AN ANALYSIS OF THE NATURAL
LAND TYPES OF DEUEL COUNTY,
NEBRASKA

Thesis far The Dogma cf M. S.
MlCHiGsAN STATE COLLEGE
Rudoiph Uirich
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presented by

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Dateflbmgry 2. 1948

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AN ANALYSIS OF THE NATURAL LAND

TYPES OF DEUEL COUNTY, NEBRASKA

by

Rudolph Ulrich

 

A THESIS
Submitted to the Graduate School of Michigan
State College of Agriculture and Applied
Science in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE

Department of Soil Science

1948

TH ESIS

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11

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To J. O. Veatch, professor, and Dr. C. E. Miller,
head, Department of Soil Science, Michigan State Col-
lege, East Lansing, Michigan, appreciation is eXpressed
for guidance and constructive criticism in the pragma-
tion of the mangpcript.

Thanks is extended to Mr. W. W. Pate, former Chief,
Soil Conservation Surveys Division, Region 5, U. 8.

Soil ConserVation Service, Lincoln, Nebraska, for
providing a complete set of duplicate prints of the ori-
ginal field survey, and thereby making this study
possible.

Mr. Ross D. Greenawalt, party chief of Deuel County
soil survey and present State Soil Scientist of South
Dakota, U. 3. Soil Conservation Service, also extended

assistance for which the writer is grateful.

20319 i

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction.................................
Description of Deuel County, Nebraska........
I. Geography.............................
II. Geology...............................
Figure l, Diagrammatic profile showing
correlation of soil types and
geOIOgic formations...................

III. ClimatGOOOOOOOIOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOO....

Table 1, Climatic data over a 50 year period

at Lodgepole, Nebraska................
IV. Natural Vegetation...............o....
V. Soils.................................
Land Type Analysis...........................
I. Procedure.............................
Figure 2, Linear traverse record sheet....
Table 2, Tabular summary of Deuel Loess
Plains Land Type.....................
Table 3, Tabular summary of Chappell In-
trenched Valley Land Type............
Table 4, Tabular summary of Freeman Sand-

hills Land Typeooooc00090000000000...

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16

18
17
20
50
50
53

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57

39

iv

Graph 1, Graphical analysis of Deuel Loess
Plains Land Type.............................
Graph 2, Graphical analysis of Chappell In-
trenched Valley Land Type....................
Graph 3, Graphical analysis of Freeman Sand-
hills Land Type..............................
II. The Natural Land Types of Deuel County....
A. Deuel Loess Plains....................
B. Chappell Intrenched'Valley............
.C. Freeman Sandhills.....................
III. Significance of the Major and Minor
Components of the Land Types..............
A. Deuel Loess Plains....................
B. Chappell Intrenched.Valley............
C. Freeman Sandhills.....................

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-1-

INTRODUCTION

The term “natural land type" has appeared freouent-
1y in publications (1, 6, 9, ll, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19,
and 20)* in the past few years, and in discussions by
technologists interested in land classification and inven-
tory of land resources.

According to Veatch (16), a major natural land type
, in any geographic area is based upon the major relief
features or physiograph.c divisions to which are added
elements of soil, minor configuration features, and
natural vegetation. Refinements in the classification
of these elements provide criteria for the recognition
of minor land types. Land types may include a number
of soil types or a single soil type. Freouency, prepor-
tion, or the distribution pattern, of natural configura-
tion features such as lakes, sinkholes, streams, potholes,
swamps, and different kinds of soil characterize, as well
as suggest the prOper use and value of land types.

For the most part, the descriptions of natural land-
scapes in the literature have been impressionistic, ouali-

tative, or concerned with geologic origin. Quantitative

 

*
Literature cited in bibliography.

-2-

description is rarely attempted. For comparing landscapes,
for economic land classification, or land planning, ouan-
titative presentation of component parts by percentage

of area is more valuable than eualitative analysis. The
purpose of this thesis is to analyze nuantitatively the
natural land types in a selected area, as a test of the
foregoing concepts and postulations.

The natural land types classified and analyzed are
in Deuel County in the western part of Nebraska. This
area is a relatively simple landscape but was selected
because of the availability of detailed information
provided by a recently completed soil conservation sur-
vey. This survey offered an opportunity to study in
great detail the micro- relief and soil variations
present in a natural land type. In some instances, slepe
separations as small as one-half acre were delineated. .
~The predominating percent of slape was likewise very
closely delineated inasmuch as slopes of l, 2, and 5
percent were separated. These minute slepfseparations
were made because of the varying soil and moisture con-
servation recommendations on the gently 310ping, medium-
textured soils which comprise most of the county.

The soil conservation survey was made from 1940 to

1943 by the U. S. Soil Conservation Service as a basis

fer soil and moisture conservation recommendations in

the Deuel County Soil Conservation District. The initial
and progress inspections were made by the late Dr. F. A.
Hayes, Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. Department of Agri-
culture. The final inspection was made by B. H. Williams
of the same bureau. The field survey under the direction
of R. D. Greenawalt was accomplished upon 4 inch eoual

one mile aerial photographs. R. D. Greenawalt, D. F.
Bertelson, and John.Willard were the principal surveyors.
The writer was assigned to the district from December

1941 to April 1942.

DESCRIPTION OF DEUEL COUNTY, NEBRASKA

I. GEOGRAPHY

Deuel County is in the southeastern corner of that
section of western‘Nebraska which lies directly north
of the state of Colorado. The first permanent white
settlers came to the area in 1885. The county was organ-
ized on January 21, 1889 after a vote on November 6,

1888 which separated it from Cheyenne County to the
west. In 1909, the county was divided, and the major
portion lying to the north.was organized into Garden
County. In its present form, the county is rectangular
in outline having a length of 50 miles east to west and
15 miles north to south. According to census data, the
area is 459 square miles of which 455 square miles are
listed as dry land and 4 souare miles as water surface.
Chappell, with a pepulation of 1,095 in 1940, is the
county seat.

Physiographically, the county is a portion of the
High Plains. Here the gentle southeasterly-SIOping plain
is dissected into two tablelands by Lodgepole Creek and
the South Platte River. Lodgepole Creek, a perennially

flowing stream, enters the county midway along the

western border and flows southeasterly to a point midway
along the southern border after which it flows into Colo-
rado for a short distance and joins the South Platte

- River.

The much larger, but more erratic-flowing, South
Platte River flows northeasterly across the southeastern
corner of the county. For most of the year, the South
Platte River is almost dry because of the extensive stor-
age of its waters for irrigation purposes in northeastern
Colorado.

Lodgepole Creek and the South Platte River have only
a few short intermittent tributaries in Deuel County.
These minor drainageways, locally known as "sand draws“,
are rather deeply entrenched and have steeply sleping
gravelly and stony enclosing lepes. The largest and
most important of these intermittent streams are Sand
Draw, O'Neil Draw, Walrath Draw, and Dry Creek. A large
portion of the upland has no established drainage, and
most of the run-off collects in depressional areas where
it evaporates or slowly percolates into the soil.

The drainageways and low ridges of loose or sand on
the upland exhibit a northwest to southeast alignment.
This phenomenon (12) has been observed in many places on

the High Plains. The prevailing winds from the southeast

in the summer and northwest in the winter are generally
credited for this orientation of the surface features
and drainage from northwest to southeast irrespective of
structural bed rock conditions.

Bench marks of 5,928 feet, 5,795 feet, and 5,615
feet above sea level have been established by the U. S.
Geological Survey from.west to east across the upland of
the northern portion of the county. The elevation of
Chappell in the valley of Lodgepole Creek is 5,697 feet;
and Big Springs, in the South Platte River valley in
the southeastern corner of the county, has an elevation
of 5,570 feet.

The main line of the Union Pacific Railroad follows
the valleys of the South Platte River and Lodgepole Creek.
Lincoln Highway, U. S. No. 50, crosses the county from
east to west about equidistant from the north and south

county boundaries.
II. GEOLOGY

Surface configuration and many of the soil conditions
found in Deuel County are closely related to the sur-
face geologic formations. Various members of the Ogalla-
la formation of Pliocene age, together with Pleistocene

gravels, and loses of the Peorian interglaciel substage

-7-

are the principal geologic formations.

The oldest formation, the Brule Clay of Oligocene
age (21), is a pinkish to gray silty clay. It has no
known outcrOp in Deuel County, but it would be eXposed
in several places along the north side of Lodgepole
Creek valley west of Chappell if colluvial material did
not obscure its presence. A series of borings 50 to 60
feet deep were made in 1945 under the supervision of
Mr. E. C. Reed.* The borings were made in transects
across the valley of Lodgepole Creek from Colorado to
Wyoming. This survey revealed that Brule Clay is found
everywhere at very shallow depths under the recent gravel-
ly alluvium of Lodgepole Creek. Thus while the forma-
tion does not outcrOp, it is important because it rarely
yields water for drinking purposes or pump irrigation.

