Physiographic features

This site occurs on nearly level to slightly sloping fans, interfluves, or terraces, and on footslopes or backslopes of hills on dissected plains or uplands.

Table 2. Representative physiographic features

Climatic features

Wide fluctuations in precipitation may occur from year to year, as well as occasional periods of drought (longer than one year in duration). Two-thirds of the annual precipitation occurs during the growing season from April to September. The mean annual air temperature (MAAT) ranges from 47 degrees Fahrenheit in the western part to 52 degrees Fahrenheit in the eastern part. Cold air outbreaks from Canada in winter move rapidly from northwest to southeast and account for extreme minimum temperatures. Chinook winds may also occur in winter and bring rapid rises in temperature. Extreme storms may occur during the winter, but most severely affect ranch operations during the late winter and spring months. High-intensity afternoon thunderstorms may arise in summer. Wind speed averages about 8 miles per hour, ranging from 10 during the spring to 7 during late summer. Daytime winds are generally stronger than nighttime and occasional strong storms may bring brief periods of high winds with gusts to more than 75 mph. The average length of the freeze-free period (28 degrees Fahrenheit) is 150 days from May 4 to October 1. The average frost-free period (32 degrees Fahrenheit) is 128 days from May 16 to September 21. Growing season increases from west to east (Wyoming to Nebraska). Growth of native cool-season plants begins about April 1 and continues to mid-June. Native warm-season plants begin growth about May 15 and continue to about August 15. Regrowth of cool-season plants occur in September in most years, depending upon moisture.

Table 3. Representative climatic features

Climate stations used

• (1) HARRISBURG 12WNW [USC00253605], Harrisburg, NE

• (2) CHUGWATER [USC00481730], Chugwater, WY

• (3) OLD FT LARAMIE [USC00486852], Yoder, WY

• (4) PHILLIPS [USC00487200], LaGrange, WY

• (5) WHEATLAND 4 N [USC00489615], Wheatland, WY

• (6) CHEYENNE [USW00024018], Cheyenne, WY

• (7) SCOTTSBLUFF HEILIG AP [USW00024028], Scottsbluff, NE

• (8) BRIDGEPORT [USC00251145], Bridgeport, NE

• (9) KIMBALL 2NE [USC00254440], Kimball, NE

• (10) OSHKOSH [USC00256385], Oshkosh, NE

Influencing water features

There are no water features associated with this ecological site.

Soil features

The soils on this site are typically deep to very deep, but include moderately deep, well drained soils that formed from alluvium, eolian deposits, or loess; and moderately deep soils formed from residuum derived from sandstone or siltstone. They typically are in moderate to moderately rapid permeability classes, but range to moderately slow in some soils. The available water capacity is moderate but may range to low in some soils. The soil moisture regime is typically aridic ustic. The soil temperature regime is mesic.

The surface layer of the soils in this site are typically loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam, but may include silt loam. The surface layer ranges from a depth of 5 to 12 inches thick. The subsoil is typically loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam, but may include very fine sandy loam or silt loam. Rock fragments typically number 0 to 10 percent in the subsoil but may range up to 45 percent in some soils. Soils in this site are typically leached of carbonates from 6 to 40 inches or more; a few soils may have carbonates within 6 inches of the surface. These soils are susceptible to erosion by water and wind. The potential for water erosion accelerates with increasing slope.

Surface soil structure in the Loamy 12 to 17 inch PZ ecological site is fine to medium granular, and structure below the surface is prismatic and/or subangular blocky.

Major soil series correlated to this ecological site include: Albinas, Alliance, Altvan, Ascalon, Creighton, Duroc, Featherlegs, Hargreave, Hemingford, Keith, Noden, Norka, Nucla, Recluse, Rosebud, Satanta, Tripp, Wages, Weld, and Wolf.

Other soil series that have been correlated to this site include: Angora, Bridget, Cedak, Deight, Goshen, Keith-variant, Luman, Selpats, Thirtynine, and Ulysses.

The attributes listed in the following table represent 0 to 40 inches in depth or to the first restrictive layer.

