LOCATION LEANDER MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Oxyaquic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Leander sandy loam on a 2 percent concave slope on a pitted outwash plain in a forest. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sandy loam; dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common medium roots; slightly acid; clear irregular boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
BA--2 to 8 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) sandy loam; pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few medium roots; slightly acid; clear irregular boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--8 to 16 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) coarse sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; common thin dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay films on faces of peds; 2 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear irregular boundary.
Bt2--16 to 22 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loamy coarse sand; single grain; loose; few fine roots; few clay bridges between sand grains; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt3--22 to 38 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) coarse sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common thin clay films on faces of peds; common medium distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) Fe depletions and few medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) Fe concentrations; 2 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt4--38 to 44 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) coarse sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common thin clay films on faces of peds; common fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/2) and dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) Fe depletions; 10 percent gravel, 2 percent cobbles; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons is 24 to 55 inches)
BC--44 to 54 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy fine sand; single grain; loose; few thin brown (7.5YR 4/4) lamellae; common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) Fe depletions; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
C--54 to 80 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sand; single grain; loose; common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) Fe depletions; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: St. Louis County, Minnesota; about 14 miles north of Chisholm; about 1600 feet south and 100 feet west of the northeast corner of section 14, T. 60 N., R. 20 W.; USGS Dark Lake quadrangle; lat. 47 degrees 41 minutes 07 seconds N., and long. 92 degrees 49 minutes 18 seconds W. NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Carbonates are deeper than 80 inches. Rock fragment content, by volume, is typically less than 10 percent, and is mostly pebble size. The underlying outwash may contain up to 15 percent rock fragments.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The AB or BA horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loamy sand. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
Some pedons have an E horizon with hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is loamy coarse sand, sandy loam or loamy sand. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. The lower subhorizons may have Fe depletions and concentrations. Texture is typically stratified with coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand but averages sandy loam or coarse sandy loam with less than 30 percent fine and very fine sand. The clay content averages 8 to 18 percent. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The BC horizon has a hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. Texture is loamy sand, sand, coarse sand, or loamy coarse sand. Reaction is moderately acid to slightly acid.
The C horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 2 to 6. Texture is sand, coarse sand, or loamy sand. Reaction is moderately acid to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Northland, Pomroy and Skime series. Northland soils have carbonates above a depth of 80 inches. Pomroy soils have dense till above depths of 60 inches. Skime soils have carbonates above a depth of 24 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Leander soils are in closed depressions on pitted outwash plains. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. They formed in 30 to 60 inches of loamy sediment or colluvium and the underlying sandy glacial outwash. Mean annual air temperature is 37 to 40 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 26 to 29 inches. The frost-free period ranges from 90 to 125 days. Elevation above sea level is 1280 to 1610 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Graycalm, Menahga, Friendship, and Meehan soils. Somewhat excessively drained Graycalm and excessively drained Menahga soils are on upland positions. Moderately well drained Friendship soils are sandy throughout and are on upland flats. Somewhat poorly drained Meehan soils are in drainageways or shallow depressions.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Runoff is negligible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is 14.11 to 42.34 micrometers per second (2 to 6 inches per hour). Depth to seasonal saturation is as high as 2.5 feet during April through June and October through November in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. Principal trees are aspen, paper birch, balsam fir, white spruce, jack pine, and red pine. Native vegetation is mixed deciduous and coniferous forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA-57. Northeastern Minnesota. Minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Louis County, Minnesota (Virginia subset) 2006.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 8 inches (A and BA horizons); argillic horizon - the zone from 8 to 44 inches (Bt horizons); oxyaquic subgroup based on soil saturation above a depth of 40 inches.