The most important bedrock formation upon which
soils are forming is the Ogallala formation. This forma-
tion rests unconformably upon Brule Clay. Older mem-
bers, principally Arikaree and Gering, of the White
River series are absent in this area. Either the older
formations were never deposited, or they were removed

by erosion after their deposition. The Ogallala formation

 

‘_
Unpublished information obtained in interview with
Mr. E. C. Reed, Assistant State Geologist, Dept. of
Conservation and Surveys, U. of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebr.

is thought to be 400 to 500 feet thick in Deuel County,
and it is divided into four members. From t0p to bot-
tom these are:

l. Kimball (Algal) limestone, 50 feet

2. Sidney gravels

5. Ash.Hollow limey sandstone, 150-250 feet

4. Valentine sandstone, 50-100 feet

The Ogallala formation is differentiated into these
member formations on the basis of lithology and fossil
seeds. In many places, the fossil seeds cannot be found;
and lithology such as color, induration, structure, and
mineralogic composition are employed to separate the
beds. Generally, the division between Valentine and
Ash.Hollow is set where fossil Krynitzkia seeds are
found. In addition, Valentine sandstone is more green-
ish, more massive, less limey, and less indurated than
Ash.Hollow.

The Ash Hollow, intensively studied (21) in Keith
County just east of Deuel County, is a series of hard
and soft layers of limey sandstone. In part, it is
cemented by lime and censists of interbedded buff to
gray or pinkish, structureless clay, silt, and sand.
Pebbles are erratically present, and the basal portion

is a coarse gravelly conglomerate. The hard beds are

-9-

light gray. Much light colored sandy clay with streaks
and nodules of calcium carbonate is present. Quartz

and feldspar compose about 95% of the mineral content;
but garnet, micas, tourmaline, magnetite, zircon, horn-
blende, olivine, silliamanite, and epidote are found.
The caliche-like beds become very hard and erosixrresis-
tent on exposure. The softer interbedded sands, silts,
and gravels disintegrate readily leaving ledge-like
caliche beds projecting over the softer materials below.
Because of its whitish appearance, Ash.Hollow is locally
known as "mortar beds".

Sidney gravels are believed to be mostly stream
channel deposits and have only been found in the type
locality in Kimball County, Nebraska. In Deuel County,
the Kimball limestone rests directly on the Ash.Hollow
without the occurrence of intervening Sidney gravels.

(Biorbias, of which there are living descendants
today, reached their greatest develOpment at the time
the Kflmball limestone was deposited, and they help
separate Kimball limestone fromhsh Hollow. Kimball
limestone (5) is whiter, has a higher lime content and
contains less sand and silt than the Ash Hollow. It
tends to form's hard resistant caprock.

The Ogallala formation is generally considered

-10..

fluviatile in origin. According to this theory (8), a
heterogenous mass of sand, silt, and gravel from the Rocky
Mountains Was deposited unconformably upon the eroded
Brule Clay plain in an arid climate. The heavily loaded
streams with variable volumes of water were continually
overrunning their banks, dividing, recombining, aggrading
and degrading, and being diverted by their own deposits.
Hay (7) and.Williston (25) advance the theory of
lacustrine deposition of the Ogallala fonnation. To
have been of lacustrine origin, however, the formation
could not be so heterogenous and gravel strewn at all
depths. In lakes, gravels are a shoreline feature and
in symmetrical lines which should parallel the Rocky‘
Mountains in this case. Instead, the gravels are found
at all depths and irregularly from.west to east. Lenses
of algal limestone probably were locally deposited in
lakes and ponds, and some aeolian material was undoubted-
ly interbedded. Seemingly, the fluviatile origin of the
Ogallala formation is the best explanation and most
nearly accounts for the relatively smooth plain that was
deposited by the end of Pliocene, and Tertiary, time.
During the Pleistocene, the climate became more

humid accompanied by possible uplift. The streams in-
trenched themselves into the Ogallala plain, and

-11-

tributaries started to dissect the upland. The hard
caliche layers in the Ogallala formation, aided by pro-
tective vegetative cover, resisted the entrenchment to
the utmost. Thus most of’the intrenchment was confined
to the valleys of the South Platte River and Lodgepole
Creek which had a continuous supply of water. The
intermittent tributaries or draws formed much more slow-
ly. The intermittent streams worked mainly by sapping
the soft interbedded materials in the Ogallala formation,
and the eventual gravitational collapse of the undercut
resistant caliche—like or limestone layers. Steep walled,
intrenched valleys were the result. The intermittent
side draws have a northwest-southeast alignment parallel-
ing the same alignment of the aeolian ridges indicating
that the available run-off water was funneled into the
developing intermittent draws and canyons.

Evidence indicates the intrenching process Was
periodically interrupted and gravel deposition occurred
in the valleys. The best evidence is the findings of
the afore-mentioned series of transects and borings
made in 1945 across the valley of Lodgepole Creek. These
borings disclose gravel deposits overlapping the rflms
of the valley. The overlapping by gravels of the con-

tact plane of the Kimball limestone and Ash.Hollow

-12-

limey sandstone makes it doubtful these deposits are
Sidney gravels. Gravels of Sidney age would be inter-
bedded between Kimball and Ash.Hollow. The Bravels are
believed to be early Pleistocene, probably of Holdrege
age. Holdrege time correlates with the Nebraskan ice
advance in the eastern part of Nebraska and northeastern
United States. Mountain glaciers to the west were con-
currently active. The sand and gravel outwash deposits
of Holdrege time completely filled the valleys in addi-
tion to covering hundreds of square miles of upland in
Nebraska.

In the succeeding interglacial period, known as
Aftonian, between the Nebraskan and Kansan ice stages,
the valley intrenchment was renewed possibly accompanied
by uplift. Apparently, this interglacial period was
dry, and in parts of Nebraska an Aftonian deposit known
as Fullerton Clay (10) is found which includes some
aeolian material. However, there is no evidence of
Fullerton Clay in Deuel County. Instead, the partial
clearing of the gravel-filled valleys was the principal
activity in Deuel County as valley intrenchment was re-
newed during Aftonian time. However, much of the gravel
still remains high on the flanks of the valleys where it

now forms a very steeply sleping, gravelly lithosol.

-15-

When the succeeding Kansan ice sheet occupied eastern
Nebraska, another gravel formation was deposited at a
lower level in the intrenched valleys. Part of this
gravel was derived from the higher lying gravels of the
valley flanks, and part was brought in by the rejuven-
ated streams from the mountains to the west. These
gravels are thought to be Grand Island in age. Grand
Island is correlated.with the Kansas ice age in the
northeastern United States. As in the Holdrege, Grand
Island time was accompanied by the widespread filling of
the river valleys of Nebraska, as well as much of the
upland, with sand and gravel deposits.

The last important Pleistocene deposits in Deuel
County are loessial chiefly of the Peorian interglacial
period between the Iowan and Wisconsin ice sheets. Most
authorities now accept Iowan as eagly Wisconsin rather
than a separate ice sheet. Peorian loess has a yellowish-
buff color and consists chiefly of silt and some fine
sand in Deuel County. The deposit of loess mantled
unconformably much of the Ogallala plain. It is rela-
tively thin, two to six feet deep, except for a few
ridges in the northeastern part of the county which.may
exceed fifty feet. Buried soil profiles are numerous

indicating more than one loessial invasion occurred.

-14-

Some of the lower loess may be part of the Loveland forma-
tion of Sangamon interglacial age. Loveland loess is
typically reddish-brown in color and contains more clay
than Peorian loess. These loesses constitute the parent
materials of much of the soil. Portions of the river
valley terraces were also covered with loess. According
to Kirk Bryan (2), most of the 10933 was derived by
frost action from glacial outwash plains. Anti-cyclonic
winds blowing off the glaciers in the western mountains
combined with the prevailing Westerlies to transport the
material. Secondary changes in the loess produced the
yellowish-buff color and vertical structure, and some

of concretionary calcareous prOperties. Condra, Reed,
and Gordon (3) take exception to the Bryan theory of the
origin of loess in.Nebraska. They list the major sources
of loess as: (a) fresh glacial drift, (b) White River
formations, (0) bad lands, (d) High Plains, (e) Sand-
hills region, (f) old glacial till sheets, and (g)
alluvial deposits. .Figure l is a generalized diagram-
matic correlation between the geology and soils of Deuel

County.

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-15-

III. CLIMATE

Climatically, Deuel County is classed as sub-humid
or semi-arid. It has varied in successive years from
humid to arid. The summers are clear and hot with a
relatively low humidity and high rate of evaporation.
Winters are long and cold, but relatively cpen. Snow
rarely remains more than a few days, but some years it
may cover the ground most of the winter.