Note: Revisions to soil surveys are on-going. For the most recent updates, visit the Web Soil Survey, the official site for soils information: http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/WebSoilSurvey.aspx

Table 4. Representative soil features

Animal community

Wildlife Interpretations

Reference Plant Community - Needle and Thread, Western Wheatgrass, Blue Grama:

The predominance of grasses plus high forb diversity in this community favors large grazers such as pronghorn and elk. Suitable thermal and escape cover for mule deer is limited due to low shrub cover. White and black- tailed jackrabbit, badger, and coyote commonly use this community. The Reference Plant Community also provides habitat for a wide array of smaller mammals, so diverse prey populations are available for raptors such as ferruginous and Swainson’s hawks. Birds such as western kingbird, western meadowlark, lark bunting, and grasshopper sparrow utilize this community for nesting and foraging.

1.2 Community - Threadleaf Sedge, Blue Grama, with Remnant Mid-grasses:
The reduction in taller grasses in this community results in decreased use by lark buntings and western meadowlarks. Use by long-billed curlew increases, provided there is standing water within one-quarter mile. Killdeer, horned larks, and McCown’s longspurs also make significant use of this community. Pronghorn may forage in this community.

1.3 Community - Low Plant Density, Increased Litter, Decadent Plants, and Standing Dead Canopy:

This community has low habitat value for most wildlife species. Horned larks may nest in this community.

2.1 Community - Blue Grama, Buffalograss, Threadleaf Sedge, Fringed sagewort, Pricklypear:

This community provides limited foraging for antelope and other grazers. Ground-nesting birds that favor sparse vegetation may use this community. Long-billed curlews use the 2.1 Community if standing water is present within one-quarter mile. Generally, this is not a target vegetative community for wildlife habitat management.

3.1 Community – Broom Snakeweed,
Annual Grasses and Forbs, Threadleaf Sedge, Cheatgrass, Invasives, and Bare Ground:

Sparse vegetation and greater amounts of bare ground provide suitable habitat for prairie dogs, horned larks, and McCown’s longspurs. However, a lack of complex vegetation structure and residual cover makes this community poor habitat in general for most ground-nesting birds and big game species.

4.1 Community:
The wildlife species found here are similar to the Increased Bare Ground Community.

Seeded Community (Adapted Seed Mixes):

Wildlife use of tilled and replanted fields is dependent upon the plant species used in the planted seed mix. Purpose of the seeding (i.e. reclamation, soil erosion control, livestock grazing, targeted wildlife species, etc.) affects the usability for wildlife. If wildlife use is a primary concern, then seed mixes must be formulated to meet species specific habitat requirements.

Grazing Interpretations

The following table is a guide to stocking rates for the plant communities described in the Loamy 12 to 17 inch PZ site. These are conservative estimates for initial planning. On-site conditions will vary, and stocking rates should be adjusted based on range inventories, animal kind/class, forage availability (adjusted for slope, distance to water), and the type of grazing system (number of pastures, planned moves, etc.), all of which is determined in the conservation planning process.

The following stocking rates are based on the total annual forage production in a normal year multiplied by 25 percent harvest efficiency of preferred and desirable forage species, divided by 912 pounds of ingested air-dry vegetation for an animal unit per month (Natl. Range and Pasture Handbook, 1997). An animal unit month (AUM) is defined as the amount of forage required by one mature cow, for one month.

Plant Community (PC) Production (total lbs. /acre in a normal year) and Stocking Rate (AUM/acre) are listed below: Example:
Reference PC – (1300) (.36)

1,300 lbs. per acre X 25% percent Harvest Efficiency = 325 lbs. forage demand for one month. 325 lbs. per acre/912 demand per AUM =.36 AUMs/ac.

12-14" PZ
Reference PC - (1300) (.36)
1.2 PC - (900) (.25)
2.1 PC - (500) (.14)
1.3 PC (1200)(.33)

15-17" PZ

Reference PC – (1500) (.41)
1.2 PC – (1100) (0.30)
2.1 PC (700) (.19)
1.3 PC - (1400) (.38)


Grazing by domestic livestock is one of the major income-producing industries in the area. Rangelands in this area provide year-long forage under prescribed grazing for cattle, sheep, horses, and other herbivores. During the dormant period, livestock may need supplementation based on reliable forage analysis.

An on-site inventory is required prior to developing a grazing plan.

Hydrological functions

Water is the principal factor limiting forage production on this site. This site is dominated by soils in hydrologic group B and C, with localized areas in hydrologic group D. Infiltration ranges from moderately slow to moderate. Runoff potential for this site varies from low to moderate depending on soil hydrologic group and ground cover. In many cases, areas with greater than 75 percent ground cover have the greatest potential for high infiltration and lower runoff. An example of an exception would be where shortgrasses form a strong sod and dominate the site. Areas where ground cover is less than 50 percent have the greatest potential to have reduced infiltration and higher runoff (to NRCS Section 4, National Engineering Handbook (USDA–NRCS, 1972–2012) for runoff quantities and hydrologic curves).

