LOCATION TWOBUTTE           KS
Established Series
SCH, JCW
02/2006

TWOBUTTE SERIES


The Twobutte series consists of moderately deep well drained formed in loamy residuum on erosional remnants in the Central High Tablelands (MLRA 72). Slope ranges from 2 to 6 percent. Mean annual temperature is 13 degrees C. (56 degrees F.), and mean annual precipitation is 46 centimeters (18 inches).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Calciustepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Twobutte loam - in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 10 centimeters (0 to 4 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots throughout; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 20 centimeters (3 to 8 inches) thick)

AB--10 to 33 centimeters (4 to 13 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots throughout; common fine and medium discontinuous tubular pores; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 30 centimeters (0 to 12 inches) thick)

Bk--33 to 71 centimeters (13 to 28 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; common fine and medium discontinuous tubular pores; by volume 40 percent angular caliche pebbles and 12 percent angular caliches cobbles; violently effervescent; by volume 10 percent lime concretions; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (25 to 51 centimeters (10 to 20 inches) thick)

R--71 centimeters (28 inches); very pale brown; hard caliche bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Morton County, Kansas; about 18 kilometers (11 miles) west and 6 kilometers (4 miles) north of Richfield; 107 meters (350 feet) north and 61 meters (200 feet) west of the southeast corner, sec. 21, T. 31 S., R. 43 W. (Richfield SW USGS topographic Quadrangle latitude 37 degrees 19 minutes 54 seconds, longitude 101 degrees 59 minutes 30 seconds.)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: ustic bordering on aridic
Soil temperature regime: mesic
Mean annual soil temperature: 12 to 14 degrees C (54 to 58 degrees F.)
Particle-size control section: 15 to 27 percent clay
Depth to bedrock: 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 10 to 41 centimeters (4 to 16 inches)

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loam or silt loam
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

AB horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loam or silt loam
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline

Bk horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: gravelly loam, gravelly clay loam or very gravelly loam.
Rock fragments: 20 to 55 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: The competing series are Buckndoe, Chicosa(T), Katzine, Saraton, Tinaja, Upler, and Yatne soils.
Buckndoe soils are greater than 102 centimeters (40 inches) to the petrocalcic layer.
Chicosa(T) soils have a lithic contact greater than 183 centimeters (72 inches).
Katzine soils are greater than 152 centimeters (60 inches) to bedrock.
Saraton soils have a cooler mean annual air temperature.
Tinaja soils are greater than 102 centimeters (40 inches) to bedrock.
Uplers and Yatne soils are greater than 152 centimeters (60 inches) to bedrock.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: erosion remnants
Slopes: 2 to 6 percent
Parent material: residuum and calcareous loamy eolian material over limestone
Mean annual temperature: 12 to 14 degrees C. (54 to 58 degrees F)
Average annual precipitation: 40 to 51 centimeters (16 to 20 inches)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Atchison and Wagonbed soils.
Atchison soils are very deep, have less than 15 percent rock fragments in the control section and are on lower positions.
Wagonbed soils are very deep, have a fine-silty control section and are on lower positions.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are mainly used for rangeland.
Native vegetation is short and mid prairie grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwest Kansas. The series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Morton County, Kansas, 1995.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 10 centimeters (0 to 4 inches) (A horizon)
Mollic Epipedon: when this horizon meets the color requirements, it fails to meet the thickness requirements
Calcic horizon: 33 to 71 centimeters (13 to 28 inches) (Bk horizon)
Note: Some pedons may have a C horizon.

This series replaces the soils formerly mapped as Potter.
May 2005 OSD was reclassified and updated to semi-tab format JCW.

Modified format by LRM in 1/2006 to include metric conversion and change permeability to saturated hydraulic conductivity.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.