There are no long time weather records in Deuel
County. The nearest weather station is one mile west
of Deuel County at Lodgepole in Cheyenne County. At
Lodgepole over a 50 year period, annual precipitation
has varied from 10.00 to 28.36 inches with a yearly
average of 17.07 inches. About 70% of the moisture
falls during the growing season from April to October.
However, after the month of June, rainfall is increasing-
ly scanty, and crop damaging droughts may occur in July,
August, and September. Most of the rain falls in the
form of summer thunderstorms. The hail which often
accompanies the rain is a constant menace, and each
year partial or complete cr0p destruction occurs in
local areas.

Snow has been recorded in every month of the year

-17-

but June, July, and August. The yearly average of snow
is 52.6 inches.

Prevailing winds from May to September are from the
southeast. During the remainder of the year, the prevail-
ing winds are from the northwest. The yearly average
wind velocity is 9.2 m.p.h. 'Winds reach their greatest
average intensities in.Narch, April, and May when they
average 10.4 m.p.h.. High winds from 46 to 73 m.p.h.
have been reported, but tornadoes are of rare occurrence.

The growing season averages 137 days per year. The
average date of the last frost in the Spring is May 12,
and the average date of the first frost in the Fall is
September 26. The latest frost date recorded in the
Spring is June 6, and the earliest frost date recorded
in the Fall is August 25.

The mean annual temperature at Lodgepole is 48.80 F.
The maximum temperature on record is 112° F. Great, and
sometimes very rapid, temperature changes may occur from
day to day and from day to night. Table 1 summarizes
the more important climatic data as recorded at Lodge-

pole, Cheyenne County, over a 50 year period.
IV. NATURAL VEGETATION

The tableland of Deuel County was naturally covered

-18...

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-19-

by short grass prairie, and a mixture of short and tall
grasses occupied the moist bottomland sites.

0n the medium-textured upland soils of the tableland,
three species dominated the natural vegetation; (a) Blue
grama, Bouteloua gracilis; (b) Buffalo grass, Buchloe

dactyloideg; and (c) Western wheatgrass, AgroEyron smithii.

 

0n the sandy upland soils of the tableland, three
species are important in addition to those listed above:

(a) needlegrass, Stipa ggmatg; (b) Sand drOpseed,

 

Sprobolus cryptandrus; and (c) Niggerwool (Blackroot),

 

Carex filifolia.

0n the very sandy soils of the sandhills along the
east bank of Lodgepole Creek in the south central part of
the county, Sand Reedgrass, Calamovilfa longifolia, is
an important species in addition to sand dropseed, needle-
grass, niggerwool, western wheatgrass, and minor amounts
of blue grams and buffalo grass.

0n the moister soils on the bottomlands, Big blue-

stem, AndrOpogon furcatus; Little bluestem, AndrOpogon

 

 

sc0parius; and Switch grass, Panicum virgatum, are
important species in addition to some of the other species
just listed. '

0n the more alkaline and salty soils, Salt grass,

Bistichlis stricta, is the most abundant grass Species.

 

-20..

Cacti (prickly pear), yucca, and sagebrush are common
on sandy, gravelly soils and on overgrazed pasture.

The more common weedy Species in the region include
false buffalo grass, prairie triple awn, downy bromegrass,
tumbleweed, ragweed, marestail, Russian thistle, pigweed,
sand burr, cockleburr, and wild lettuce.

Willow and cottonwood trees, a few along Lodgepole
Creek and a greater number along the South Platte River,
comprise the tree species native to the county. A few
old tree claims consisting mostly of ash, elm, boxelder,
and cottonwood still survive in a poor condition on the
upland. The more recent shelterbelt plantings, princi-
pally about farmsteads, are largely red cedar, Ponderosa
pine, Chinese elm, hackberry, locust, ash, cottonwood,
boxelder, plum, and Russian olive. If watered and culti-
vated to minimize grass and weed competition, shelter-
belts make fair to good growth. Excepting cottonwood,
trees in the county rarely make more growth than necess-

ary for fence posts or fuel.
V. SOILS

The mature soils of Deuel County belong in the
Pedocal Order and in the Chestnut Brown Great Soil Group.
Both the geologic formations and the t0pography have had

great influence in determining the character of the soils.

-21-

Most of the soils on the tableland are developing from
loess of Peorian age. Locally where the loess is very
thin or absent, the limey sandstone of the Ogallala
formation is the principal source of the soil parent
material. The slopes on the high tableland are mostly
in one, two, and three percent gradient classes.

The bottomland and terrace plains are dominated by
soils with a high content of original or reworked Pleisto-
cene sands and gravels. On portions of the terraces,
sufficient loess was deposited during Peorian time to
produce soils analogous to the upland soils of the
Keith series. The bottomlands are narrow and largely
composed of loams and fine sandy loams.

The very sandy soils are concentrated in the sand-
hills along the east bank of Lodgepole Creek in the
south central portion of the county. It is believed
that these soils are local aeolian sands from Lodge-
pole Creek. The sands are known to overlie older
t0pography. The sand invasion of the border lands to
the east of Lodgepole Creek is continuing periodically
but at a very reduced rate.

The field survey included.soils in 24 series sub-

divided into 50 soil types and phases, plus Riverwash,

-22-

0

Rough Broken Land, and Dunesand, the latter in stabil-
ized and unstabilized divisions.

The Peorian loess which unconformably caps the
Ogallala limey sandstone tableland is the most exten-
sive soil forming parent material in the county. The
normal Chestnut Brown soils developing on this loess
are members of the Keith series. Two types were mapped:
(a) silt loam, and (b) fine sandy loam. Keith silt loam
has a friable, fine crumb, dark gray brown surface soil
7-14 inches thick developing over an equally thick,
cloddy to prismatic, friable, silty clay loam or silt
loam subsoil. The parent material is a massive, limey,
yellowish loess. neith silt loam is the most extensive
soil in the county and constitutes the principal soil
type of the tableland. It occurs on slapes from 1-10%,
but most freouently on lepes from 1-4%.

Sherman silt loam is essentially the same soil as
Keith for two to three feet, but it overlays the buried
dark surface horizon of an earlier, more mature, but still
friable soil. Sherman silt loam is the second most ex-
tensive soil type on the tableland. It occurs on one and
two percent sloPes.

Dunlap silt 10mm is very similar to Keith, but the

surface soil is thicker, and the subsoil is a heavier,

more prismatic silty clay loam. The type is considered
a semi-claypan transitional between the friable Keith
series and the columnar claypans of the Dawes series.
Dunlap silt loam is found on level to slightly depress-
ed t0pography and is the third most extensive soil type
on the tableland.

Dawes silt loam has a columnar, solonetz-like clay-
pan and generally occupies slightly depressed to very
level areas. It has a thinner surface Soil, the lower
inch or more of which may be an ashen gray, leached A2
horizon. A recent paper by Williams (22) states that
this soil type may be overmature and not due to sodium
saturation and imperfect drainage usually considered
necessary for solonetz development. ihe parent material
is limey silt over gravels at a shallow depth. The type
is of minor areal importance and occurs chiefly on the
margins of what may be an old high terrace at the con-
fluence of Lodgepole Creek and South Platte River.

Goshen silt loam is a colluvial-alluvial soil occur-
ring chiefly on the tableland. It is dark colored for
two or three feet and has a poorly defined structure.
The type occurs in swales, minor depressions, and
narrow drainage channels.

Bridgeport silt loam is a very minor type in the

county. It is found on gentle colluvial slopes and de-
velOps on light colored silty material eroded from adjac-
ent upland. It has a very shallow profile consisting of
5-10 inches of dark brownish surface soil over a friable,
massive, limey, yellowish silt.

Colby silt loam is a shallow, immature soil develOp-
ing on loessial deposits. It is found on the steeper
lepes where conditions are too unfavorable for deeper
Keith profiles to develOp. The soil is grayish-brown for
3-7 inches and generally rests on a massive, limey,
yellowish silt of Peorian age. On the most favorable
sites, 5-7 inches of brownish, cloddy B horizon may be
present. The type is confined almost entirely to the
northeastern part of the county.

Scott silty clay loam is soil formed in shallow
basin depressions. It has a thin dark colored surface
soil 5-10 inches thick, the last one to three inches of
which may be a platy, light gray, leached.A2 horizon.

The subsoil is a dense, massive, plastic clay. The
underlying clay is so impervious that these depression-
al features are often intermittent ponds.

The Rosebud series includes soils normally devel-
Oping on the limey Tertiary sandstone. The principal

types are: (a) loam, and (b) fine sandy loam which are

-25-

somewhat analogous to the Keith series. Small areas of
Rosebud loam, deep solum phase, were mapped. The heavy
subsoil phase of Rosebud loam has a massive, reddish clay
subsoil overlying a gravelly sand parent material.

The Canyon series includes shallow lithosols devel-
Oping on limey Tertiary sandstone. It is analogous to
Colby. It is generally light colored to the surface,
often chalky in appearance, and it typically develOps on
the steeper lepes. The Canyon series included: (a)
loams, and (b) gravelly loams.

