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2H SOIL SURVEY Typically the surface layer is a dark grayish brown sandy loam about 5 inches thick. The subsoil is a dark grayish brown heavy sandy loam and sandy clay loam about 18 inches thick. The substratum is light brownish gray, calcareous sandy clay loam about 18 inches thick over light brawn coarse sand and gravel that extends to 60 inches or more. Permeability is moderate. Effective rooting depth is 60 inches or more. Available water capacity is moderate. Surface runoff is medium, and the erasion harard is moderate. These soils are used almost entirely for grazing. They are not suited to cropland because of the low available water capacity of the Dix soil, the slope, and the erosion hazard. Small isolated areas are used for nonirrigated cropland, but are best seeded back to grass. Rangeland vegetation of the Dix soil consists mainly of blue grams, side-oats grams, little bluestem, and sedge. Rangeland vegetation of the Altvan soil consists mainly of blue grams, buffalograss, western wheatgrass, and sedge. Proper grazing use and planned grazing systems are the most important management practices to maintain quantity and quality of desirable vegetation. Combina- tions of stockwater development, fencing and deferred grazing during the grazing season help improve and main- tain range condition. Range seeding will speed the revegetation of areas depleted by heavy grazing, cultiva- tion or other disturbances. Contour furrowing and pitting are practices that improve water infiltration and reduce runoff and are especially effective on rangeland areas in poor and fair condition of the Altvan soil. Windbreaks and environmental plantings are difficult to establish on these soils. Limited available water capaci- ty, depth to sand and gravel, and slope are the principal concerns in establishing tree and shrub plantings. Special care consisting of summer fallow a year in advance of plantings, planting on the contour, continued cultivation for weed control, and supplemental water is needed to in- sure establishment and survival of plantings. Trees best suited and having good survival are Rocky Mountain ju- niper, eastern redcedar, ponderosa pine and Siberian elm. Shrubs best adapted are skunkbush sumac and lilac. Rangeland wildlife such as antelope, cottontail and coyote are best adapted on these soils. The relief, natura springs and native vegetation provide food and cover Areas of these soils provide sites that can be readily developed and managed for wildlife. Proper livestoc grazing management is necessary if livestock and wildlif share the range. Watering facilities are also importan and are utilized by various wildlife species. The positio of these soils in relationship to cropland makes it valuabl as escape cover areas for openland wildlife, especiall pheasants. Slope is the primary limiting soil feature where thes soils are used for homesites or other urban developments Intensive engineering designs and measures ure neede to minimize the slope limitations. Where the soils are can sidered for a sewage lagoon system, special sealin methods are required to overcome excessive seepage. Cap~ab~lity subclass VIe nonirrigated. X~25-D' -Eckley complex, 5 to 25 percent slopes. Thes oderately sloping to moderately steep soils are on avelly uplands in the northern part of the county. The average annual precipitation ranges from 17 to 19 inches. Dix gravelly sandy loam, 9 to 25 percent slopes, makes up about 50 percent of the mapping unit and Eckley sandy loam, 5 to 18 percent slopes, about 30 percent. The Dix sails arc on steeper crests and ridges. The Eckley soils are at midslope. About 20 percent of this unit is Chappell sandy loam, 3 to 0 percent slopes, and Altvan sandy loam, 5 to 9 percent slopes. The Chappell soil is on the narrow elongated drainageways, fans and foot slopes. The Altvan soil is on mid slope and foot slope positions. The Dix soil is a sleep, somewhat excessively drained, gravelly soil. It formed in very gravelly alluvia] deposits of the Ogallala Formation. Typically the surface layer is dark grayish brown gravelly sandy loam about 4 inches thick. The subsoil is dark grayish brown gravelly coarse sandy loam about 14 inches thick. The substratum is a reddish yellow gravelly coarse sand and gravel (fig. 7) to a depth of GO inches or more. Permeability is rapid. Effective rooting depth is 60 inches or more. Available water capacity is low. Surface runoff is rapid, and the water erosion hazard is high. The Eckley soil is a deep, well drained soil. It formed in strat~ed gravelly alluvial materials of the Ogallala For- mation. Typically the surface layer is dark grayish brown gravelly loam about 3 inches thick. The subsoil is dark brown gravelly sandy clay loam about 17 inches thick. The substratum is light brown, gravelly coarse sand to GO inches or more. Permeability is moderate. The effective rooting depth is 60 inches or more. Available water capacity is moderate. Surface runoff is medium, and the water ero- sion hazard is high. These soils are used almost entirely for grazing. They are not suited to cropland because of the low available water capacity of the Dix soil, the slope, and the erosion 1 hazard. Small isolated areas are used for nonirrigated cropland, including mainly odd field boundaries and cor- ners. These areas are usually severely eroded and are k best seeded back to grass. e Rangeland vegetation of both soils consists mainly of t blue grams, side-oats grams, little bluestem, buffalograss, n and sedge. Proper grazing use and planned grazing e systems are needed on these soils to maintain the key y forage species in good vigor. Periodic summer deferment is beneficial in reaching the objectives of range improve- e ment and maintenance of high range conditions. Fencing and careful location of watering sites help improve dis- d tribution of grazing use. - Windbreaks and environmental plantings are difficult g to establish on these soils. Limited available water capaci-