LOCATION CLOTHO MN

Established Series
Rev. CTS-ELB
02/2011

CLOTHO SERIES

The Clotho series consist of deep, poorly drained soils formed in sandy loam glacial till of the Wadena lobe of the late Wisconsinan glaciation. These soils are typically on broad flat areas and near rims of depressions on ground moraines and in interdrumlin areas. They have moderately slow permeability. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 40 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is about 24 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Typic Endoaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Clotho sandy loam on a level rim of a depression in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 12 inches; black (10YR 2/1) sandy loam; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; about 2 percent coarse fragments; slight effervescence; mildly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Ag--12 to 16 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) sandy loam; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) dry; common medium distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; about 2 percent coarse fragments; slight effervescence; mildly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizons is 10 to 20 inches.)

Bg--16 to 20 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) sandy loam; few fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; about 2 percent coarse fragments; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 22 inches thick)

Bw--20 to 26 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) gray (10YR 6/1) and grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; about 2 percent coarse fragments; strong effervescence; mildly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)

C1--26 to 34 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; common medium distinct yellow (10YR 7/8) mottles; weak coarse platy soil fragments; friable; about 3 percent coarse fragments; strong effervescence; lime segregated in irregularly shaped filaments or threads; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

C2--34 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; common medium faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) mottles; weak coarse platy soil fragments; friable; about 3 percent coarse fragments; strong effervescence; lime segregated in irregularly shaped filaments or threads; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Todd County, Minnesota; about 4 miles west and 2 miles south of the city of Browerville; 2300 feet west and 550 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 27, T. 130 N., R. 34 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 20 to 40 inches. These soils typically have from 2 to 25 percent by volume of coarse fragments throughout the profile. Coarse fragments are of mixed lithology and range from gravel to cobblestone in size. The pedon is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline throughout. The thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 10 to 20 inches.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 1 through 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Typically it is sandy loam but fine sandy loam and loam are within the range.

The Bg horizon has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 3 through 6. The B horizon has faint through prominent mottles. It is sandy loam or fine sandy loam but includes thin subhorizons of loam.

The C horizon has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 through 4 with faint through prominent mottles. It is typically sandy loam but includes fine sandy loam.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Lajara soils in the same family and the similar Roliss soils. Lajara soils are in a drier climate and formed from alluvial materials from basalt that are more permeable. Roliss soils formed in finer textured till.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Clotho soils have plane or slightly convex slopes on rims of interdrumlins and rises along edges or in depressions. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. They formed in sandy loam glacial till of the Wadena lobe of the late Wisconsinan glaciation. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 20 to 26 inches, and mean annual temperature ranges from 38 to 45 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blowers, Kandota, Paddock, Rockwood, Runeberg, and Wykeham soils which are members of a drainage sequence. The well drained Kandota and Rockwood soils are on convex side slopes of drumlins and ground moraines. The moderately well drained Blowers and Wykeham soils are located on slightly convex to slightly concave positions on drumlins and ground moraines. The somewhat poorly drained Paddock soils are located on plane or slightly concave positions at the bases of slopes and heads of shallow drainageways in drumlins and ground moraines. The very poorly and poorly drained Runeberg soils are located on concave positions in low lying areas between drumlins and ground moraines.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is moderately slow.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used primarily for cropland and pasture. Native vegetation was a wet-site community of mixed deciduous forest and grass prairie.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Minnesota; mainly in Becker, Otter Tail, Todd, and Wadena Counties. Extent is small.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Todd County, Minnesota, 1985.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are: mollic epipedon - the zone from surface to a depth of 16 inches (A and Ag horizons); cambic horizon - the zone from 16 to 26 inches (Bg and Bw horizons); aquic subgroup - low chroma immediately below mollic epipedon; calcareous family - free carbonates throughout.

Classification only was changed 5/94. Competing series and other updates will be made later. 2/16/2011-TYPE LOCATION error was corrected.

ADDITIONAL DATA: See MAES Central File Code No. 2658.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.