The Anselmo series includes sandy soils deve10ping
over a fine sand-silt admixture of sufficient body to
form a fairly productive sandy soil. Two types were
mapped: (a) fine sandy loam, and loamy fine sand. The
series is principally associated with the very sandy
soils in the south central portion of the county, but
small areas are found in numerous places where wind action
has produced a mixture of fine sand and silt.

Soils of the Larimer and Chappell series character-
ize the abruptly'slodng breakland between the High
Plains and the terrace along the South Platte River and
Lodgepole Creek. The Larimer series includes brownish
lithosols deve10ping on the steeply sloping limey and

sandy Pleistocene gravel deposits high on the valley

-26-

flanks. SIOpes of 15-25% are typical. (A) Sandy loams,
and (b) gravelly loams were mapped in the Larimer series.

The Chappell series typically develOps on the more
favorable colluvial slopes below the Larimer "breaks".
The surface soil is dark brown, friable, and 10-16 inches
deep. The subsoil is increasingly lighter colored,
gravelly, and incoherent with depth; and the parent
material is a limey, silt-gravelly sand mixture usually
of colluvial origin. (A) loams, and (b) sand loams were
mapped in the Chappell series with the sandy loam more
shallow and lighter texture throughout the profile. Most
of the Chappell soils occur on lepes from 5-10% although
the range is 5-12%.

The Cheyenne series is essentially the Chappell
profile on a terrace. The series occurs on 1 and 2%
lepes. Four types and phases were mapped: (a) loam;
(b) loam, deep solum phase; (c) fine sandy loam; and
(d) fine sandy loam, deep solum.phase.

Tripp silt loam is essentially the Keith profile on
a terrace. It has develOped on loess of the same age as
the loess which.mant1ed the upland. The type occurs on
1 and 2% slopes. As on the upland, buried profiles
occur. These areas were separated as Tripp silt loam,

buried soil phase.

-27..

The Parshall series includes calcareous wind and
water deposited sediments now in terrace positions.
These soils are often calcareous to the surface and
increasingly sandy with depth. Three types and phases
were mapped: (a) silt loam; (b) fine sandy loam; and
(c) fine sandy loam, heavy subsoil phase.

The non-calcareous stream deposited sediments now
in terrace positions were classified in the Cody series
as (a) loams, and (b) fine sandy loams.

Soils with a columnar, solonetz-like claypan,
similar to Dawes silt loam on the upland, were also
found on the terrace. These soils are members of the
Yale series. Three types and phases were mapped:

(a) silt loam; (b) fine sandy loam; (c) fine sandy
loam, sand covered phase. The sand covered phase

has 8-24 inches of grayish-brown fine sandy loam over
the original dark grayish brown surface soil of Yale
silt loam.

Light colored calcareous silty or only slightly
sandy alluvial soils were classified in the Laurel
series. The surface soil is grayish brown, 8-12
inches thick, the subsoil is alternating layers of
silt and fine sand. Two types were mapped: (a) loam,

and (b) fine sandy loam. Occasionally, the Laurel loam

-28-

had a puddled structure, a cheesy consistency, and was
salty to the surface. This condition was separated as
Laurel loam, alkali phase.

The dark colored alluvial soils with a silt loam
surface soil, and a calcareous silty subsoil were mapped
in the Wann series as: (a) loam, and (b) fine sandy
loam. The parent material of the Wann series is calcar-
eous and sandy to only slightly silty.

Moderately heavy alluvial soils which were generally
salty were mapped as Minatare silty clay loam. The
surface soil is 8-14 inches thick, grayish brown, has a
puddled structure, and contains visible salt streaks in
the lower portion. The subsoil is a mottled gray,
calcareous, massive, sandy clay with numerous iron stains.
The parent material is sandy clay alluvium.

The Las Animas series includes shallow, light color-
ed, calcareous alluvial sand or sand-gravel mixtures.

Two types were mapped: (a) fine sandy loam, and (b)
loamy fine sand.

The Ellicott series is essentially alluvial Lari-
mer. It occurs in the bottoms of the sand draws and
consists largely of the Pleistocene sands and gravels
eroding from the higher lying Larimer soils.

The South Platte River channels were classified as

-29..

Riverwash. For much of the year, the South Platte
River is intermittent in flow and consists of a few
shifting channels through light colored sand, gravel,
and only slightly silty alluvium.

The Valentine series includes brownish, very sandy
surface soils 3-7 inches thick overlying deep, incoher-
ent, single grained fine sands. Two types were mapped:
(a) loamy fine sand, and (b) fine sand. A hummocky to
low dune-like tOpography is associated with this series.

The least develoPed of the very sandy soils, with
only an inch or two of brownish material over incoherent
fine sand, were classified as Dunesand. Two separations

were made: (a) stabilized, and (b) unstabilized.

-30-

LAND TYPE ANALYSIS
I. PROCEDURE

The initial step in the land type analysis was to
prepare a map, on a scale of 1 inch eoual 1 mile, of the
major natural land types. For this purpose, the soil
conservation survey was used. The detailed survey in-
formation permitted a precise determination of the land
type boundaries, and the county readily falls into
three distinct major land types because of the soil and
t0pographic conditions. .

The most extensive major land type occupies the
gently 810ping medium-textured soils of the short-grass
high plains. It occupies the tableland north of Lodge-
pole Creek and South Platte River, and a smaller simil-
ar area of tableland in the southwest corner of the
county.

The second most extensive major land type is a
complex of steeply leping, gravelly breakland; grav-
elly to medium-textured level terrace land; and
variable narrow bottomlands which occupies the in-
trenched valleys of the South Plate River-Lodgepole

Creek-intermittent sand draw drainage system. This

-31-

land type is covered by short grass on all except the
wettest sites of the terrace and bottomland which
support mixed tall and short grasses.

The third major land type occupies a relatively
small part of the county, but it is typical of an es-
timated one-fifth of the state of Nebraska. This land
type is a small area of sandhills located to the east
of Lodgepole Creek and north of the Colorado state line.
The land type has a hummocky to dune-like tOpography and
is covered with mixed tall and short grasses.

Having delineated the three major land types, an
estimate of their soil and lepe composition was made
by a series of linear transects. As previously mentioned,
much of the county has a northwest-southeast trend due to
the action of the wind. In order to estimate conditions
in the areas where this alignment was evident, the trans-
ects were made from southwest to northeast, that is at
right angles to the trend. As the trend changed, the angle
of transaction.was varied. The transects were made through
the middle, or as near to the middle as possible, of
each section of land in each land type. The measurements
were made with a celluloid scale graduated in tenths of
inches. Measurements were made and recorded to the

nearest half of an one-tenth inch unit, or to approxi-

-52...

mately one-twentieth of an inch or 66 feet of linear
distance. When the number of transects is large, close
estimates of the actual area have been obtained by

this method. There were 161 photographs containing
from one to four sections of land survey. The photo-
graphs were numbered from 1 to 161, and the linear
units of traverse were recorded for each photograph by
soil survey unit for each land type. Figure 2 is a
typical transect record sheet. When thetraverses

were completed, the individual totals by photographs

for each soil survey delineation were compiled and
totalled for each land type. The percentage of each
soil survey delineation in a land type was then computed.
These individual per centages by soil survey unit made
any combination of soil type, lepe, or erosion possible
by grouping and addition. Finally, quantitative graphi-
cal presentations by land types were prepared based on
a variation of the method and procedure suggested by
Veatch (17). This method is based on the fact that any
given natural land surface has relief irregularities.
Differences may only be a few feet, or of mountainous
prOportions, but any tract of land will have three
components: (a) relatively level highland, whether it

be a plateau, crest of a ridge, or t0p of a knoll;

-35..

Figure 2

Example of the Linear Traverse Record

Sheets

Photo Number 28
Deuel Loess Plains Land Type

 

 

 

 

SIOpG-
Soil Type Erosion * Units of .1 inch Linear Total
condition Traverse
Keith silt
loam l-lP 5, 5.5, l, 6.5, 10.5, 6.5 55
“ 2-1P 4, 4, 2.5, l, 4.5, 2.5, 1,
1.5 21
Keith fine
sandy loam 2-1P 4, 2, 2, 4.5, 6, l, 4 25.5
" " 3-1? 4.5 4.5
“ ‘ 5-2R 6 6
Sherman
silt loam l-lP 5, 5, 5.5, l, 7.5, 7, 2.5,
1, 1, 5.5 55
Goshen
silt loam 1-0 0.5 0.5
Scott silty
clay loam 1-0 1 l
Chappell.
sandy loam 5-1P 1 1
Chappell ‘
loam 5-1P 1.5 1.5
" 8-2R 1.5 1.5
Chappell Intrenched Valley Land Type
fihappell
~loam 8-1P 2.5 2.5
Larimer
gravelly
sandy loam. 15-1P 11.5, 5 14.5

 

‘5

First number is dominant percent of lepe.

Second

number and letter indicates estimated combined.water
and/or wind erosion.

-74..

