LOCATION BUTLER             NE+KS

BUTLER SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Vertic Argiaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Butler silt loam with a slope of less than 1 percent in a cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 10 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular; slightly hard, friable; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)

E--10 to 12 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) silt loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak fine platy structure; soft, friable; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)

Bt1--12 to 23 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay, black (10YR 2/1) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm; thin dark coatings on faces of peds; few fine dark brown soft rounded masses (iron-manganese); neutral; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt2--23 to 32 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay, black (10YR 2/1) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm; thin dark coatings on faces of peds; many fine dark brown soft rounded masses (iron-manganese); slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 12 to 50 inches.)

BC--32 to 38 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) silty clay loam, dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; few fine masses of calcium carbonate; strong effervescence; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) soft masses (iron-manganese); moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)

C1--38 to 50 inches; gray (5Y 6/1) silt loam, dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)

C2--50 to 60 inches; gray (5Y 6/1) silt loam, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Thayer County, Nebraska; about 1/2 mile south and 3 miles west of Carlton; 1850 feet east and 50 feet south of the northwest corner, sec. 26, T. 4 N., R 4 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is wet from March to July; Aquic moisture regime
Mean annual soil temperature: 48 to 55 degrees F.

Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 24 to 80 inches within the soil matrix; common, 2 to 10 mm, firm, white (5Y 8/2) carbonates as masses or concretion exists from 30 to greater than 40 inches

Depth to redoximorphic features: If not masked by the dark soil color, concentrations begin at the base of the E horizon and extend to a depth of greater than 80 inches. These concentrations range from few to many, faint to prominent, (brown(7.5YR 4/4) to yellowish brown (10YR 5/6)). They are fine to coarse in size and exists as weakly cemented masses. Also included are few, faint (10YR or 2.5Y(2/1 or 0) fine, black, soft masses of Iron-Manganese

Depth to episaturation: 0 to 24 inches from March to July

Depth to contact of albic horizon: 6 to 14 inches (Because of tillage, albic horizon may indistinct or not present in all pedons)

Thickness of mollic epipedon: 7 to 40 inches

Thickness of the solum: 24 to 80 inches; depth to abrupt textural change: 6 to 17 inches

Vertic features: The presence of linear extensibility of 6.0 cm or more at 12 to 38 inches.

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 45 to 55 percent
Sand content: 1 to 12 percent

Ap or A horizons:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Reaction: Strongly acid to slightly acid

E horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 moist
Chroma: 1
Texture: Silt loam
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Reaction: Strongly acid to slightly acid

Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: Silty clay or clay
Clay content: 45 to 55 percent
Reaction: Moderately acid to slightly alkaline

BC horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: Silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 32 to 45 percent
Reaction: Neutral to moderately alkaline

C horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: Silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Reaction: Neutral to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Courtney and Olbut series in the same family. Courtney soils formed in alluvium from basic igneous rocks and contain coarse fragments.
Olbut soils contain appreciable amounts of exchangeable sodium and are shallower to free carbonates

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: Loess
Landform: Swales on uplands and high stream terraces.
Slopes: 0 to 2 percent
Mean annual temperature: 48 to 55 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 22 to 30 inches
Frost-free period: 150 to 175 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Crete, Fillmore, Hastings, Holdrege, Scott and Wymore soils.
Crete soils are not saturated and occur on a higher landscape position.
Fillmore soils are lower on the landscape.
Hastings and Holdrege soils have less clay in the subsoil and are better drained. They are higher on the landscape.
Scott soils are saturated in the soil moisture control section for longer periods during the growing season and are lower on the landscape.
Wymore soils are dry in the soil moisture control section for longer periods and are higher on the landscape.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; low runoff, permeability is very slow. These soils are saturated at a depth of 6 inches to a depth of about 2 feet by a perched water table during part of the growing season in most years.

USE AND VEGETATION: Nearly all cultivated. Sorghum and winter wheat are the principal dryland crops. Corn, sorghum, and alfalfa are the principal crops where the soils are irrigated.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mainly in south-central Nebraska and adjoining parts of north-central Kansas. The Butler series is extensive.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butler County, Nebraska, 1924.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 12 to 32 inches. (Bt horizons)
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 10 inches and 12 to 38 inches. (Bt and BC horizons)
Albic horizon: The zone from 10 to 12 inches. (E horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 12 to 32 inches. (Bt horizons)
Redoximorphic concentrations: In the zone from 12 to 38 inches. (Bt and BC horizons)
Vertic features: The presence of linear extensibility of 6.0 cm or more at 12 to 38 inches. (Bt and BC horizons)
Episaturation: The zone of saturation is at 0 to 24 inches. (Bt horizons) Abrupt textural change: At the upper boundary of the Bt horizon.

OSD Modification:6/2002RRZ changed zone of saturation to 0 to 24 inches.