LOCATION LAMSON                  NY MI OH

Established Series
Rev. MGC-WEH-SWF
04/2012

LAMSON SERIES


The Lamson series consists of very deep, poorly drained and very poorly drained soils formed in glacio-fluvial, glacio-lacustrine and deltaic deposits. They are level and nearly level soils in low areas on glacial lake plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent but is mostly less than 2 percent. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high through high in the mineral soil. Mean annual air temperature is 49 degrees F. and mean annual precipitation is 37 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, nonacid, mesic Aeric Endoaquepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Lamson very fine sandy loam in an idle area on a 1 percent slope. (Colors are for moist soil).

Ap -- 0 to 9 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) very fine sandy loam; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)

Eg -- 9 to 15 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) very fine sandy loam; single grain; loose; common fine roots; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick.)

Bw -- 15 to 22 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; very weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; many coarse distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and prominent gray (10YR 6/1) areas of iron depletion; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.

Bg -- 22 to 40 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam; massive; friable; many coarse faint brown (10YR 5/3 and 4/3) and common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation and faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and gray (10YR 6/1) areas of iron depletion; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the B horizon is 19 to 44 inches.)

Cg -- 40 to 72 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) fine sand, very fine sand, and silt in stratified layers; massive; friable; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of iron accumulation and faint gray (N 5/0) areas of iron depletion; slightly alkaline, slightly effervescent.

TYPE LOCATION: Onondaga County, New York; town of Lysander, 2.25 miles north of the village of Baldwinsville and 3/4 mile north of DL&W Railroad crossing, 200 feet east of Smoky Hollow Road. USGS Baldwinsville, NY topographic quadrangle; Latitude 43 degrees, 11 minutes, 42 seconds N. and Longitude 76 degrees, 20 minutes, 28 seconds W. NAD 1927.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 30 to 50 inches. Depth to carbonates ranges from 24 to 60 inches. Rock fragments are commonly absent, but subhorizons in some pedons have up to 15 percent pebbles. The soil ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline in the upper part of the solum, and from slightly acid to moderately alkaline in the lower part of the solum and in the substratum.

Ap and A horizons, when present, have hue of 7.5YR through 2.5Y value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 0 through 3. They are fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, loamy very fine sand, very fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam, and occasionally with mucky analogues. Consistence is very friable or friable. Combined thickness of A horizons is up to 12 inches. Some pedons have O horizons up to 7 inches.

The E horizon, when present, has hue 7.5YR through 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 through 4. It ranges from very fine sandy loam to loamy fine sand. Structure is weak granular, subangular blocky, or platy, or it is single grain. Consistence is friable, very friable, or loose. Redoximorphic features are present.

Some pedons have a BE or BA horizon.

The B horizons have hue of 5YR through 5Y, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 1 through 4. They are dominantly very fine sand, loamy fine sand, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam with heavier and lighter textures in subhorizons covering the extreme range from fine sand to sandy clay loam and silty clay loam. Structure is weak or moderate, subangular blocky, platy or coarse prismatic structure, or the material is loose, single grain or is massive. Consistence is friable or very friable. There are many redoximorphic features.

The BC horizon, if present, is similar in color and texture to Bw horizons. They are massive or single grain, or have platy structure. Consistence is friable or firm. It may contain free carbonates.

The C horizon has hue of 5YR to 5Y, value of 4 through 7, and chroma of 0 through 4. Textures of the varved material range widely in thin layers from very fine sand to silt clay loam. Some pedons have chroma of 6 in the less dominant portion of variegated material. The material is massive or single grain within individual layers. Consistence is very friable to firm.

Some pedons have a 2C horizon.

COMPETING SERIES: The Busti, Holton, Massena, and Newstead series in the same family. Busti soils have more than 15 percent rock fragment in the substratum. Holton soils do not have carbonates in the series control section. Massena soils lack stratified material in the lower part of the series control section. Newstead soils have bedrock within a depth of 40 inches.

The Canandaigua, Cheektowaga, Granby, Minoa, Scarboro, and Wareham series are similar soils in related families. Canandaigua soils have a fine-silty particle-size control section. Cheektowaga and Granby soils have a mollic epipedon. Minoa soils have an udic moisture regime. Scarboro soils have a histic epipedon. Wareham soils have a sandy particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lamson soils are level and nearly level soils in depressional or concave areas of glacial lake plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. The soils formed in water-sorted sediments dominated by very fine sand and fine sand. Mean annual temperature ranges from 46 degrees to 52 degrees F.; mean annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 45 inches; and the growing season ranges from 120 days to 180 days. Elevation ranges from 100 to 700 feet above sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Amboy, Arkport, Canandaigua, Collamer, Colonie, Dunkirk, Elnora, Galen, Granby, Junius, Minoa, Oakville, Raynham, Wallington, and Williamson soils. Amboy, Canandaigua, Collamer, Dunkirk, Raynham, Wallington, and Williamson soils formed in water-sorted materials having a high silt content. Arkport, Galen, and Minoa soils are better drained soils that formed in similar deposits to those of Lamson soils. Colonie, Elnora, Granby, Junius, and Oakville soils formed in water-sorted materials higher in sand content than Lamson soils.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained and very poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is very high to negligible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high through high in the mineral soil.

USE AND VEGETATION: Drained areas are in corn, vegetables, and hay. Partially drained areas are used for pasture. Woodlands contain white and black ash, red maple, swamp elm, hemlock, and white cedar.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Erie, Oneida, and Ontario Lake Plains and the Champlain, Mohawk, and Hudson Valleys of New York. Also in Michigan and Ohio. MLRA's 96, 98, 99, 101, 140, 142, and 144A. The series is moderately extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Onondaga County, New York, 1934.

REMARKS: Placement in an Aeric subgroup is not indicative of the degree of wetness. Seasonal fluctuation of water table and high sand content impart lighter colors than is usually found in soils as wet as these soils. The separation of with the Holton series was worked out with MO-11 and will be reflected in the Holton series when updated.

Diagnostic horizon and other features recognized in the typical pedon are:
(1) Ochric Epipedon - the zone from the surface to 9 inches (Ap horizon).
(2) Albic horizon - the zone from 9 to 15 inches (Eg horizon).
(3) Cambic horizon - the zone from 15 to 40 inches (Bw and Bg horizons).
(4) Aquic moisture Regime - as evidenced by mottles immediately below the surface layer (Eg horizon) and low chroma matrix within 20 inches of the soil surface (Eg horizon).
(5) Aeric subgroup - as evidence by the horizon at 15 to 22 inches that has a high chroma matrix (Bw horizon).


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.