(b) relatively level lowland, such as a river bottom,
gentle swale, or a depression; and (c) the lepes con-
necting (a) and (b). Quantitative graphical presenta-
tions of these three components can then be employed to
summarize and compare different land areas. In the
illustrations presented by Veatch, the (a) and (b) com-
ponents are plotted as level lines, and (c) is inte-
grated into an average lep line. He suggests that
each slope condition may be presented, and that is the
way they are shown in this paper to more clearly present
the micro-relief. To emphasize the small differences
which generally prevail, all the slepes were exaggerated
five times. The composite corresponding soil type con-
dition was plotted as a plane square along the base of
the graph. Any side of the souare is eoual to the
percentage composition, and the souare itself is an
estimate of the composite areal extent of the soil-
sIOpe condition in the land type.

Wind and water erosion throughout the county
was predominantly slight to moderate removals of the
A horizon, or tOpsoil. One, 1, erosion was mapped
when an estimated 0-25% of the tapsoil had been
removed; and two, 2, erosion was mapped when 25-50% of

the tOpsoil had been removed. Degrees of erosion

-55-

more severe than two were infreouent or confined to
small areas. This is largely because of the relatively
recent use of most of the cultivated land, the nature
of the soils, or the t0pography. .Almost all of the
cultivated land is level to gently sloping. Generally,
the steep, gravelly, and very sandy soils have remained
in grass, or are quickly returned to grass if culti-
vated. It is for these reasons that no attempt is made
to present the information obtained on erosion.

Tables 2, 5, and 4 list in tabular form the re-
sults of transects of the land types and subsequently

presented in graphs 1, 2, and 5.
II. THE NATURAL LAND TYPES OF DEUEL COUNTY
A. DEUEL LOESS PLAINS LAND TYPE

The most extensive land type in the county occupies
the gently 310ping high plains composed of medium-tex-
tured soils naturally vegetated by short grasses. It
occupies the tableland north of Lodgepole Creek and
South Platte River, and a smaller area of tableland in
the southwest corner of the county. These two areas
are part of the extensive structural platform with a

gentle southeasterly slope known as the Cheyenne Table.

Table 2

Tabular Summary of Deuel Loess Plains Land Type

 

 

 

 

Slope,‘%’off_ Accumu-
% Land lating

Position Soil Type type %

Level Keith silt loam l 15.97 15.97

upland Sherman silt loam. l 10.54 26.51

Depress-

ional Scott silty clay loam 1 1.59 27.90

upland

Level Dunlap silt 10am. 1 5.54 55.24

upland Dawes silt loam l 1.27 54.51
Miscellaneous 1 0.70 55.21
Keith silt loam 2 54.54 69.55
Keith fine sandy loam 2 1.84 71.59
Miscellaneous 2 2.06 75.45

Blbping

upland Keith silt loam, 5 1.18 74.65
Miscellaneous 5 0.92 75.55
Keith silt loam 4 7.15 87.68
Miscellaneous 4 2.58 85.06
Keith silt loam 5 1.62 86.68
Miscellaneous 5 1.56 88.04
Miscellaneous 6 1.56 89.40
Chappell loam 7 1.28 90.68
Miscellaneous 7 1.21 91.89
Miscellaneous 8 0.97 92.86
Miscellaneous 9-20 0.79 95.65

LEveI

colluvial-Goshen silt loam l 4.45 98.08

alluvial Miscellaneous 2 1.78 99.86

bottom-

land

 

Natural vegetation:
blue grama, and buffalo.

wheatgrass, needlegrass, and niggerwool.

Principally the short grasses:
Minor amounts of western

Table 5

Tabular summary of the Chappell Intrenched

Valley Land Type

 

 

 

 

SIOpe, %K6f' IECumu-
% Land lating
Ppsition Soil Type type
Level—
upland Keith & Sherman silt
_fg loams 2.5 0.27 00.27
Sloping ‘Larimer gravelly sandy
upland loam 25 & 50 0.29 00.56
Larimer gravelly sandy
loam
> Larimer sandy loam ) 20 9.17 09.75
Canyon stony loam 20 0.05 09.78
Larimer gravelly sandy
loam
Larimer sandy loam ) 15 5.49 15.27
Miscellaneous 15 0.85 16.12
Larimer gravelly sandy
loam
Larimer sandy loam 12 1.98 18.10
Chappell sandy loam 12 1.85 19.95
Miscellaneous 12 0.58 20.55
Chappell sandy loam 10 2.51 22.84
Chappell loam '10 1.80 24.64
Miscellaneous 10 1.59 26.05
Chappell loam 8 5.80 29.85
Miscellaneous 8 1.77 51.60
Chappell loam 7 7.41 59.01
Chappell sandy loam 7 2.77 41.78
Miscellaneous 7 0.72 42.50
Miscellaneous 6 0.89 45.59
Chappell loam 5 2.60 45.99
Miscellaneous 5 1.42 47.41
Chappell loam 4 1.28 48.69
Miscellaneous 4 1.92 50.61
Miscellaneous 5 0.24 50.85
Miscellaneous 2 1.16 52.01
Miscellaneous 1 0.05 52.06

 

-58-

Table 3 (con'd)

Tabular Summary of the Chappell Intrenched
' Valley Land Type

 

Slope, % e?‘ Accumu-

 

 

Land lating
Position Soil Type type %
Terrace Cheyenne loam 2 8.05 60.11
Cheyenne fine sandy loam 2 5.27 65.58
Cheyenne loam, deep
solum phase 2 1.40 66.78
Tripp silt loam 2 2.77 69.55
Miscellaneous 2 1.22 70.77
Yale silt loam )
Yale fine sandy loam. ) 1 2.52 75.09
Tripp silt loam. 1 5.54 76.45
Parshall fine sandy loam 1 2.17 78.60
Miscellaneous 1 2.45 81.05
Bbttomp ETlicott gravelly sandy
land' loam 2 5.97 85.00
Ellicott sandy loam. 2 1.99 86.99
Miscellaneous 2 0.72 87.71
Laurel 10mm 1 5.21 90.92
Las animas fine sandy
loam 1 1.88 92.80
Minatare silty clay loam 1 v 1.29 94.09
Miscellaneous 1 2.78 96.87
Riverwash x 5.24 100.11

 

Natural Vegetation: Predominantly the short grasses:
blue grama, buffalo, and western wheat. Some sand drOp-
seed, sand reedgrass, yucca, cacti, carex (sp) on the
poorest sites; salt grass on the alkali soils; and a

few tall grasses such as big and little bluestem on the
most favorable bottomland sites. Scattered cottonwood
and.willow trees are found along the South Platte River.

-59..

Table 4

Tabular Summary of Freeman Sandhills Land Type

 

SIOpe, %_of chumu-
% Land lating

 

Position Soil Type type
High dunes Dunesand, unstabil- *
ized xx* 16.40 16.40
Low Dunesand, stabilized x 15.89 50.29
Hummocks Valentine fine sand x 54.66 64.95
Valentine loamy fine
sand x 01.70 66.65
Sloping Anselmo loamy fine
land sand 7 01.06 70.94
Valentine fine sand 5 00.98 71.92
Anselmo loamy fine sand 4 02.95 74.85
Level Valentine fine sand 2 06.05 80.88
upland Valentine loamy fine
sand 2 04.59 85.47
Anselmo loamy fine sand 2 05.61 91.08
Valentine loamy fine
sand 1 01.95 95.05
Anselmo loamy fine sand 1 05.82 98.85
Anselmo fine sandy
loam 1 01.15 100.00

 

Natural Vegetation:

Principally sand reed grass, sand

drOpseed, and western wheatgrass, and smaller amounts
of blue grama, buffalo, sandhills bluestem, cacti, and

yucca.

*
Dune-like t0pography

**
Hummocky topography

 

IN LAND TYPE

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'7. SLOPE

~454

This tableland comprises a large area of Southwestern
Nebraska and Northeastern Colorado between the South
and North Platte Rivers. Geologically, in Deuel County,

these tablelands are underlaid by a late Pliocene limey
sandstone, chiefly the Ash Hollow member of the Ogalla-

la formation, with a thin yellowish loessial covering
of Peorian age. The loess is generally thin, 2-6 feet
thick, and it reaches its maximum depth in the north-
east portion of the county where a few ridges may ex-
ceed 50 feet. In many places, and especially in the
northeastern section of the county, the wind deposited'
sediments have assumed a northwest-southeast alignment
generally attributed to the action of prevailing winds.
The loess is thinnest in the northwest corner of the
county, and it is in this area that most of the residual.
soils developing on limey Tertiary deposits are found.

T0pographica11y, the tableland is virtually level
to slightly billowy or undulating. Based on information
obtained in the linear transects, an estimated 40% of
the area has a slope of 1%, 40% a 2% s10pe, and 9% a
slope of 4%. Slopes of 5, 5, e, 7, and 8% include al-
most all of the remaining 11% of the land type.

