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22-Julesburg loamy sand, 0 to 3 percent slopes.
<br />This is a deep, well drained, sandy soil on smooth
<br />plains in the north-and south-central parts of the
<br />county. It formed in eolian sand. The areas of this soil
<br />are generally elongated and are up to 400 acres in size.
<br />Included in the mapped areas are Haxtun loamy
<br />sand and Dailey loamy sand. These included soils
<br />make up as much as 25 percent of the map unit.
<br />Typically, the surface layer is grayish brown
<br />loamy sand about I I inches thick. The subsoil is
<br />brown fine sandy loam about 23 inches.thick. The
<br />substratum, to a depth of 54 inches, is brown loamy
<br />sand and fine sandy loam. Below that, it is very pale
<br />brown, calcareous fine sandy loam or fine sand.
<br />Permeability is moderately rapid in the subsoil
<br />and rapid below the subsoil. The available water
<br />capacity is moderate. The effective rooting depth is
<br />more than 60 inches. Surface runoff is slow. Water
<br />erosion is a slight hazard, and soil blowing is a severe
<br />hazard.
<br />About three-fourths of the acreage of this map
<br />unit is rangeland. About one-fourth is used for
<br />irrigated corn, hay, and pasture grasses. In some places
<br />this soil was once dry farmed but has been seeded
<br />back to grass.
<br />The main concerns in managing irrigated cropland
<br />are controlling soil blowing, which can result in large
<br />losses of the organic matter in the soil, and
<br />maintaining soil fertility. Soil blowing can be
<br />controlled by leaving crop residue lying on the surface
<br />or as standing stubble when crops are not grown.
<br />Crops can be seeded directly into the crop residue,
<br />which serves as a protective mulch for emerging
<br />seedlings. Grasses and legumes grown in rotation
<br />about one-fourth of the time help to restore the organic
<br />matter lost through soil blowing. Decomposition of
<br />organic matter in the soil has a stabilizing effect that
<br />helps the soil resist soil blowing.
<br />This soil is best suited to sprinkler irrigation.
<br />Frequent light applications of water, particularly early
<br />in the growing season, make the most efficient use of
<br />water. Fertilizers that add nitrogen and phosphorus to
<br />the soil, applied at rates determined by soil tests,
<br />normally increase the yield of irrigated crops. Liberal
<br />applications of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers are
<br />needed where substratum material has been exposed
<br />by soil blowing.
<br />The main concerns in managing nonirrigated
<br />cropland are controlling soil blowing and conserving
<br />moisture. This soil is best suited to grain sorghum;
<br />however, small grains can also be grown. To help
<br />maintain the organic matter content and soil structure,
<br />an alfalfa-grass or grass mixture should be grown for 2
<br />or 3 years and then alternated with annual crops. Crop
<br />residue can be left on the soil to reduce the hazard of
<br />soil blowing. Light applications of nitrogen fertilizer
<br />normally increase crop yields and the amount of crop
<br />residue produced. Crops should be planted at right
<br />angles to the prevailing wind, and the newly planted
<br />field should be in a ridged condition. Ridges
<br />equivalent to those left by a deep furrow drill are most
<br />effective.
<br />The potential native vegetation is dominantly sand
<br />bluestem, needleandthread, prairie sandreed,
<br />switchgrass, sand sagebrush, and blue grama.
<br />Continuous heavy grazing will cause sand bluestem,
<br />switchgrass, and sandreed to decrease in the plant
<br />community, and blue grama, sand sagebrush, and sand
<br />dropseed will increase. Extreme heavy use of rangeland
<br />will cause annual grasses and weeds to invade.
<br />Badly depleted rangeland can be improved by
<br />interseeding with a mixture selected from sand
<br />bluestem, sideoats grama, prairie sandreed, switchgrass,
<br />and indiangrass. After seeding, grazing should be
<br />deferred until the end of the second growing season.
<br />Nonirrigated fields can be seeded by drilling the grass
<br />seed in a clean, firm seedbed of sorghum or millet
<br />stubble. Other effective range management practices
<br />include deferred grazing and management of sand
<br />sagebrush. Wildlife habitat, especially for openland and
<br />rangeland wildlife, is an important secondary use for
<br />this soil. Habitat favorable for ring-necked pheasant,
<br />mourning dove, and many nongame species can be
<br />developed on cropland by establishing nesting and
<br />escape cover. Undisturbed nesting cover is vital for
<br />pheasants. American plum, sand cherry, cotoneaster,
<br />and similar species can provide food. Trees and shrubs
<br />suitable for use in windbreaks can provide cover.
<br />Rangeland wildlife, for example, the pronghorn
<br />antelope,-can be encouraged by developing livestock
<br />watering facilities, by properly grazing livestock, and
<br />by range seeding, where needed.
<br />This soil generally is suited to windbreaks and
<br />environmental plantings. Soil blowing is the principal
<br />limitation to establishing trees and shrubs. This
<br />limitation can be overcome by cultivating only in the
<br />tree row and by leaving a strip of vegetation between
<br />the rows.
<br />Supplemental irrigation is necessary at the time of
<br />planting and during dry periods. The trees that are best
<br />adapted and that have a good chance of survival are
<br />Rocky Mountain juniper, ponderosa pine, Siberian elm,
<br />Russian-olive, and hackberry; the shrubs are skunkbush
<br />sumac, lilac, and Siberian peashrub. This soil is suited
<br />to use as homesites, but, because of the low bearing
<br />strength of the soil, foundation footings need to be
<br />sufficiently wide to provide a safety margin of support
<br />for the weight of buildings. This soil is well suited to
<br />use as septic tank filter fields.
<br />Capability subclass Ille, nonirrigated and irrigated.
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