LOCATION LEFOR ND+SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, frigid Typic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Lefor fine sandy loam - on a south-facing convex slope of 5 percent under tame grass. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. Where described, the soil was dry to 24 inches and moist below.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium and fine granular; hard, friable, slightly sticky; many roots; many fine pores; medium acid (pH 5.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
B/E--7 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) (B) and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) (E) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse to fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky; many roots; many fine pores; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 11 inches thick)
Bt1--15 to 24 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) sandy clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; brown (10YR 5/3) coatings on faces of prisms; strong very coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, friable, slightly sticky, and slightly plastic; common roots; many fine pores; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--24 to 30 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; thin grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) coatings on faces of prisms; strong very coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, friable slightly sticky, and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined Bt horizons 6 to 22 inches thick)
Bk--30 to 36 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) fine sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; strong very coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few roots; common fine and medium pores; few fine masses of carbonates; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 22 inches thick)
Cr--36 to 60 inches; pale yellow and white (2.5Y 7/4 and 8/4 and 5Y 8/2) soft sandstone, light yellowish brown and light gray (2.5Y 6/4 and 5Y 7/2) moist; gypsum crystals in some layers; slight effervescence in some layers and no effervescence in others; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Stark County, North Dakota; about 12 1/2 miles south and 8 miles east of Dickinson; 2555 feet south and 290 feet east of the northwest corner, sec. 13, T. 137 N., R. 94 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to soft sandstone ranges from 20 to 40 inches.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR of 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is loam, sandy loam or fine sandy loam. It is strongly acid to neutral.
The B/E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and 2 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is fine sandy loam, loam or sandy loam. It is medium acid to neutral.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 6. It is sandy clay loam or loam and averages between 18 and 27 percent clay, 15 and 30 percent silt, and 25 and 65 percent fine sand and coarser sand. It is neutral or slightly alkaline. The peds have faint to distinct clay films and have stains of organic matter. Some pedons have a Bw horizon below the Bt horizon.
The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 to 8 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 8. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, or sandy clay loam and has less than 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Some pedons have a BC or C horizon above the Cr horizon.
The Cr horizon is soft fine-grained sandstone.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Beartooth, Beeno, Bookcliff, Bullflat, Cortyzack, Dooley, Empedrado, Fairfield, Farnuf, Felor, Greenway, Gurney, Hangdo, Lininger, Livona, Martinsdale, Maudlin, Moen, Reeder, Sponseller, Trag, Ulrant, Vida, Watrous, Wemple, Williams and Yegen series. Beartooth, Bullflat, Cortyzack, Dooley, Empedrado, Fairfield, Farnuf, Felor, Greenway, Hangdo, Livona, Martinsdale, Sponseller, Trag, Ulrant, Vida, Wemple, Williams and Yegen series do not have soft sandstone bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Beeno series have 27 to 35 percent clay in the Bt horizon. Bookcliff series have a lithic contact at depths of 40 to 60 inches. Gurney, Maudlin, Moen and Watrous soils have lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Lininger soils do not have carbonates in the solum. Reeder soils typically have less than 45 percent fine sand and coarser, and contain more clay.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lefor soils are on level to strongly sloping uplands. Slope gradients range from 0 to 15 percent. The soils formed in soft stratified sandstone from the Golden Valley formation. The climate is semiarid. Mean annual temperature ranges from 39 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation from 13 to 18 inches. Most of the precipitation comes in the spring and summer.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Reeder soils and the Cabba, Cohagen, Flasher, Morton, Parshall, Tally and Vebar soils. Morton, Reeder and Vebar soils are on nearby uplands. Morton soils are fine-silty. Vebar soils do not have argillic horizons and are coarse-loamy. Cabba, Cohagen and Flasher soils are on nearby steep hills and have soft bedrock within depths of 20 inches. Parshall and Tally soils are in nearby swales or on terraces and do not have argillic horizons. In addition, they are coarse-loamy, and Parshall soils have mollic epipedons more than 16 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Surface runoff is slow or medium. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are cropped to small grains. Some is used for hay and pasture. Native vegetation was needleandthread, prairie sandreed, western wheatgrass, blue grama and a variety of forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western North Dakota and northwestern South Dakota. The soil is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Stark County, North Dakota, 1965.
REMARKS: Revised 3/94.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 15 inches (Ap and B/E horizons); argillic horizon - the zone form 15 to 30 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
The Lefor soils have a high amount of kaolinitic clay and a low cation exchange capacity.
ADDITIONAL DATA: S58NDak-45-21 Soil Survey Laboratory and S58NDak-45-22 pages 153-153, Soil Survey Investigations Report No. 2, North Dakota.