The land type has almost no established drainage,

and the excess moisture collects in shallow swales and

-44...

depressional areas where it slowly percolates or evapor-
ates. A small amount of water drains off the table into
the few, generally short, intermittent drainageways.

The most widely distributed soil type of the land
\type is Keith silt loam. This soil type consists of
7-14 inches of dark gray brown, friable, fine crumb to
slightly granular surface soil overlying an eoually
thick, cloddy to indistinctly prismatic, but friable
and slightly heavier subsoil. The parent material is
yellowish, massive, limey Peorian loess. Approximately
16% of the land type is classified as Keith silt loam
with a 1%, 54.5% with a 2%, 2% with a 5%, and 7% with a
4% slope. This is approximately 60% of the land type.

In addition, Keith silt loam, or the sandier Keith fine
sandy loam, comprise a considerable portion of the
miscellaneous soils with a slope of 5, 6, 7, or 8%.

Sherman silt loam is very similar to Keith silt loam
with essentially the same soil in the surface and subsoil
but having a buried soil profile within three feet. The
slopes are either 1 or 2%. This soil type occupies about
10.5% of the land type.

Dunlap silt loam.comprises approximately 5.5% of the
land type. It is similar to Keith and Sherman, but the

surface soil is thicker and the subsoil is a heavier, more

-45..

prismatic silty clay loam. It is confined to 1% slopes.
Goshen silt loam is an alluvial-colluvial soil occur-
ring in shallow swales, minor depressions, and drainage
channels. It is dark colored for two or three feet and
has an ill-defined, friable structure. The type comprises
about 4.5% of the land type and occurs on 1 and 2% lepes.
A conspicuous feature of the land type is the
shallow depressions upon which.water may remain for a
long period of time. As a consequence of the excess
moisture, a dense claypan has develOped under the shallow
surface soil, the lower portion of which may contain a
highly leached, gray A2 horizon. This soil was mapped
as Scott silty clay loam with a 1% slope. It occupies
about 1.5% of the land type. The areas vary from a matter
of square feet to five or more acres in size.
Miscellaneous soil types on 5-8% slopes comprise
most of the remainder of the land type. The principal.
soils are Keith silt loam, Keith fine sandy loam, and
Chappell loam. Other soil types represented in the
land type in small amounts are members of the Rosebud,
Canyon, Dawes, Anselmo, Colby, and Larimer series.
The natural vegetation is chiefly the short grasses;

Blue grama, Bouteloua gracilig; and Buffalo grass,

 

Buchloe dactyloides. Small amounts of Needlegrass,

 

-45-

Stipa comata; Western wheatgrass, Agrgpyron smit ii;

 

and Niggerwool, Carex_filifolia, are the principal

 

associates.
B. CHAPPELL INTRENCHED VALLEY LAND TYPE

The second most extensive land type in the county
is the steeply leping and gravelly textured breekland;
gravelly to medium-textured level terrace land; and
the loamy narrow bottomlands which occupy the intrench-
ed valleys of the South Platte River-Lodgepole Creek-
intermittent and draw drainage system. The intrench-
ment into the late Tertiary plain is 200 or more feet.
Evidence indicates the intrenchment was interrupted
several times during the early Pleistocene when the
entire drainage system appears to have been completely
choked by coarse gravels and sandy outwash from glac-
iers to the west. Subseouently, most of the gravel was
removed, but much of it still remains high on the
bluffs or flanks of the drainage system. 12-25% slopes
are typical. For the most part, these steeply leping
soils are gravelly lithosols classified as Larimer
stony loam. In some areas, hard, resistant, caliche-
1ike beds in the Ash Hollow member of the Ogallala forma-
tion are present, and small areas of the limey sandstone

lithosols were mapped as members of the Canyon series.

-47..

The sparse short grass plant growth includes some yucca,
cacti, and sagebrush.

Below the steeply leping lithosols and on the more
gently leping colluvial lepes ani fans, the soils of
the Chappell series are present on slepes from 5-12%.
These soils are quite dark and loamy in the surface but
become increasingly lighter colored and gravelly with
depth.' The short grass vegetation is more luxuriant
and accounts for most of the grazing value of the in-
tricately associated Chappell and Larimer soils. Approxi-
mately 18% of the land type is classified in the Larimer
series. Soils of the Chappell series comprise approxi-
mately 52% of the land type. Small areas of soils in
the Keith, Colby, Rosebud, Anselmo, and Valentine series
are included, but the Larimer-Chappell association
thoroughly dominates the characteristics and use of about
50% of the land type.

Below the steeply sloping Larimer-Chappell associa-
tion are a number of terrace soils on 1 and 2% slopes.
Members of the Cheyenne series are the most extensive
and occupy about one-half of the terrace. The Cheyenne
series is quite similar to the Chappell series. Typi-

cally, the Cheyenne series develops on the gravelly

aprons and fans deposited by the sand draws upon the

-48-

portions of the terrace adjacent to the bluffs. Other
series on the terrace include Tripp, Parshall, Cody, and
Yale. The Tripp series is very similar to the Keith
series of the upland, and in addition contains areas
with buried soil profiles similar to the Sherman series.
The Parshall series is a calcareous mixture of wind
and/or alluvially deposited silt and fine sand which
becomes increasingly lighter textured with depth. The
Cody series is sandier than the Parshall series and non—
calcareous. The Yale series includes columnar, solonetz-
like claypan soils develOpedunder the influence of salts
and poor drainage. About 50% of the land type is occu-
pied by terrace soils, and the Cheyenne series, in turn,
occupies about half of the terrace land.

The bottomlands occupy approximately 19% of the
land type. The very gravelly and sandy materials in the
intermittent drainageways of the Larimer-Chappell associa-
tion in the bluff areas were mapped in the Ellicott
series as: (a) gravelly sandy loam, or (b) sandy loam.
These areas are locally known as 'sand draws", and the
soil is largely a level alluvial derivative of the
Larimer series. Approximately 5% of the land type is
classified as Ellicott.

About 5% of the land type is mapped as Riverwash.

-49..

This material consists of recent, hummocky, braided,
light-colored, sand-silt deposits along the South.Platte
River. For long periods of the year, the South Platte
River is a few interlaced and shifting channels in a
broad band of recent alluvial deposits. Willows or
cottonwoods are found in many places in the riverbed
area.

Laurel loam occupies a little more than 5% of the
land type. This soil type is the most extensive of
the cultivatable alluvial soils. It is gray brown,
often calcareous to the surface, and is generally
silty to only slightly sandy in texture.

Las Animas fine sandy loam, a lighter colored and
more shallow soil than Laurel, occupies a little less
than 2% of the land type.

Minatare silty clay loam, a moderately heavy alluvi-
al soil with a puddled structure and visible salt streaks,
is found on slightly more than 1% of the land type.

Among the miscellaneous alluvial soils occupying
a little less than 5% of the land type are Harlem silt
loam,‘Wann 10mm, Laurel fine sandy loam, Laurel loam
(alkali phase), Goshen silt loam, and Scott silty clay
loam. Harlem silt loam is a dark colored silty soil

with a lighter colored silty and calcareous subsoil.

-50-

The Wann series is also dark colored, often limey to the
surface, but is poorly drained.

The natural vegetation varies With the site condi-
tions. The dry, gravelly sites associated with the
Larimer and Ellicott soils are very sparsely vegetated
with blue grama, western wheatgrass, buffalo grass,
drOpseed, and ocasionally yucca, cactus, or sagebrush.
On the terrace, blue grama, buffalo, western.wheatgrass,
and some little bluestem.predominate with minor amounts
of other species. 0n alkali soils, salt grass and
alkali dr0pseed predominate over the species listed
above. A few willow and cottonwood trees are found

chiefly along the South Platte River.
C. FREEMAN SANDHILLS LAND TYPE

This land type is of minor areal extent in Deuel
County. It is located along the east bank of Lodgepole
Creek in the south central portion of the county. The
sand is believed to be of local aeolian origin from
sandy alluvial material along Lodgepole Creek. The
sand is known to overlie gravelly Pleistocene and
Tertiary materials and silty upland soils. Low dune to
hummocky tOpography predominates in the land type, and
there is approximately a 50 foot difference in relief.

-51..

(A),Dunesand, unstabilized, and (b) dunesand,
stabilized, aith a dune-like or hummocky tOpography
occupies 50% of the area. These types are essentially
light colored fine sands without profile development.

Valentine fine sand with a hummocky tOpography oc-
cupies a little less than 55% of the land type. Val-
entine soils have 5-7 inches of brownish surface
material overlying incoherent light colored fine sands.

On the remaining 55% of the land type, the tOpo-
graphy was sufficiently uniform to warrant a slope desig-
nation. The slopes varied from 1-7%, with l and 2%
lepes predominate. About 15% of the land type was
mapped as Anselmo loamy fine sand, mostly on 1, 2, and
4% s10pes. This soil has more silt in the profile and
sufficient deve10pment to separate it from.the Valentine
series. However, it is not recommended for cultivation.
Only about 1% of the superior Anselmo fine sandy loam
was mapped.

