Burt County Nebraska Soil Survey

By Mary Jane Bell

Grade Level

The lessons are suitable for junior high school students. The lessons have been used for students in a non-college bound secondary science course.

Summary:

The students will identify the soil types, describe the textures, and locate waterways in or near the towns of Lyons and Decatur, the two towns that are included in the Lyons-Decatur school district. The lesson should be proceeded by locating the towns of Lyons and Decatur on a state map. Have the students calculate the miles between Lyons and Decatur, since there is more than one driving route. The students will identify the general soil types, texture descriptions, waterways and definitions of words encountered on soil descriptions.

The lesson is used to introduce soil profiles before using the topographic maps, the teacher or the student should need no previous experience.

Student and Teacher Background Information:

The student and instructor should not need any previous experience. The instructor should make themselves familiar with the location of the maps and review proportions when calculating the mileage scale.

Materials Needed:

(Individual or teams of 2 students)

Soil Survey of Burt County, Nebraska
Ruler
Hand lenses...0ptional
State of Nebraska maps

Learning Objectives:

The goal is to introduce soil profile maps, waterways, and directions (north, south, east or west).

Lessons 1 and 2 may be taught in any sequence. They may be used before introducing the topographical maps for the area. You might want to introduce the area using a Nebraska state maps or atlas.

Possible Extensions:

The lessons and materials may be used to supplement geography or history lessons at a learning center or in a class. The students will be given an opportunity to compare Burt County Soil Survey maps to those of Merrick County, chosen because it is so level compared to Burt county. Both have large river systems flowing near them, both river systems provide a boundary, for Merrick county the Platte River is the boundary between Merrick and Polk counties. For Burt county the Missouri River is the boundary between Nebraska and Iowa. You might want to do a comparison to your county using a similar format.

Lesson 1: A Comparison of the Soils Associated with Decatur and Lyons Using the Soil Survey for Burt County Nebraska

PLEASE DO NOT MARK OR WRITE ON ANY OF THE MAPS.

Near the back of the Soil Survey there is a General Soil Map of Burt County that unfolds.

This map is color-coded. Open the map up and locate Decatur.

1. What are the three types of general soils associated with the town of Decatur?

Give the texture descriptions from the Soil Legend.

2. What are the waterways that flow into the Missouri River through or near Decatur?

3. How do these three waterways differ?

4. What are the three types of general soils associated with the town of Lyons?

5. The town of Lyons has no waterways shown that flow through it. What waterway flows west of the town?

6. Look up the following words and write their definitions on the back of this worksheet. Give the source (not just the word dictionary), copyright and page numbers.
loess, alluvium, terraces, colluvium, uplands, detritus.

Lesson 2: A Comparison of Soil Textures from Lyons and Decatur

PLEASE DO NOT MARK OR WRITE ON ANY OF THE MAPS.

Use the CONVENTIONAL AND SPECIAL SYMBOLS LEGEND on the page following the GENERAL SOIL MAP in the Burt County Soil Survey. Unfold and you’ll find the INDEX TO MAP SHEETS.

What is the sectionalized township number for Decatur?
What is the sectionalized township number for Lyons?
What is the scale for Burt County, Nebraska? ______inches = _______miles
Determine the straight-line distance between the center of Decatur and Lyons.
If you were to drive the highways between Decatur and Lyons, how many miles would you drive?
Go to the folded Burt County sheet for the Decatur Township. You know the number.
1. What does MnD2 mean?
2. What does JuC mean?
What are the two soil textures for the Hillcrest Cemetery?
Go to the folded Burt County sheet for the Lyons Township.
1. What does Be soil texture represent?
2. What is the horseshoe shaped structure west of Lyons?
3. Locate Northeast School. Notice that the football field location has changed. Find out where it has moved and why. (Hint) Find the copyright date for this publication.
Find Bell Creek. Which way does it flow? Give three pieces of evidence to support your answer.

EXTRA CREDIT: Follow Bell Creek using the Nebraska Atlas & Gazetteer. Describe it’s course and what waterway it empties into. How many square miles are there in each township?

Lesson 1 Answer Sheet to Soil Survey of Burt County, Nebraska.

Near the back of the Soil Survey there is a General Soil Map of Burt County that unfolds. This map is color-coded. Open the map up and locate Decatur.

