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<br />grasslands by good livestock grazing management, by
<br />fencing to permit the free movement of antelope, and by
<br />developing livestock watering facilities.
<br />This soil generally is suited to windbreaks and
<br />environmental plantings. The hazard of soil blowing is
<br />the principal limitation to establishing trees and shrubs.
<br />This limitation can be overcome by cultivating only in the
<br />tree row and by leaving a strip of vegetation between the
<br />rows. 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.
<br />This soil is suited to use as homesites, but, because of
<br />the low bearing strength of the soil, foundation footings
<br />need to be wide enough to provide a safety margin of
<br />support for the weight of buildings. This soil is well suited
<br />to use as septic tank filter fields.
<br />Capability subclass Ille, nonirrigated and irrigated.
<br />27-Las Animas fine sandy loam. This is a deep,
<br />poorly drained, nearly level soil on flood plains of the
<br />Republican and Arikaree Rivers. It formed, in recent
<br />alluvium. The areas of the soil are elongated and range
<br />to 600 acres in size. Slopes are no more than 2 percent.
<br />Included in mapping are areas of Glenberg fine sandy
<br />loam and Bankard sandy loam, which make up about 15
<br />percent of this map unit, and areas of Platte fine sandy
<br />loam, which make up about 5 percent.
<br />Typically, the surface layer is grayish brown sandy
<br />loam about 7 inches thick. The underlying material, to a
<br />depth of about 34 inches, is light gray sandy loam; to a
<br />depth of about 51 inches, it is gray coarse sandy loam;
<br />and to a depth of 60 inches or more, it is gray coarse
<br />sand.
<br />Permeability is moderately rapid. The available water
<br />capacity is moderate. The salinity of the surface layer
<br />varies from place to place and ranges from low to high.
<br />The effective rooting depth is 60 inches or more. Surface
<br />runoff is slow. Water erosion is a slight hazard, and soil
<br />blowing is a severe hazard. The water table is at a depth
<br />of about 18 inches. This soil is occasionally flooded for a
<br />brief period.
<br />Most of the acreage of this map unit is native
<br />rangeland. Some small areas are part of cultivated fields.
<br />This soil is only moderately well suited to use as
<br />cropland because of wetness and salinity.
<br />The main concerns in managing irrigated cropland
<br />include controlling soil blowing and reducing the salt
<br />content. Soil blowing can be controlled by leaving crop
<br />residue on the surface when crops are not grown. Crops
<br />can be seeded directly into the crop residue, which
<br />serves as a protective mulch that can prevent damage to
<br />emerging seedlings by soil blowing. This soil is best
<br />suited to salt-tolerant crops, barley, sugar beets, or tall
<br />wheatgrass for pasture.
<br />This soil is best suited to sprinkler irrigation, but
<br />surface irrigation is feasible with land leveling. Fertilizers
<br />Soil survey
<br />that add nitrogen and phosphorus to the soil, applied at
<br />rates determined by soil tests, normally increase the
<br />yield of irrigated crops. The salt content in the surface
<br />layer can be reduced by irrigating more than is normal
<br />for this soil and for the crops grown. This should be
<br />done annually with the first irrigation and perhaps more
<br />often because salts tend to accumulate in the surface as
<br />water evaporates.
<br />On nonirrigated cropland, this soil is best suited to
<br />barley and grain sorghum. The soil needs to be
<br />protected from soil blowing throughout the year. Leaving
<br />crop residue as standing stubble when crops are not
<br />grown and stripcropping can help to control soil blowing.
<br />Cropland can be converted to grass by seeding with a
<br />mixture selected from western wheatgrass, tall
<br />wheatgrass, slender wheatgrass, switchgrass, or alkali
<br />sacaton.
<br />The potential native vegetation on this soil is
<br />dominantly sacaton, switchgrass, western wheatgrass,
<br />inland saltgrass, sedges, and Baltic rush. Overgrazing
<br />the range will cause alkali sacaton, switchgrass, and
<br />western wheatgrass to decrease in the plant community,
<br />and inland saltgrass, alkali bluegrass, foxtail barley,
<br />rushes, sedges, and forbs will increase.
<br />Range in poor condition can be improved by seeding.
<br />A mixture of big' bluestem, switchgrass, indiangrass, or
<br />singly, western wheatgrass, intermediate, or tall
<br />wheatgrass can be used in seeding. A proper seedbed
<br />must be prepared.
<br />Wildlife habitat is an important use for this soil
<br />because of its proximity to the Arikaree and Republican
<br />Rivers. On cropland, wildlife such as waterfowl,
<br />pheasant, and deer utilize the crop residue. Wildlife
<br />habitat can be improved on this soil by planting trees
<br />and shrubs and establishing undisturbed nesting cover of
<br />grasses and legumes. Waterfowl can be attracted to the
<br />area by developing shallow-water areas.
<br />On nonirrigated land, this soil can provide habitat for
<br />antelope, lark bunting, and other rangeland wildlife. The
<br />trees and shrubs recommended for use in windbreaks
<br />can be established to improve the habitat for openland
<br />wildlife.
<br />This soil generally is well suited to windbreaks and
<br />environmental plantings. Poor drainage and the
<br />abundant and persistent vegetation are the principal
<br />limitations to establishing trees and shrubs. Continued
<br />cultivation for weed control and careful plant selection
<br />are needed to insure the survival of plantings. The trees
<br />that are best adapted and that have a good chance of
<br />survival are Russian-olive and Rocky Mountain juniper;
<br />the shrubs are American plum, purple willow, common
<br />chokecherry, and redosier dogwood.
<br />This soil is poorly suited to use as homesites because
<br />of the flood hazard and wetness.
<br />Capability subclass Illw, nonirrigated and irrigated.
<br />28-Las Animas loam. This is a deep, poorly drained
<br />soil on flood plains along the North Fork of the
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