The natural vegetation is chiefly sand reedgrass,
sand drOpseed, and western wheatgrass. Small amounts of
blue grama, buffalo, sandhills bluestem, yucca, cacti,

and sagebruSh are also present.

-52...

III. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MAJOR AND MINOR COMPOIENTS
OF THE LAND TYPES

A. DEUEL LOESS PLAINS LAND TYPE

The distinctive features, (1) nearly level t0pography,

and (2) fertile and friable medium-textured soils, of
the Deuel loess plains land type are revealed in the
following list of major components:

1) Keith silt loam---l% slope---16.0%

2) Sherman silt loam-1% slope---10.5%

5) Dunlap silt loamr-1% slope--- 5.5%

4) Goshen silt loam--1% slope--- 4.4%

5) Keith silt loam---2% slope---54.5%

total 70.5% of the land
type

The soil components listed above are highly fertile
and free of properties detrimental to cr0p production.
Given good crOp rotations, adequate moisture, and protec-
tion from wind erosion, and they are all highly adapted
to large scale mechanized farming. To conserve moisture
and control wind erosion, an estimated 90% of the dry-
land farmers are practicing some form of "stubble
mulch“ or subsurface tillage which has long been ad-
vocated by Duley and Russell (4). Where slopes are reg-

ular, contour cultivation is advisable on the 2% slopes

-55-

of Keith silt loam. Wartime conditions induced Operators
to convert to virtually a 1-1 rotation of winter wheat
and summer fallow. However, any small grain crOp is
adapted to these soils. Under irrigation, corn, sugar
beets, and alfalfa would do well. With the advent of
deep well pump irrigation in many places on the High
Plains, e.g., the 400 foot walls pumping as much as
5,000 gallons per minute in Box Butte County, Nebraska,
more intensive and diversified farming is a future
possibility.
The more important minor components of the Deuel

loess plains land type include:

1) Scott silty clay loam--—1% slope---1.6%

2) Dawes silt loam --------- 1% slope---l.54

5) Keith fine sandy loam---2% slope---1.8%

4) Keith silt loam---—-5-4-5% lepe---9.9%

5) Chappell loam ----------- 7% slope--—1.5%
Total 16.0% of the
land type

These components possess pr0perties which make
them inferior to the major components. Scott silty
clay loan is a highly leached claypan soil. As a con-
sequence of the incomplete drainage system, it occupies
depressional areas throughout the land type. The

areas vary from a matter of souare feet to five or more

-54...

acres. Cultivate crOps do not thrive, and cultivation
is generally extremely difficult. Many of these areas
are still in native grass. When large and conveniently
situated, they furnish some pasture. Most frequently,
however, they are irregularly located throughout the
cultivatable soils and do not lend themselves to any
satisfactory use.

Dawes silt loam is also a claypan soil, but it has
a deeper surface soil than Scott. The slopes are nearly
level as a rule, but not so depressed as to invite the
intermittent ponding characteristic of the Scott type.
The soil is inclined to be more droughty, and the fertil-
ity and yields are lower than obtained from the friable
silty soils.

Keith fine sandy loam is a more sandy and shallow
soil than the heavier silt loam. The fertility is lower
and the soil is more subject on exposure to blowing.
Greater corn yields are obtained from this type than
the silt loam especially in dry years. Greater protec-
tion from.wind erosion and contouring regular lepes is
advisable.

Keith silt loam on 5, 4, and 5% slopes generally
possess more shallow profiles than the more level Keith

situations. Fertility is somewhat lower, and the

-55..

erosion hazard is greater. Contouring and terraces are
recommended on the more regular SlOpeS. In many cases
difficulty arises, however, because these component
conditions are isolated and appear as irregularly-shaped
swells or ridges upon an otherwise nearly level plain.

Chappell soils are inclined to be droughty as a
consequence of their gravelly subsoils. They occur on
a variety of lepes from 5-10%. It is advisable to
retain in or return to permanent vegetation most of the
Chappell soils. However, they frecuently appear as
small isolated areas and do not lend themselves to
their best use.

An important series elsewhere on the High Plains,
but a minor component in the Deuel land type is Rose-
bud. In Deuel County, most of this series is medium-
textured. It is generally more shallow than the
analogous Keith series, but on similar slopes lends
itself to about the same practices.

Among the more infrequent minor components are
the shallow lithosols. These include: (a) Colby,
deve10ping on Peorian loess; (b) Larimer, develOping
on Pleistocene gravels; and (c) Canyon, developing on
limey Tertiary sandstone. These components are typi-

cally found on steep slepes and are best adapted to

-56..

permanent vegetation. Their occurrence as small iso-

lated areas complicates management according to their

best use.

B. CHAPPELL INTRENCHED VALLEY LAND TYPE

The major and minor components of this land type

are highly variable in character, and frecuently they

are very intimately and intricately associated. The

major components are:

1) Bluffland:

a)

b)

Larimer gravelly sandy loam --12- 25% lepe-—
Larimer sandy loam 16. 9%
Chappell sandy loam -------- 4- 12% lepe ------
Chappell loam 26. 0%

2) Terraceland;

3)

a) Cheyenne fine sandy loam--2% slope ----------
Cheyenne loam. 15. 5%

b) Tripp silt 10mm ---------- 1-2% slope ---------

Bottomland:

a) Ellicott gravelly sandy loam --2% slope -----
Ellicott sandy loam 5.9%

b) Riverwash ---------------------- x slope ......
53%

6) Laurel 103m ------------------- 1-2% 810p6----
3.2%

Total 74.6% of

the land type

-57-

The Larimer and Chappell soils thoroughly dominate
the blufflands. Typically, they are very intimately and
intricately associated, and together they occupy about
45% of the land type. Both series should remain in
permanent vegetation. The steeply leping Larimer soils
support a very meager plant cover, and as much as 50
acres may be required to support one animal unit. The
more gently leping Chappell soils on the colluvial
slopes support considerable plant cover. Generally,
10-12 acres of combined Larimer-Chappell soils are con-
sidered necessary to sustain one animal unit. The
grazing season generally extends from the middle of
April to the middle of November.

Cheyenne (a) loam and (b) fine sandy loam dominate
the terrace portion of the land type. Almost half of
the terrace is occupied by these two types. Gravelly
subsoils incline these types to droughtiness, and wind
erosion is a problem if they are clean cultivated.
Yields even under irrigation are not high. Irrigation
of these soils, especially the fine sandy loam, is of
questionable value.

The most productive terrace soils are members of
the Tripp series, chiefly silt loam. This type is

analogous to Keith silt loam of the upland. Ditch

-58-

irrigation has long been practiced, and pump irrigation
is becoming much more important. As a consecuence of
the supplemental water, more diversified crOp rotations
are practiced. Sugar beets, alfalfa, and corn are the
most important crops.

The bottomlands are dominated by three conditions.
Soils ofothe Ellicott series are the most extensive.
They are essentially alluvial Larimer, and they support
a scanty vegetative cover. They are suitable for only
limited grazing.

The hummocky Riverwash sand-silt deposits are sim-
ilar to the Ellicott and provide limited grazing only.

Laurel loam is the most extensive of the bottom-

, land soils adapted to cultivation. Diversified crOp-
ping is practicable. In addition, muoh of this soil
type is still in native grass which is cut for hay
or is used as pasture.

The minor components of the Chappel land type in-
clude:

1) Level upland

a) Keith silt loam ------- 2-3% siope---o.s%
‘ Sherman silt loam

2) Bluffland

a) Keith silt loam -- 2-8% lepe---5.5%
" fine sandy loam

b)
o)

d)

-59-

Rosebud loam ------------ F-5-l:% slope---1,3%

Canyon stony loam -------- 10-20% slope---O.8%
Colby silt loam ----------- 4-10% slepe---o.4%

5) Terraceland

a)

b)

o)

d)

Cheyenne loam, deep solum ,

phase ------ 2% lepe ------ 2.0%

Yale silt loam ----------- l-2% lepe ----- 2.2%

Cody loam ----- l-2% 810pe ----- 2.1%
" fine sandy loam

Parshall silt loam ~1-2% slope ----- 2.7%

fine sandy loam-

4) Bottomlands

a)
b)
e)

d)

Las Animas fine sandy loam-l-2% lepe---l.9%
Goshen silt loam ----------- 1-2% lepe---l.0%
Minatare silty clay loam-~- 1% lepe---l.3%
Wann loam ------------------ 1% slope---Q;ZZ

Total 20.2%
of the land

type

Keith and Sherman silt loams occupy the few re-

maining tableland remnants of the land type. Their

isolated location and small areal extent make their use

difficult under cultivation.

In a similar way, the Keith soils found as a minor

component in the Blufflands are generally small and

difficultly accessible. These areas, however, greatly

-60-

improve the grazing value of the Blufflands.

The associated Rosebud soils in the gravelly
Blufflands are similar to the Keith soils just discuss-
ed.