What are the three types of general soils associated with the town of
Give the texture descriptions from the Soil Legend.
1. Haynie-Albaton-Sarpy association: Deep, moderately well drained, poorly drained, and excessively drained, nearly level and gently sloping, silt, clayey, and sandy soils formed in alluvium: on bottom lands.
2. Luton-Solomon-Forney association: Deep, poorly drained, nearly level, clayey soils formed in alluvium; on bottomlands.
3. Ida-Monona-Judson association: Deep, well drained to excessively drained, gently sloping to very steep, silly soils formed in loess and colluvium; on uplands and foot slopes.
2. What are the three waterways that enter the Missouri River in or near Decatur?
1. Wood Creek
2. Elm Creek
3. Lone Tree Creek
3. How do these three waterways differ?
1. Wood Creek flows through township section 1 and enters the Missouri River north of Decatur. It flows generally from west to east.
2. Elm Creek starts in township section 15 and flows slightly westward into township section 14, then flows north into township 9, enters township 10 and flows in a north easterly direction through the south east section of Decatur in township 5 and then enters the Missouri River.
3. Lone Tree Creek originates in township 10, flows generally north ward into township 5 where it enters Elm Creek south of Decatur
4. What are the three types of general soils associated with the town of Lyons?
1. Zook-Colo association: Deep, poorly drained and somewhat poorly drained, nearly level, silt and clayey soils formed in alluvium; on bottomlands.
2. Moody-Nora-Judson association: Deep, well drained, nearly level to strongly sloping, silt soils formed in loess and colluvium; on uplands and foot slopes.
3. Belfore-Moody-Marshall association: Deep, well-drained, nearly level, silt soils, formed in loess; on stream terraces.
The town of Lyons has no waterways shown that flow through it. What waterway flows west of the town? Logan Creek , or Old Channel.
Look up the following definitions and write them on the back of this worksheet. Give the source, copyright and page numbers. Definitions are in the glossary too. loess, alluvium, colluvium, terrace, uplands, detritus.

Lesson 2 Answer Sheet

Use the CONVENTIONAL AND SPECIAL SYMBOLS LEGEND on the page following the General Soil Map.

What is the sectionalized township number for Decatur? 5
What is the sectionalized township number for Lyons? 8
What is the scale for Burt County, Nebraska? 1 inch = 3 miles
Determine the straight-line distance between the center of Decatur and Lyons. 4 1/8 inches = 12.3 miles
If you were to drive the highways between Decatur and Lyons, how many miles would you drive? 15-18 miles, this answer should be greater than the answer in #4.
Go to the folded Burt County sheet for the Decatur township.
1. What does MnD2 mean? Monona Silt loam, 6 to 11 percent slopes, eroded.
  Mn identifies the Monona silt loam. The D indicates the 6-11 percent slopes, the 2 represents eroded.
2. What does JuC mean? Judson silt clay loam 2 to 6 percent slopes. Ju indicates Judson silt clay loam. The C indicates 2 to 6 percent slopes. Since there is no number after the letter "C" the soil is not eroded.
What are the two soil textures and what do the numbers mean for the Hillcrest Cemetery? MnD2 and IdE2. Monona silt loam and Ida silt loam. The number 2 indicates that the soil is eroded.
Go to the folded Burt County sheet for the Lyons township.
1. What does Be soil texture represent? Belfore silt clay loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes
2. What is the horseshoe shaped structure west of Lyons? water, it is the lagoon at the park
3. Locate Northeast School. Notice that the football field location has changed. Find out where it has moved and why. (Hint) Find the copyright date for this publication. The present football field is south of the field shown. It is mostly on JuC type soil. The copyright date for the Soil Survey is 1980. The Northeast schools were consolidated in 1984.
Find Bell Creek. Which way does it flow? Give three pieces of evidence to support your answer.
Bell Creek starts in section 17 and flows south into section 20 and then into section 29. It continues south into Washington county. The slope is "D" near the outside and then "C" and as it nears the channel no slope is shown. D=6-11 % slope. C=2-6 % slope.

Extra Credit

Look up where Bell Creek flows using a state map, atlas or topographical map. Describe its route. How many square miles are there in each township? Six square miles.