LOCATION OLNEY CO+MT NE UT WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Olney loamy sand, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 5 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable; neutral (pH 7/2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
BA--5 to 8 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable; few faint clay films on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bt--8 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, common faint clay films on faces of peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 24 inches thick)
Btk--16 to 22 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist, weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse subangular blocky; hard, friable; few faint clay films on faces of peds; about 3 percent pebbles; calcium carbonate occurring as concretions, thin seams and streaks, and as coatings on the sand and pebble fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bk1--22 to 24 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable; secondary calcium carbonate occurring as concretions, in thin streaks, and in finely divided marl-like forms; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual irregular boundary. (10 to 16 inches thick)
Bk2--24 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable; calcium carbonate occurring as concretions, and in thin seams and streaks; less accumulated calcium carbonate in this horizon than in the one above; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2). (Several feet thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Crowley County, Colorado; approximately 300 feet west of the S1/4 corner of Sec. 18, T. 21 S., R. 59 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 49 to 54 degrees F. Depth to calcareous material ranges from 10 to 28 inches and thickness of the solum, to the base of the Bt horizon, ranges from 12 to 40 inches. Organic carbon in the upper 15 inches averages about .7 to .8 percent and ranges from .3 to 1.2 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist and chroma of 2 through 4. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bt horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 2 through 4. It is typically sandy clay loam, and contains 18 to 35 percent clay, 5 to 35 percent silt, 40 to 75 percent sand, with more than 35 percent fine sand or coarser. Rock fragments range from 0 to 15 percent, and are dominantly of gravel size. This horizon is neutral to moderately alkaline (pH 7.0 to 7.8), and has exchange capacity of 12 to 20 milli-equivalents per 100 grams of soil.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is moderately or strongly alkaline (pH 8.0 to 8.6). This horizon typically contains about 12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the strongest part and ranges from 8 to 14 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the Balon (AZ), Barx (UT), Bowbac (WY), Buckle (NM), Cambria (WY), Cerrillos (NM), Clovis (NM), Cushman (WY), Decolney (WY), Fattig (MT), Fernando (NM), Flaco (NM), Forkwood (WY), Gaddes (AZ), Gapbutte (T)(AZ), Hagerman (NM), Harbord (CO), Hiland (WY), Los Alamos (NM), Maysdorf (WY), Millett (AZ), Oelop (NM), Palacid (NM), Penistaja (NM), Pokeman (WY), Potts (WY), Progresso (CO), Pugsley (WY), Quagwa (AZ), Redpen (T)(NM), Scholle (NM), Selpats (T)(WY), Spangler (WY), Spenlo (UT), Sundance (CO), Tapia (NM), Teckla (T)(WY), Threetop (WY), Toluca (MT), Tuweep (AZ), and Yenlo (CO) series. Balon, Decolney, and Gaddes, soils lack horizons of lime accumulation. Bowbac, Cushman, Fattig, Flaco, Gapbutte, Hagerman, Pokeman, Pugsley, Spangler, and Threetop soils have bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Cambria soils have sola, 10 inches or less to the base of the Bt horizon. Cerrillos, Clovis, Fernando, Progresso, Scholle, Tapia, and Toluca soils have a calcic horizon. Barx soils are moist in some part in the 4 months following the summer solstice. Forkwood, Harbord, Potts, and Tuweep soils have less than 35 percent fine and coarser sand in the control section. Los Alamos soils have significant amounts of pumice and ash in the particle-size control section. Maysdorf and Penistaja soils typically have hue of 5YR or redder in the upper part of the Bt horizon. Millett soils typically contain more than 15 percent gravel in the particle-size control section and have hue of 5YR or redder. Spenlo soils lack Ck horizons within a depth of 40 inches. Sundance soils have lithologic discontinuities formed from eolian sands on top of loess and the argillic horizon formed in both materials. Buckle soils have clay greater than 18 percent below depths of 22 inches. Yenlo soils have annual soil temperature of 47 to 52 degrees F. and have moisture control sections that are dry for 15 consecutive days during May and June. Hiland soils are dry in some part of the soil moisture control section for at least 90 cumulative days whan the soil temperature at 20 inches is 41 degrees F. or more. The Oelop, Quagwa, and Redpen soils are driest in May and June. In addition, Redpen soils have hues of 5YR and redder. Palacid soils have less than 35 percent fine sand and coarser in the particle-size control section. The Selpats and Teckla soils have skeletal discontinuities at 24 and 30 inches respectively.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Olney soils are on hills and plains and have slope gradients of 1 to 15 percent. The soils formed in eolian material from Ogallala or similar sediments. The mean annual precipitation is 11 to 15 inches, 8 to 9 inches of which falls during the months of April through August.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ascalon, Harvey, and Vona soils and the competing Fort Collins and Stoneham soils. Ascalon soils have a mollic epipedon. Harvey soils have a calcic horizon. Vona soils have a coarse-loamy control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low to medium runoff; moderately slow to moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used primarily as irrigated cropland, or as native pastureland. Under dryland conditions, principal crops are beans, wheat and sorghum. Native vegetation is mainly short grasses, principally blue grama, galleta, three-awn, and dropseed, sand sage, and minor amounts of needlegrass, sideoats grama, prairie grass, sand reedgrass, and yucca.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Colorado and adjacent parts of Nebraska and Wyoming. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Big Horn County, Montana, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features include an argillic horizon from 8 to 22 inches. Last updated by the state 2/94.