Canyon stony loam and Colby silt loam are shallow
lithosols similar to Larimer and should be retained in
permanent vegetation.

Cheyenne loam, deep solum phase, is the best of
the Cheyenne soils on the terrace. The greater depth to
gravels improves the type and crOp yields are higher.

Parshall (a) silt loam, and (b) fine sandy loam.are
quite similar to Tripp in characteristics and adaptabil-'
ity to cultivation.

Cody (a) loam, and (b) fine sandy loam are transi-
tional from the Parshall to Cheyenne series and about
intermediate in crop adaptability.

Yale silt loam has a columnar solonetz-type clay-
pan, similar to Dawes of the tableland, which deprec-
iates its value for crOps. Sub-surface moisture con-
ditions generally are more satisfactory than with
Dawes, however, and cr0p diversification is greater
under irrigation.

The minor components of the bottomland include:

(a) Las Animas fine sandy loam; (b) Goshen silt loam;

-51-

(c) Minatare silty clay loam; and (d) Wann.loam. Goshen
and Wann are adapted to diversified crOpping systems
under irrigation. Las Animas fine sandy loam is light
colored throughout the profile, and as a consequence of
the low organic matter content crOp yields are lower.
Much of the Las Animas is still in native grass which
is cut for hay. Minatare silty clay loam is an excess-
ively saline soil condition. It should remain in per-
manent grass. The salt grass which is very abundant on
this soil type is an inferior pasture grass. It is
only palatable for a few weeks during the early stages
of growth. After that, it cuickly turns brown and be-

comes very coarse and dry.
C. FREEMAN SANDHILLS LAND TYPE

The Freeman land type is dominated by hummocky to
dune-like incoherent fine sands with little or no prof
file develOpment. The minor components also have very
sandy but more develOped profiles, and the lepes are
more uniform and gentle. Virtually without exception
the soils of this land type should remain in permanent

vegetation. The major components include:

-62..

1) Dunesand, unstabilized--Dune-like tOpography--
16.4%

2) Dunesand, stabilized----Hummocky t0pography-i-
15.9

3) Valentine fine sand ----- Hummocky tOpography-e-
. 54.7%

Total 65.0%
of the land

type

The major components thoroughly dominate the Free-
man land type. Dunesand, unstabilized, is a hazard to
the continued use of the land type. These areas Should
be grazed very lightly, if at all, until conditions
are stabilized. Similarly, Dunesand, stabilized, should
be restrictedly grazed to maintain adeouate protective
vegetative cover. Valentine fine sand with a hummocky
tOpography has a few inches of brownish.surface dev610p-
ment. Generally, the vegetation is more abundant, and
the site better protected. Excessive grazing is not
advisable.

The minor components of the land type include:

1) Anselmo loamy fine sand-~1-2% lepe--11.4%

2) Valentine fine sand ------ 2% slope-- 6.0%

3) Valentine loamy fine sand 2% lepe-- 4.6%

4) Anselmo fine sandy loam-- 1% lepe-1_l;gi

Total 23.2% of
the land

type

-53-

The minor components of the land type generally
occupy the more uniform and gently sloping tOpography.
They also have better profile develOpment and support
more vegetation.

Anselmo loamy fine sand contains sufficient silt in
the subsoil to retain more moisture and supply more
nutrients. Vegetation is more abundant, and the carry-
ing capacity is greater. The type is subject to severe
wind erosion if the vegetation is removed, however, so
it is not recommended for cultivation. ,

Valentine (a) fine sand, and (b) loamy fine sand
on 2% s10pes comprise 10.6% of the land type. These
soil types support fairly good vegetative cover, but
reouire careful management to prevent depletion of the

vegetation and wind erosion.

-54-

SUMMARY

The natural land types described and analyzed are
in Deuel County in.Western Nebraska. Physiographically,
the county is a portion of the Cheyenne Tableland of the
High Plains, and consists of a gently sloping loess
capped Tertiary tableland dissected to a depth of about
200 feet by two streams. Prevailing winds have produc-
ed a northwest to southeast alignment of many surface
features and many of the intermittent drainageways.

Surface configuration and many soil conditions
found in the county are closely related to the geologic
formation. Chief among the geologic formations present
are various members of the Ogallala formation of Plio-
cene age, early Pleistocene gravels, and loess of
Peorian interglacial age. Peorian loess is by far the
most important soil forming parent material in the
county.

Climatically, Deuel County is semi-arid or sub-humid
with an.average annual rainfall of 17.07 inches, a mean
annual temperature of 48.80 F., and an average growing
season of 137 days.

The natural vegetation of the county is short grass,

chiefly Blue grama and Buffalo grass. Western wheatgrass,

 

 

needlegrass, and Niggerwool are the most important minor
associated grasses. Native tree growth is limited to a
few cottonwood and willow along Lodgepole Creek and the
South.Platte River.

The normal soils of the county are members of the
Chestnut Brown Great Soil Group. Members of the Keith
series developing on the tableland from Peorian loess
are by far the most important soils present. Soils of
the closely similar Sherman, Dunlap, and Goshen series
comprise a majority of the remaining soils of the table-
land. The steeply sloping blufflands are dominated by
shallow soils, chiefly the Larimer and Chappell series,
which contain a high pr0portion of Pleistocene gravels.
The Cheyenne series, very similar to the gravelly
Chappell series, dominates the terrace soils of the
county. The bottomland soils are gravelly, sandy, or
loamy. A small area of sandhills of local origin consist
almost entirely of very sandy soils, chiefly Dunesand and
members of the Valentine series.

Three natural land types are present in Deuel County.
The Deuel Loess Plains Land Type occupies the gently
leping tableland composed of friable medium textured
soils and short grass vegetation. About 40% of the land
type has a 1% slope, 40% a 2% slope, and almost all the

-66-

remaining 20% has a s10pe from 3-8%. The land type is
dominated by friable soils of the Keith, Sherman, Dun-
lap, and Goshen series. The 1 and 2% slopes of these
series occupy upWards of 80% of the land type. Minor
associated soil series include Dawes, Rosebud, Canyon,
Scott, Chappell, and Colby. As a consecuence of the gent-
ly leping topography, and the fertile and friable
medium textured soils, the land type is highly adapted
to large scale mechanized farming. As a wind erosion
control measure, “stubble mulch” or subsurface tillage
is practiced by an estimated 90% of the farmers. Most
of the land is managed in a 1-1 rotation of winter
wheat and summer fallow.

The Chappell Intrenched Valley Land Type is much
more variable in composition and use adaptability.
Steeply leping gravelly blufflands dominate 50% of
the land type. Two soil series, the Larimer and
Chappell, occupy the blufflands almost to the exclus-
ion of all other series. SlOpes from 12-25% are
typical of the gravelly lithosols of the Larimer series,
and slopes of 4-12% are associated with the Chappell
series occupying the colluvial slopes below the Larimer
soils. These two series are best adapted to permanent

vegetation and grazing.

-57-

About 30% of the Chappell Intrenched.Valley Land
Type is terrace land with a slope of l and 2%. Approxi-
mately half of the terrace, in turn, is occupied by
soils of the Cheyenne series which have gravelly sub-
soils. The best terrace soils are members of the
Tripp series, chiefly silt loam in texture. The Tripp
series is very similar to the Keith series of the up-
land. Irrigation, both pump and canal, are practiced
on the terrace, and cr0pping practices are more come
plex. Sugar beets, alfalfa, corn, and small grains are
the most important crOps.

The bottomlands of the Chappell Intrenched Valley
Land Type comprise less than 20% of the_land type.
About half of the bottomlands, in turn, are composed
of the very gravelly Ellicott series or very sandy
Riverwash. These areas are non-cultivatable and provide
only limited grazing. Similarly, the Las Animas and
Minatare series are best adapted to permanent hay
meadow or grazing, the former because of its light
sandy texture and the latter because it is excessively
saline. The best bottomland soils, comprising about
3.5% of the land type, are members of the Laurel and

Harlem series. Diversified crOpping, including sugar

-68-

beets, alfalfa, and corn, are practiced on these soils.
The third land type is the Freeman Sandhills Land
Type. The area occupied by this land type is very
small. The soils are very sandy, possess little or no
profile develOpment, and are associated with a hummocky
to dune-like t0pography. Dunesand, Stabilized and un-
stabilized, Valentine fine sand, and Anselmo loamy fine
sand comprise almost all of the soils present in the
land type. Due to the extremely sandy nature of the

soils, limited grazing is the only recommended land use.

-59-

BIBLIOGRAPHY

(l) Barnes, C. P., Natural land use areas of the United
States, Map published by Bureau of Ag. Econ.,
U.S.D.A. 1933.

(2) Bryan, Kirk, Glacial versus desert origin of loess,
Symposium on Loess, Reprint from.Am. Jour. of
Sc., pp. 245—8, May, 1945.

(5) Condra, G. E., Reed, E. C., and Gordon, E. Do,
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