Chapter I: Selenium in soils and plants from native and irrigated lands at the Kendrick Reclamation Project Area, Wyoming

Erdman, J.A. and Severson, R.C. and Crock, J.G. and Harms, T.F. and Mayland, H.F. (1991) Chapter I: Selenium in soils and plants from native and irrigated lands at the Kendrick Reclamation Project Area, Wyoming. pp. 89-105. In: Severson, R.C. and Fisher Jr, S.E. and Gough, L.P. (eds.) Proc. of 1990 Billings Land Reclamation Symposium. USA-MT-Billings, 1991/03/25-30.

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Abstract

In response to earlier findings or elevated levels of
selenium in the Kendrick area, two detailed geochemical
surveys were conducted in 1988 to stud y the distribution of
selenium in soils (0-1 m depth), and new growth of associated
big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) and alfalfa (Medicago
sativa L.). A survey of the native rangeland focused on
specific geologic units as sources of selenium; whereas, a
gridded survey of the irrigated lands assessed the extent of its
mobilization, transport, and concentration.
Only three of the approximately 200 soil samples
contained total selenium slightly greater than the 3.3 ppm
maximum baseline established for soils from the northern
Great Plains. In contrast, selenium concentrations in about
one-fifth of the big sagebrush samples exceeded the 1.1 ppm
maximum baseline established for this species from the West.
Selenium tended to be elevated, but not uniformly so, in both
soils and sagebrush collected from areas underlain by the
Cody Shale of Cretaceous age.
Alfalfa from about 15% of the irrigated fields contained
selenium in excess of about 4 ppm, levels reported to be
potentially hazardous to livestock if fed over prolonged
periods. Most of these samples were concentrated in an area of
11 contiguous sections where selenium-enriched surface and
drain waters also occurred. The agricultural soils just to the
north of this seleniferous area had slightly higher levels of
selenium compared to those elsewhere in the irrigated lands.
At present, the cause for this displaced anomaly is unclear.
Followup sampling in 1989 of two fields where selenium
levels in alfalfa collected in 1988 were 25 and 15 ppm yielded
samples that contained only 0.2 and 0.7 ppm, respectively.
This dramatic and puzzling temporal disparity may be
explained by marked differences in weather patterns and
irrigation practices for the 2 years. Such a disparity
underscores the need to monitor a potentially seleniferous area
over an extended period.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
NWISRL Publication Number:	0742
Additional Information:	**A.K.A NWISRL PUBLICATION 742a**
Subjects:	Soil > Chemistry > Selenium Mass Import - autoclassified (may be erroneous)
Depositing User:	Dan Stieneke
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2010 21:56
Last Modified:	09 Dec 2016 17:32
Item ID:	907
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/907