LOCATION PLATTE             NE+KS SD

PLATTE SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Aeric Fluvaquents

TYPICAL PEDON: Platte loam with a slope of less than 1 percent in irrigated cropland. When described, the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 13 centimeters (0 to 5 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--13 to 20 centimeters (5 to 8 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) very fine sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; common medium distinct brown (7.5YR 5/4) iron masses in the soil matrix; weak medium and fine granular structure; soft; very friable; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined A horizon ranges from 15 to 23 centimeters (6 to 9 inches) thick)

C--20 to 41 centimeters (8 to 16 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) very fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; common fine to coarse distinct brown (7.5YR 5/4) iron masses in the matrix; massive; soft, very friable; strata of loamy sand in the lower part; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (13 to 20 centimeters (5 to 8 inches) thick)

2Cg--41 to 203 centimeters (16 to 80 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly coarse sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; single grain; loose; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Adams County, Nebraska; about 4 miles north and 2 1/2 miles west of Kenesaw, about 396 meters (1,300 feet) west and 320 meters (1050 feet) north of the southeast corner, sec. 6, T. 8 N., R. 12 W. Denman topographic quadrangle, lat. 40 degrees, 41 minutes, 9 seconds N; long. 98 degrees, 42 minutes, 35 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: moist from December through April and intermittently moist from May through December, driest months July through September
Depth to secondary carbonates: Greater than 203 centimeters (80 inches), allowed within 102 centimeters (40 inches)
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: typically disseminated throughout the A horizon but absent in some pedons
Depth to redoximorphic features: throughout profile
Redoximorphic features: common, fine and medium, yellowish brown to brown (10YR and 7.5 YR 4 to 5/4 to 6) iron masses or concentrations
Depth to endosaturation: .5 to 1 meter (1 to 3 feet)
Thickness of the mollic color: 15 to 23 centimeters (6 to 9 inches)
Depth to Rock Fragments: 25 to 51 centimeters (10 to 20 inches) below the soil surface

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 and 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loam or fine sandy loam, silty clay loam, silt loam, very fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy fine sand, and loamy sand
Reaction: moderately alkaline to neutral
Comment: Some pedons have an AC horizon

C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 to 8 and 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam, but ranges to include loamy fine sand, loamy sand, and sand in the lower part of some pedons
Rock fragments: Percent by volume of gravel ranges from 0 to 5 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline but ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline

2Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 to 8 and 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: coarse sand, gravelly coarse sand or gravelly sand
Rock fragments: Percent by volume of gravel is typically 15 to 35 percent but ranges from 2 to 35, the upper part commonly contains less gravel than the lower part, stratification of the sandy and gravelly layers is common
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline but ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: derived from 10 to 20 inches of sandy and loamy alluvium that is underlain by coarse sand to gravelly coarse sand
Landform: flood plains that are commonly dissected by remnant drainage channels
Slopes: 0 to 3 percent
Elevation: 457 to 1524 meters (1500 to 5000 feet)
Mean annual temperature: 8 to 12 degrees C (47 to 54 degrees F)
Mean annual soil temperature: 9 to 13 degrees C (49 to 56 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 36 to 76 centimeters (14 to 30 inches)
Frost-free period: 120 to 170 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alda, Barney, Gering, Gibbon, Gothenburg, Invale, Inglewood, Leshara, Lex, Lexsworth, McGraw, and Wann.
Alda: have coarse sand to gravelly coarse sand at depths of more than 20 inches, have a mollic epipedon
Barney: are saturated in the upper part of the particle size control section for longer periods during the growing season
Gering: have coarse sand to gravelly coarse sand at depths of more than 20 inches
Gibbon: have coarse sand to gravelly coarse sand at depths of more than 20 inches
Gothenburg: have coarse sand to gravelly coarse sand at depths less than 10 inches, and typically have loamy fine sand or coarser material in all layers in the particle size control sections
Inavale: do not have gravelly sand at depths less than 60 inches and have a seasonal high water table at depths below 3 feet
Inglewood: do not have gravelly sand at depths less than 60 inches and have a seasonal high water table at depths below 3 feet
Leshara: have coarse sand to gravelly coarse sand at depths of more than 20 inches, have a mollic epipedon
Lex: have coarse sand to gravelly coarse sand at depths of more than 20 inches, have a mollic epipedon
Lexsworth: are moderately well drained and have coarse sand or gravelly coarse sand at 20 to 40 inches
McGrew: have coarse sand to gravelly coarse sand at depths of more than 20 inches
Wann: have coarse sand to gravelly coarse sand at depths of more than 20 inches, have a mollic epipedon

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: somewhat poorly drained or poorly drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: high
Runoff: low
Depth of seasonal high water table: 0.5 to 1 meter (1.0 to 3.0 feet) highest in winter and early spring when water flow in the adjacent stream is highest, recedes during growing season to below 1 meter (4 feet) or more by late summer
Flooding: occasional to frequent

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas is in rangeland.
A small area is cultivated with crops of corn, grain sorghum and soybeans.
Native vegetation is mainly big bluestem, switchgrass, prairie cordgrass, and little bluestem.
In places there is a sparse stand of willow and cottonwood trees.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Nebraska, Colorado, South Dakota, and Kansas. The series is of large extent.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hall County, Nebraska, 1959.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Aquic conditions: 41 to 203 centimeters (16 to 80 inches) (2Cg horizon)
Some areas of these soils may classify as Aquic Ustifluvents.
These soils need additional water table studies to determine their proper placement in the classification system.
Some poorly drained Platte soils may be included in the McCuligan series.

ADDITIONAL DATA: