LOCATION BETHANY            OK+KS

BETHANY SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Pachic Paleustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Bethany silt loam--cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; many fine roots; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

A--6 to 14 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable; many fine roots; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)

BA--14 to 18 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; many fine roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)

Bt1--18 to 36 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong fine and medium blocky structure; very hard, very firm; clay films on faces of peds; common fine roots; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)

Bt2--36 to 56 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse blocky structure; very hard, very firm; clay films on faces of peds; few fine roots; common fine concretions of iron-manganese; few fine concretions of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)

Bt3--56 to 72 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) silty clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; with common fine and coarse distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6) and reddish brown (5YR 5/4) redoximorphic accumulations; moderate medium and coarse blocky structure; very hard, very firm; discontinous clay films on faces of peds; few fine roots; common fine concretions of iron-manganese; few soft accumulations of calcium carbonate; few fine concretions of calcium carbonate; calcareous; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)

Bt4--72 to 80 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) silty clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; common coarse distinct brown (7.5YR 5/4) and red (2.5YR 5/6) redoximorphic accumulations; weak medium blocky structure; very hard, very firm; discontinous clay films on faces of some peds; few fine concretions of calcium carbonate; calcareous; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Oklahoma County, Oklahoma; about 1 mile east of Wheatland; 1,000 feet north and 200 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 28, T. 11 N., R. 4 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 60 inches. Thickness of the A horizon is 8 to 20 inches and thickness of the mollic epipedon is more than 20 inches. Depth to calcium carbonate range from 28 to 40 inches.

The Ap or A horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is silt loam or silty clay loam. The clay content ranges from 14 to 32 percent. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly alkaline.

The BA horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is silty clay loam or clay loam. The clay content ranges from 27 to 35 percent. Reaction is slightly acid to slightly alkaline.

The Bt1 horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is clay, silty clay, clay loam, or silty clay loam. The clay content ranges from 35 to 50 percent. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline.

The Bt2 horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 6. Texture is clay, silty clay, clay loam, or silty clay loam. The clay content ranges from 35 to 50 percent. Some pedons have a few to common redoximorphic accumulations in shades of brown. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline.

The Bt3 and Bt4 horizons have hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 6. Redoximorphic accumulations and depletions are in shades of yellow, red, gray, or brown. Some pedons have coarse redoximorphic features in the Bt4 horizon. Texture is clay, silty clay, clay loam, or silty clay loam. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are Darrouzett (TX), and Rotan (TX) series. Darrouzett, and Rotan, soils have carbonates within 28 inches of the surface and they are dry for longer periods of time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bethany soils are on nearly level or very gently sloping broad upland terraces in the Central Rolling Red Prairies. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. They formed in loess or alluvium of Pleistocene age over shale of Permian age. Mean Annual Precipitation: 26 to 38 inches. Mean Annual Temperature: 57 to 64 degrees F. Thornthwaite Annual P-E indices: 44 to 64. Frost free days range from 190 to 220. Elevation ranges from 950 to 1250 feet.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Kirkland, Norge, Pond Creek, Renfrow, Tabler, and Vanoss series. Norge, Pond Creek, and Vanoss soils are on similar landscapes and have less than 35 percent clay content in the control section. Kirkland and Renfrow soils are on similar landscapes and have COLE value of 0.07 or more. In addition, Kirkland soils have an abrupt textural change from the A horizon to the Bt horizon. Norge, Renfrow, and Vanoss soils have a mollic epipedon less than 20 inches thick. Tabler soils are on the same landscape in slightly lower positions, have COLE value of 0.07 or more, redoximorphic accumulations and depletions in the Bt horizon, and smectitic mineralogy.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; permeability is slow; runoff is medium on 0 to 1 percent slopes, and high on 1 to 5 percent slopes.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for small grains, grain sorghum, cotton and alfalfa. Some areas are used for tame pasture or rangeland. Native vegetation is mid and tall grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Rolling Red Prairies (MLRA-80A) of Oklahoma and Kansas. The series is extensive.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cleveland County, Oklahoma; 1947.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 36 inches.

Argillic horizon - the zone from 18 inches to 80 inches.

Soil Interpretation Record Number: OK0059 Bethany Series.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Survey Investigation Report No. 11, May 1967. Lab No. 5467-5473.