay.
The 2Btb horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 3 or 4. It is clay loam, silty clay, or silty clay loam.
The 2C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Balon, Bowbak, Cahone, Cerrillos, Clovis, Cushman, Delconey, Fattig, Fort Collins, Gaddes, Hagerman, Harbord, Los Alamos, Maysdorf, Millett, Olney, Penistaja, Pokeman, Poleo, Potts, Progresso, Pugsley, Rauzi, Scholle, Spangler, Spenlo, Stoneham, Tapia, Toluca, and Vancorum series. All of these soils lack lithologic discontinuities except the Millett and Fattig soils and in both of these soils the lithologic discontinuity occurs at the base of the solum. Fattig soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Millett soils have hue of 2.5YR through 7.5YR and contain 10 to 35 percent gravel in the B horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sundance soils are in transition zones between loess and deep sand. Elevations range from 4,200 to 6,000 feet. The soils formed in eolian sands on top of loess and the argillic horizon is formed in both materials. The soils are in a warm dry climate with annual precipitation ranging from 11 to 18 inches. The mean annual temperature ranges from about 52 to 56 degrees F. Frost-free days are about 155.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bijou soils and the competing Fort Collins and Olney soils. Bijou soils have a coarse-loamy control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used for cropping. The major crop is sorghum. Some areas are used as rangeland. The mean plants on native rangeland are blue grama, sand dropseed, and sand bluestem, sand sage and yucca.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Great Plains of Colorado along the edge of sandhills in MLRA's 67 and 69.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kiowa County, Colorado, 1977.
REMARKS: OSED scanned by NSSQA and cleaned up by Colorado. Last revised by state on 10/77.