Rills and gullies should not typically be present. Water flow patterns should be barely distinguishable if at all present. Pedestals are only slightly present in association with bunchgrasses. Litter typically falls in place, and signs of movement are not common. Chemical and physical crusts are rare to non-existent. Cryptogamic crusts are present, but only cover 1-2 percent of the soil surface.

Recreational uses

This site provides hunting, hiking, photography, bird watching, and other recreational opportunities. The wide varieties of plants that bloom from spring until fall have an aesthetic value that appeals to visitors.

Wood products

No appreciable wood products are present on the site.

Other products

Site Development & Testing Plan

General Data (MLRA and Revision Notes, Hierarchical Classification, Ecological Site Concept, Physiographic, Climate, and Water Features, and Soils Data):

Updated. All “Required” items complete to Provisional level.

Community Phase Data (Ecological Dynamics, STM, Transition & Recovery Pathways, Reference Plant Community, Species Composition List, Annual Production Table):

Updated. All “Required” items complete to Provisional level.

Annual Production Table is from the “Previously Approved” ESD (2008).

The Annual Production Table and Species Composition List will be reviewed for future updates at Approved level.

Each Alternative State/Community:

Complete to Provisional level.

Supporting Information (Site Interpretations, Assoc. & Similar Sites, Inventory Data References, Agency/State Correlation, References):

Updated. All “Required” items complete to Provisional level.
Wildlife Interpretations: Plant community names updated. Narrative is from “Previously Approved” ESD (2008). Wildlife species will need to be updated at the next Approved level.

Livestock Interpretations: Plant community names and stocking rates updated.

Hydrology, Recreational Uses, Wood Products, and Other Products carried over from previously “Approved” ESD (2008).
Plant Preferences tabled removed. Will be released as a technical guide notice by NRCS NE and WY state offices in the future.

Existing NRI or 417 Inventory Data References updated.

Reference Sheet:
Rangeland Health Reference Sheet carried over from previously “Approved” ESD (2008).
It will be updated at the next “Approved” level.

“Future work, as described in a project plan, to validate the information in this provisional ecological site description is needed. This will include field activities to collect low and medium intensity sampling, soil correlations, and analysis of that data. Annual field reviews should be done by soil scientists and vegetation specialists. A final field review, peer review, quality control, and quality assurance reviews of the ESD will be needed to produce the final document.” (NI 430_306 ESI and ESD, April, 2015)

Inventory data references

Data Source: NRI Number of Records: 37
Sample Period: 2006-2016
States: NE, WY, CO
Counties: Banner, Garden, Kimball, Morrill, Scotts Bluff (NE);
Goshen, Laramie, Platte (WY); Weld (CO)

NRI: references to Natural Resource Inventory data
Information presented here has been derived from data collection on private and federal lands using:
• Double Sampling (clipped 2 of 5 plots)*
• Rangeland Health (Pellant et al., 2005)
• Soil Stability (Pellant et al., 2005)
• Line Point Intercept : Foliar canopy, basal cover (Forb, Graminoid, Shrub, subshrub, Lichen, Moss, Rock fragments, bare ground, % Litter) (Herrick et al., 2005)
• Soil pedon descriptions collected on site (Schoeneberger et al., 2012)

References

• Guyette, R.P., M.C. Stambaugh, D.C. Dey, and R. Muzika. 2012. Predicting Fire Frequency with Chemistry and Climate. Ecosystems 15:322–335.

• Stewart, O.C., H.T. Lewis, and M.K. Anderson. 2002. Forgotten Fires: Native Americans and the Transient Wilderness. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK. 351p.

Other references

Other References

Anderson, R.C. 2006. Evolution and origin of the central grassland of North America: Climate, fire, and mammalian grazers. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 133:626–647.

Bragg, T.B. 1995. The physical environment of the Great Plains grasslands. In: A. Joern and K.H. Keeler (eds) The changing prairie. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. pp. 49–81.

Branson, D.H. and G.A. Sword. 2010. An experimental analysis of grasshopper community responses to fire and livestock grazing in a northern mixed- grass prairie. Environmental Entomology 39:1441–1446.

