LOCATION WATHENA            KS+NE
Established Series
Rev MTS-CEW-ADS
02/2006

WATHENA SERIES


The Wathena series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in sandy alluvium. Wathena soils are on nearly level to rolling natural levees on flood plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 4 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 37 inches. Mean annual air temperature is about 54 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Mollic Udifluvents

TYPICAL PEDON: Wathena loamy fine sand, on a 1 percent slope, in a soybean field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

Ap-- 0 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2), crushed, loamy fine sand; 4.0 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; common very fine and fine roots; slightly effervescent throughout (HCl, 1 normal); slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)

C1--9 to 37 inches; dark olive brown (2.5Y 3/3), crushed, stratified loamy fine sand; 3.0 percent clay; massive; few fine roots; slightly effervescent throughout (HCl, 1 normal); slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (12 to 32 inches thick)

2C2--37 to 52 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2), crushed, stratified silt loam; 12.0 percent clay; few thin 1/2" strata of 10YR 4/1 (moist) silt loam; massive; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist iron accumulations; strongly effervescent throughout (HCl, 1 normal); moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.

2C3--52 to 64 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2), crushed, stratified silt loam and fine sand and silty clay loam; 1 to 5 inch strata of each texture throughout horizon; massive; 12.0 percent clay; 38.0 percent clay; 2.0 percent clay; few medium platelike black (N 2/0) soft masses of iron-manganese in cracks; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist iron accumulations and few fine distinct gray (10YR 6/1) moist iron depletions; strongly effervescent throughout (HCl, 1 normal); moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2C horizon is 12 to 35 inches.)

3C4--64 to 80 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2), crushed, fine sand; single grain; slightly effervescent throughout (HCl, 1 normal); slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Doniphan County, Kansas; about 2 miles southwest of Elwood; located about 80 feet south and 875 feet east of the northwest corner of section 1, T. 4 S., R. 22 E.; USGS Halls topographic quadrangle; lat. 39 degrees 44 minutes 52 seconds N. and long. 94 degrees 54 minutes 38 seconds W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture--udic moisture regime
Depth to lithologic discontinuities--16 to 43 inches and 28 to 75 inches
Thickness of the solum--4 to 11 inches
Calcareous throughout
Clay content in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--2 to 5 percent
Note--The particle-size control section contains less than 10 percent silt plus clay, and less than 40 percent silt plus clay plus very fine sand

Ap or A horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--3 to 5, 4 to 6 dry
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture--loamy fine sand
Clay content--2 to 5 percent
Reaction--neutral to moderately alkaline
Thickness--4 to 11 inches

C horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--3 to 5, 4 to 6 dry
Chroma--2 to 4
Texture--stratified loamy fine sand
Clay content--2 to 5 percent
Reaction--neutral to moderately alkaline
Thickness--12 to 32 inches

2C horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--3 to 6
Chroma-- or 3
Texture--stratified silt loam - strata consists of sandier or clayey materials
Clay content--3 to 35 percent
Reaction--slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Thickness--12 to 35 inches

3C horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--3 to 6
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture--loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sand, or sand
Clay content--2 to 5 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 15 percent
Reaction--slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES:
Morconick soils are in areas that have a mean annual air temperature range of 45 to 50 degrees F and mean annual precipitation range of 24 to 30 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--sandy alluvium
Landform--natural levees on flood plains
Slope--0 to 4 percent
Elevation--800 to 1,200 feet
Mean annual air temperature--53 to 55 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation--35 to 42 inches
Frost-free period--180 to 185 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Albaton soils are clayey and are in slight depressions on flood plains
Haynie soils are coarse silty and are on less undulating positions on the flood plain
Onawa soils are more clayey throughout and are on flats on flood plains
Sarpy soils lack strata of material finer than loamy fine sand in the 10 to 40 inch control section
Waldron soils are more clayey throughout and are on flats on flood plains

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class--moderately well drained
Runoff--low
Permeability--rapid or moderately rapid
Flooding--occasional unless protected by levees for brief periods during the months of November through June.

USE AND VEGETATION: Native vegetation commonly is a thin stand of native grasses and sandburrs or cottonwood and willow trees. Cultivated areas are in pasture or are used to grow alfalfa, corn, oats, soybeans, or wheat.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: LRR M, MLRA 107; mainly along the Missouri River in Kansas; small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Doniphan County, Kansas, 1994.

REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from 10 to 40 inches (C1 horizon).

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
ochric epipedon--the zone from 0 to 9 inches. (Ap horizons).

This soil replaces the Sarpy soil along the Missouri River.

Taxonomic Version: Eighth edition, 1998

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Series T Value--5
Surface K value--0.17
Surface Wind Erodibility Group--2
Surface Wind Erodibility Index--134


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.