LOCATION KANDOTA MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Glossic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Kandota sandy loam with a 2 percent convex slope on a ground moraine in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) sandy loam; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; many fine roots; about 3 percent gravel; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
E--6 to 16 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak medium platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; friable; common fine roots; about 5 percent coarse fragments; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
BE--16 to 26 inches; about 90 percent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) organic matter coatings on ped exteriors; many pale brown (10YR 6/3) (E') sand coatings on ped exteriors; about 2 percent gravel; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--26 to 33 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) sandy clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; firm; very few fine roots; many distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay films on ped exteriors; about 5 percent gravel; medium acid; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)
Bt2--33 to 40 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; weak thin platy structure; very few fine roots; many distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay films on ped exteriors; few very pale brown (10YR 7/3) carbonate coatings on ped exteriors; about 5 percent gravel; strong effervescence; mildly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bk1--40 to 51 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam; weak thin platy soil fragments; firm; few very pale brown (10YR 7/3) carbonate filaments; about 5 percent gravel; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Bk2--51 to 64 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; weak medium platy soil fragments; firm; few very pale brown (10YR 7/3) carbonate filaments; about 5 percent gravel; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Todd County, Minnesota; about 3 miles west and 2 miles south of the city of Eagle Bend; 1,130 feet north and 800 feet east of the center of sec. 20, T. 131 N., R. 35 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of solum and depth to free carbonates ranges from 24 to 50 inches. These soils typically have 2 to 25 percent rock fragments throughout the profile. Rock fragments are of mixed lithology and pebble to cobblestone in size. The soil moisture control section is not dry in all parts for as long as 45 consecutive days for the 120 days following the summer solstice. It is also not dry in any part for as long as 90 cumulative days.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 through 3. The A horizon typically is sandy loam, but fine sandy loam is within the range. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR; value of 4 through 6, 6 through 8 dry; chroma of 2 through 4. Typically it is sandy loam but includes fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.
Most pedons have either an EB, B/E or BE transitional horizons with some characteristics of both horizons, but do not have a glossic horizon.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 through 6. It typically is sandy clay loam or sandy loam but includes fine sandy loam. The clay content ranges from 18 to 30 percent and sand content from 45 to 65 percent. The upper part may have clean silt and sand grains on the faces of peds. Clay films range from faint to prominent and few to continuous. The reaction ranges from medium acid to neutral.
The C or Bk horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 through 6. It is typically sandy loam but ranges to fine sandy loam and loam. Reaction is mildly or moderately alkaline. It commonly has calcium carbonate filaments or masses. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 5 to 20 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are in the Belltower (T), Eaglecreek, Elbuck, Hoyt, Jemez, Kunz (T), Lobat, Maitland, Shoemaker (T), Tunitcha (T), and Waukon series. The Belltower, Eaglecreek, Elbuck, Hoyt, Jemez, Kunz, Lobat, Shoemaker, and Tunitcha soils are dry in any or all parts of the soil moisture control section for 90 or more cumulative days in most years. The Maitland soils have less than 2 percent rock fragments in the argillic horizon and the upper two-thirds of the series control section. Waukon soils have less than 45 percent sand in the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Kandota soils are on gently sloping to very steep convex slopes on sandy loam glacial ground and end moraines. The slope gradients range from 1 to 40 percent. The soils formed primarily in a coarse loamy Wadena glacial till of Late Wisconsinan Age. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 38 to 45 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 20 to 26 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The main ones are poorly drained Clotho which is calcareous throughout, the poorly drained and very poorly drained Runeberg and the moderately well drained Wykeham which are in a drainage sequence with the Kandota soils. Organic soils are in some depressions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Surface runoff is medium to rapid. Permeability is moderately rapid or moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: A large part is cropped to corn, small grains, and hay. Some areas are in woodland or pasture. Native vegetation was prairie grass and mixed hardwood forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central and north-central Minnesota; principally in Becker, Otter Tail, and Todd Counties. Moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Todd County, Minnesota, 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 16 inches (Ap and E horizons); argillic horizon - the zone from 26 to 33 inches (Bt horizon); udic moisture regime; mollic subgroup based upon dark colors of Ap horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: See MAES Central File Code No. 3508 and NSSL Pedon No. S81MN153-001.