|
12
<br />Dunday Series
<br />SOIL SURVEY
<br />The Dunday series consists of deep, sandy, excessively
<br />drained soils that formed in wind - deposited sand. These
<br />soils are nearly level. Most areas are in valleys that extend
<br />into areas of Valentine soils.
<br />In a typical profile the surface layer is grayish -brown
<br />fine sand. It is about 12 inches thick, free of lime, and por-
<br />ous. The neat layer, about 13 inches thick, is brown loamy
<br />sand.
<br />Underlying this is pale -brown loamy coarse sand that
<br />extends to a depth of 40 inches. Below this depth is pale -
<br />brown medium sand that is free of lime and is very friable
<br />when moist.
<br />These soils are very rapidly permeable and have slow
<br />runoff. Natural fertility and available water holding ca-
<br />pacity are low.
<br />Most of the acreage is still in native grass, for which
<br />these soils are well suited. Only a few acres are cultivated.
<br />Typical profile of Dunday fine sand in native grassland
<br />(2,110 feet east and 85 feet south of the northeast corner of
<br />section 4, T. 8 N., R. 47 W.) :
<br />A1-0 to 12 inches, grayish -brown (10YR .ri /2) fine sand, very
<br />dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) when moist; weak,
<br />medium, granular structure; soft when dry, very
<br />friable when moist; nonealcareous' ; clear, smooth
<br />boundary.
<br />C1 -12 to 25 inches, brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand, dark
<br />brown (10YR 4/3) when moist; weak, coarse, pris-
<br />matic structure that breaks to weak, medium and
<br />coarse, subangular blocky; sligbtly hard when dry,
<br />very friable when moist; nonealcareous ; clear, smooth
<br />boundary.
<br />C2 -25 to 40 inches, pale -brown (10YR 6/3) loamy coarse
<br />sand, dark brown (10YR 4/3) when moist; weak,
<br />coarse, prismatic structure that breaks to weak,
<br />medium and coarse, subangular blocky; slightly bard
<br />when dry, very friable when moist; nonealcareous ;
<br />clear, smooth boundary.
<br />C3-40 to 60 inches, pale -brown (10YR 6/3) medium sand, dark
<br />brown (10YR 4/3) when moist; massive (structure-
<br />less) but breaks to single grain; soft when dry, very
<br />friable when moist; nonealcareous.
<br />The Dunday soils are fairly uniform in Phillips County, but
<br />the A horizon ranges from about 6 to 15 inches in thickness. In
<br />some areas Dunday soils are underlain by clay loam materials
<br />at depths of 40 inches or more.
<br />Dunday soils have a thicker surface layer than that of
<br />Valentine soils, and it is slightly less sandy. The subsoil of
<br />Dunday soils is sandier and less compact than that of Jules -
<br />burg soils.
<br />Dunday fine sand (0 to 3 percent slopes) Qu) occupies
<br />broad, undulating flats and valleys mainly in the north-
<br />western part of the county. The areas mapped border or
<br />extend into areas of Valentine soils. In general, areas of
<br />this Dunday soil are more than 40 acres in size and are
<br />irregular in shape.
<br />Included in mapping were a few areas of Haxtun loamy
<br />sand, 0 to 3 percent slopes.
<br />Soil blowing is a severe hazard in cultivated fields unless
<br />this soil is protected by grass, growing crops, or stubble
<br />mulch. Only irrigated areas are suitable for cultivation,
<br />and in these areas cultivation should be limited. For pro-
<br />tection against erosion, all crop residue should be left on
<br />the surface or worked into the soil. Capability units VIe -2
<br />(dryland) and IVs-1 (irrigated) ; Deep Sand range site;
<br />windbreak suitability group 2.
<br />Eckley Series
<br />The Eckley series consists of we'll- drained soils that
<br />formed in gravelly material deposited by water. Most
<br />areas of Eckley soils occur on side slopes along Frenchman
<br />Creek, Patent Creek, and other intermittent streams. These
<br />soils are strongly sloping to steep.
<br />In a typical profile the surface layer is grayish -brown
<br />gravelly loam about 4 inches thick. It is free of 'lime.
<br />The subsoil, about 6 inches thick, consists of dark -brown
<br />gravelly sandy clay loam and also is free of lime.
<br />Below the subsoil is light -brown sand and gravel that
<br />was deposited by water and grades to pale - yellow coarse
<br />sand. This layer is generally free of lime and loose, but
<br />it has few plant roots. In some places cobblestones are
<br />evident.
<br />These soils have moderate to rapid permeability and
<br />medium or slow runoff. The available water holding ca-
<br />pacity and natural fertility are low.
<br />These soils generally are not susceptible to washing or
<br />blowing, because almost all the acreage is in native grass.
<br />Only a few areas are cultivated. These soils are well suited
<br />as range.
<br />In Phillips County Eckley soils were snapped only in a
<br />soil association with the Platner soils and in a complex
<br />with Wages and Dix soils.
<br />Typical profile of an Eckley gravelly loam in native
<br />grass (270 feet south and 2,585 feet west of the northeast
<br />corner of section 17, T. 7 N., R. 47 W.) :
<br />A1-0 to 4 inches, grayish -brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam,
<br />very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) when moist;
<br />weak, fine granular structure; soft when dry, very
<br />friable when moist; nonealcareous ; about 35 percent
<br />is fine and coarse gravel; clear, smooth boundary.
<br />B2t-4 to 10 inches, dark -brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly sandy
<br />clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) when moist; weak
<br />to moderate, coarse, prismatic structure that breaks
<br />to weak to moderate, medium, subangular blocky;
<br />very hard when dry, very friable when moist; non-
<br />calcareous; very thin, nearly continuous clay bridges
<br />between peds ; bridges stained with very dark grayish
<br />brown (10YR 3/2) when moist; gradual, wavy
<br />boundary.
<br />IIC1 -10 to 35 inches, light -brown (7.5YR 6/4) coarse sand
<br />and gravel, brown (7.5YR 5/4) when moist; massive
<br />(structureless) ; very hard when dry, very friable
<br />when moist; nonealcareous; clear, wavy boundary.
<br />IIC2 -35 inches -1-, pale - yellow (2.5Y 7/4) gravelly coarse
<br />sand, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) when moist; mod-
<br />erate, coarse, prismatic structure that breaks to
<br />massive (structureless) ; very hard when dry, loose
<br />when moist; strongly calcareous.
<br />The A horizon ranges from 4 to 8 inches in thickness and
<br />is loam or gravelly loam in some places. The BA horizon
<br />ranges from 6 to 12 inches in thickness and is gravelly loam
<br />or gravelly sandy clay loam. In some places the underlying
<br />material contains some calcium carbonate. Depth to the under-
<br />lying gravel and coarse sand ranges from 10 to 20 inches.
<br />In contrast to Wages soils, Eckley soils do not have a layer
<br />of accumulated lime, have a coarser textured subsoil, and have
<br />sand and gravel at a depth of 10 to 20 inches. The subsoil of
<br />Eckley soils is more clayey than that of Dix soils.
<br />Haxtun Series
<br />The Haxtun series consists of deep, well- drained loamy
<br />sands and sandy loams of the uplands (fig. 5) . These
<br />soils are nearly level to moderately sloping and are mostly
<br />in the north- central and northwestern parts of the county.
<br />
|