Brinson, M.M. 1993. A hydrogeomorphic classification for wetlands. Technical Report WRP–DE–4. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS.

Coupland, R.T. 1958. The effects of fluctuations in weather upon the grasslands of the Great Plains. Botanical Review 24:273–317.

Davis, S.K., R.J. Fisher, S.L. Skinner, T.L. Shaffer, and R.M. Brigham. 2013. Songbird abundance in native and planted grassland varies with type and amount of grassland in the surrounding landscape. Journal of Wildlife Management 77:908–919.

DeLuca, T.H. and P. Lesica. 1996. Long-term harmful effects of crested wheatgrass on Great Plains grassland ecosystems. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 51:408–409.

Derner, J.D. and R.H. Hart. 2007. Grazing-induced modifications to peak standing crop in northern mixed-grass prairie. Rangeland Ecology and Management 60:270–276.

Derner, J.D. and A.J. Whitman. 2009. Plant interspaces resulting from contrasting grazing management in northern mixed-grass prairie: Implications for ecosystem function. Rangeland Ecology and Management 62:83–88.

Derner, J.D., W.K. Lauenroth, P. Stapp, and D.J. Augustine. 2009. Livestock as ecosystem engineers for grassland bird habitat in the western Great Plains of North America. Rangeland Ecology and Management 62:111–118.

Dillehay, T.D. 1974. Late Quaternary bison population changes on the southern Plains. Plains Anthropologist 19:180–196.

Dormaar, J.F. and S. Smoliak. 1985. Recovery of vegetative cover and soil organic matter during revegetation of abandoned farmland in a semiarid climate. Journal of Range Management 38:487–491.

Harmoney, K.R. 2007. Grazing and burning Japanese brome (Bromus japonicus) on mixed grass rangelands. Rangeland Ecology and Management 60:479–486.

Heitschmidt, R.K., and L.T. Vermeire. 2005. An ecological and economic risk avoidance drought management decision support system. In: J.A. Milne (ed.) Pastoral systems in marginal environments, 20th International Grasslands Congress, July 2005. p. 178.

Knopf, F.L. 1996. Prairie legacies—Birds. In: F.B. Samson and F.L. Knopf (eds.) Prairie conservation: Preserving North America’s most endangered ecosystem, Island Press, Washington, DC. pp. 135–148.

Knopf, F.L. and F.B. Samson. 1997. Conservation of grassland vertebrates. In: F.B. Samson and F.L. Knopf (eds) Ecology and conservation of Great Plains vertebrates: Ecological Studies 125, Springer-Verlag, New York, NY. pp. 273–289.

Lauenroth, W.K., O.E. Sala, D.P. Coffin, and T.B. Kirchner. 1994. The importance of soil water in recruitment of Bouteloua gracilis in the shortgrass steppe. Ecological Applications 4:741–749.

Laycock, W.A. 1988. History of grassland plowing and grass planting on the Great Plains. In: J.E. Mitchell (ed.) Impacts of the Conservation Reserve Program in the Great Plains—symposium proceedings, September 16–18, 1987. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, General Technical Report RM-158.

Malloch, D.W., K.A. Pirozynski, and P.H. Raven. 1980. Ecological and evolutionary significance of mycorrhizal symbioses in vascular plants (a review). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 77:2113–2118.

Ogle, S.M., W.A. Reiners, and K.G. Gerow. 2003. Impacts of exotic annual brome grasses (Bromus spp.) on ecosystem properties of the northern mixed grass prairie. American Midland Naturalist 149:46–58.

Roath, L.R. 1988. Implications of land conversions and management for the future. In: J.E. Mitchell (ed.) Impacts of the Conservation Reserve Program in the Great Plains—symposium proceedings, September 16–18, 1987. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, General Technical Report RM-158.

Smoliak, S. and J.F. Dormaar. 1985. Productivity of Russian wildrye and crested wheatgrass and their effect on prairie soils. Journal of Range Management 38:403–405.

Smoliak, S., J.F. Dormaar, and A. Johnston. 1972. Long-term grazing effects on Stipa-Bouteloua prairie soils. Journal of Range Management 25:246–250.

Soil Science Division Staff. 2017. Soil survey manual. C. Ditzler, K. Scheffe, and H.C. Monger (eds.). USDA Handbook 18. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.

Soil Survey Staff. Official Soil Series Descriptions. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Available online. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/home/?cid=nrcs142p2_053587. Accessed 15 November, 2017.

