LOCATION DALE OK+KSEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, thermic Pachic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Dale silt loam--cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; hard, friable; many fine roots; many wormcasts; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
A--7 to 21 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; hard, friable; many fine roots; many wormcasts; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 26 inches thick)
Bw--21 to 40 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium granular; hard, friable; few fine roots; few wormcasts; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
C--40 to 60 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) silt loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, friable; few fine roots; few wormcasts; few films and soft masses of calcium carbonates; calcareous; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Oklahoma; about 1 mile east of Harrah; 4,000 feet south and 900 feet east of northwest corner of sec. 30, T. 12 N., R. 2 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to soft powdery secondary lime ranges from 20 to 60 inches. Thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 20 to 50 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is silt loam, loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
The Bw horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 to 8. Texture is silt loam, loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam. Reaction ranges from slightly acid through moderately alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 8. The C horizon typically has texture silt loam, loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam; below 50 inches some pedons contain thin strata of loamy fine sand, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam. The C horizon contains few films and soft masses of calcium carbonate. The C horizon is slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Buttermilk (KS) series in this family. Soils in similar families are Keokuk (OK), Port (OK), and Reinach (OK) series. Buttermilk soils have electrical conductivity of the saturated extract of 2 to 16 d/Sm throughout. Port soils have organic matter content that decrease irregularly as depth increases and is more than 0.5 percent at a depth of 50 inches. Keokuk and Reinach soils have less than 18 percent clay in the control section. In addition, Keokuk soils have a mollic epipedon less than 20 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Dale soils are on nearly level to sloping high flood plains in the Central Rolling Red Prairies (MLRA 80A). Slope gradients range from 0 to 8 percent. The majority of the acreage is nearly level. Less acreage is very gently sloping in concave drainageways that occur within the larger areas of the nearly level soils of the flood plains. The soils are formed in loamy alluvium. The climate is dry or moist subhumid. Mean Annual Precipitation: 26 to 38 inches. Mean Annual Air Temperature: 57 to 64 degrees F. Frost free days is 190 to 230. Elevation ranges from 700 to 1500 feet. Thornthwaite Annual P-E indices: 44 to 64.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brewer (OK), Canadian (OK), Crisfield (KS), Lela (OK), McLain (OK), Port (OK), Reinach (OK) and Yahola (OK) series. Port soils are on lower landscapes. Brewer, Lela, and McLain soils are on similar landscapes but in a slightly lower position farther from the stream and have more than 35 percent clay in the control section. Canadian, Crisfield, and Reinach soils are on slightly higher landscapes nearer to the stream, and Canadian, and Crisfield soils have a mollic epipedon less than 20 inches thick. In addition, Canadian and Crisfield soils have a coarse-loamy control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; negligible to medium runoff; moderate permeability. The saline phase has an apparent water table between 4.5 and 6 feet during the winter and spring months.
USE AND VEGETATION: Dominantly cultivated to alfalfa, small grains, grain sorghums, and cotton. Small areas are used for range or tame pastures. Native vegetation is tall and mid grasses with pecan, black walnut, bur oak, and eastern cottonwood trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Rolling Red Prairies (MLRA-80A) of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. The soil is moderately extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Okfuskee County, Oklahoma; 1940.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 40 inches (the A and Bw horizons).
Cambic horizon - the zone from 21 inches to a depth of 40 inches (the Bw horizon).
Soil Interpretation Record: OK0051 Series
OK0053 Saline