Soil Survey Staff. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Soil Survey Staff. 2014. Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 12th edition. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington, DC.

Soil Survey Staff. 2018. Web Soil Survey. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Available online. https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/. Accessed 15 February, 2018.

Soller, D.R. 2001. Map showing the thickness and character of Quaternary sediments in the glaciated United States east of the Rocky Mountains. U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series I-1970-E, scale 1:3,500,000.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 1987. Corps of Engineers wetlands delineation manual. Wetlands Research Program Technical Report Y-87-1 Available online. http://www.lrh.usace.army.mil/Portals/38/docs/USACE%2087%20Wetland%20Delineation%20Manual.pdf. Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Glossary of landform and geologic terms. National Soil Survey Handbook, Title 430-VI, Part 629.02c. Available online. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/ref/?cid=nrcs142p2_054242. Accessed 16 January, 2018.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2010a. Field indicators of hydric soils in the United States, version 7.0. L.M. Vasilas, G.W. Hurt, and C.V. Noble (eds). USDA-NRCS, in cooperation with the National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2013a. Climate data. National Water and Climate Center. Available online. http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/climate. Accessed 13 October, 2017.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2006. Land resource regions and major land resource areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin. Agriculture Handbook 296.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2013b. National Soil Information System. Available online. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/survey/geo/?Cid=nrcs142p2_053552. Accessed 30 October, 2017.

U.S. Department of the Interior, Geological Survey. 2008. LANDFIRE 1.1.0 Vegetation Dynamics Models. Available online. http://landfire.cr.usgs.gov/viewer/.

U.S. Department of the Interior, Geological Survey. 2011. LANDFIRE 1.1.0 Existing Vegetation Types. Available online. http://landfire.cr.usgs.gov/viewer/.

Willeke, G.E. 1994. The national drought atlas [CD ROM]. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Water Resources Support Center, Institute for Water Resources Report 94-NDS-4.

Wilson, S.D., and J.M. Shay. 1990. Competition, fire, and nutrients in a mixed-grass prairie. Ecology 71:1959–1967.

With, K.A. 2010. McCown’s longspur (Rhynchophanes mccownii). In: A. Poole (ed.) The birds of North America [online], Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY. Available online. https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/home.

Additional References:
Augustine, D.J., J. Derner, D. Milchunas, D. Blumenthal, and L. Porensky. 2017. Grazing moderates increases in C3 grass abundance over seven decades across a soil texture gradient in shortgrass steppe. Journal of Vegetation Science, Doi:10.1111/jvs.12508, International Association of Vegetative Science

Clark, J., E. Grimm, J. Donovan, S. Fritz, D. Engrstom, and J. Almendinger. 2002. Drought cycles and landscape responses to past aridity on prairies of the Northern Great Plains, USA. Ecology, 83(3), 595-601.

Collins, S. and S. Barber. (1985). Effects of disturbance on diversity in mixed-grass prairie. Vegetatio, 64, 87-94.

Cooperative climatological data summaries. NOAA. Western Regional Climate Center: Reno, NV. Web. Available online. http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/climatedata/climsum. Accessed 16 November, 2017.

Egan, Timothy. 2006. The Worst Hard Time. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company: New York, NY.

Guyette, Richard P., M.C. Stambaugh, D.C. Dey, RM Muzika. 2012. Predicting fire frequency with chemistry and climate. Ecosystems, 15: 322-335 Hart, R. and J. Hart. 1997. Rangelands of the Great Plains before European Settlement. Rangelands, 19(1), 4-11.
Hart, R. 2001. Plant biodiversity on shortgrass steppe after 55 years of zero, light, moderate, or heavy cattle grazing. Plant Ecology, 155, 111-118.

Pellant, M., P. Shaver, D.A. Pyke, J.E. Herrick. 2005. Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health, Version 4. BLM National Business Center Printed Materials Distribution Service: Denver, CO.

Mack, Richard N., and J.N. Thompson. 1982. Evolution in Steppe with Few Large, Hooved Mammals. The American Naturalist. 119, No. 6, 757-773

Reyes-Fox, M., Stelzer H., Trlica M.J., McMaster, G.S., Andales, A.A., LeCain, D.R., and Morgan J.A. 2014. Elevated CO2 further lengthens growing season under warming conditions. Nature, April 23, 2014 issue. Available online. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v510/n7504/full/nature13207.html. Accessed 1 March, 2017.

Schoeneberger, P.J., D.A. Wysockie, E.C. Benham, and Soil Survey Staff. 2012. Field book for describing and sampling soils, Version 3.0. Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Soil Survey Center: Lincoln, NE.

Stahl, David W., E.R. Cook, M.K. Cleaveland, M.D. Therrell, D.M. Meko, H.D. Grissino-Mayer, E. Watson, and B.H. Luckman. Tree-ring data document 16th century megadrought over North America. 2000. Eos, 81(12), 121-125.

Stewart, Omer C., 2002. Forgotten Fires. Univ. of Oklahoma Press, Publishing Division: Norman, OK.

Zelikova, Tamara Jane, D.M. Blumenthal, D.G. Williams, L. Souza, D.R. LeCain, J.Morgan. 2014. Long-term exposure to elevated CO2 enhances plant community stability by suppressing dominant plant species in a mixed-grass prairie. Ecology, 2014 issue at www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1414659111

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. National Ecological Site Handbook, Title 190, Part 630, 1st Edition. Available online. https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/. Accessed 15 September, 2017.

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2009. Part 630, Hydrology, National Engineering Handbook

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 1972-2012. National Engineering Handbook Hydrology Chapters. Available online. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/water/?&cid=stelprdb1043063. Accessed August, 2015.

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 1997, revised 2003.
National Range and Pasture Handbook. Available online. http://www.glti.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/publications/nrph.html.
Accessed 26 February, 2018.

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. National Soil Survey Handbook title 430-VI. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/ref/?cid=nrcs142p2_054242

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Web Soil Survey. Available online. http://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx. Accessed 15 November, 2017.

Data collection for this ecological site was done in conjunction with the progressive soil surveys within the 67A Central High Plains (Northern Part) of Nebraska, Wyoming, and Colorado. It has been mapped and correlated with soils in the following soil surveys:

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.1994. Soil Survey of Banner County, Nebraska.

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. 1997. Soil Survey of Cheyenne County, Nebraska.

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. 1999. Soil Survey of Garden County, Nebraska.

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. 2005. Soil Survey of Kimball County, Nebraska.

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. 1985. Soil Survey of Morrill County, Nebraska.

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. 1968 Soil Survey of Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska.

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.2013. Soil Survey of Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska

Contributors

Kimberly Diller, Ecological Site Specialist, NRCS MLRA SSO, Pueblo CO
Andy Steinert, Project Leader, NRCS MLRA SSO, Fort Morgan, CO
Doug Whisenhunt, Ecological Site Specialist, NRCS MLRA SSO, Pueblo CO

Approval

Kirt Walstad, 9/07/2023

Acknowledgments

Partners/Contributors:
David Cook, Rangeland Management Specialist, NRCS, Oshkosh, NE
George Gamblin, Rangeland Management Specialist, NRCS, Wheatland, WY
Cameron Clark, Resource Soil Scientist, NRCS, Douglas, WY
Angie Elg, Resource Soil Scientist, NRCS, Scottsbluff, NE
Tim Becket, Area Resource Conservationist, Douglas, WY
Mitchell Stephenson, Ph.D. Rangeland Management Specialist, UNL-Panhandle Research Station, Scottsbluff, NE
Kristin Dickinson, District Conservationist, NRCS, Sidney, NE
Rick Peterson, Ecological Site Inventory Specialist, SD-NRCS-MLRA SSO, Rapid City, SD

Program Support:
Nadine Bishop, NE State Rangeland Management Specialist/ QC, NRCS, Imperial, NE
John Hartung WY State Rangeland Management Specialist/ QC, NRCS, Casper, WY
David Kraft, NRCS MLRA Ecological Site Specialist-QA, Emporia, KS
James Bauchert, WY State Soil Scientist, WY-NRCS, Casper, WY
Neil Dominy, NE State Soil Scientist, NRCS, Lincoln, NE
Britt Weiser, NE State Resource Conservationist, NRCS, Lincoln, NE
Clayton Schmitz, WY State Resource Conservationist, NRCS, Casper, WY
Carla Green Adams, Editor, NRCS-SSR5, Denver, CO
Chad Remley, Regional Director, N. Great Plains Soil Survey, Salina, KS

Those involved in developing the 2008 version: Chuck Ring, Rangeland Management Specialist, WY-NRCS, Everett Bainter, WY State Rangeland Management Specialist, WY-NRCS

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In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email:
program.intake@usda.gov.