LOCATION LESHARA NE+KS OK SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Fluvaquentic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Leshara silt loam with a slope of less than 1 percent in a cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 20 centimeters (0 to 8 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 20 centimeters (4 to 8 inches) thick)
A1--20 to 38 centimeters (8 to 15 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
A2--38 to 48 centimeters (15 to 19 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable; violent effervescence (7 percent CaCo3); moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 56 centimeters (10 to 22 inches)
Bk1--48 to 66 centimeters (19 to 26 inches); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable; common medium and fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) iron masses; violent effervescence (7 percent CaCo3); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary.
Bk2--66 to 94 centimeters (26 to 37 inches); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silt loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) iron masses; few white lime masses and small concretions; violent effervescence (10 percent CaCo3); slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined Bk horizon is 0 to 53 centimeters (0 to 21 inches) thick)
Cg1--94 to 130 centimeters (37 to 51 inches); light olive gray (5Y 6/2) silt loam, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable; many fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) iron masses; strong effervescence (10 percent CaCo3); slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (25 to 38 centimeters (10 to 15 inches) thick)
2Cg2--130 to 203 centimeters (51 to 80 inches); light olive gray (5Y 6/2) stratified fine sand and silt loam, olive gray (5Y 5/2)moist; massive; soft, very friable; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) iron masses; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Pierce County, Nebraska, 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) east and 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) south of Pierce; 641 meters (2,110 feet) south and 15 meters (50 feet) west of the northeast corner, section 7, T. 25 N., R. 1 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon: 25 to 56 centimeters (10 to 22 inches) thick
The particle size control section: silt loam, 18 and 27 percent clay
Depth to free carbonates: 25 to 66 centimeters (10 to 26 inches), typically 30 to 38 centimeters (12 to 15 inches)
In some pedons a few pebbles are on the surface and mixed throughout the soil.
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2 (dry or moist)
Texture: silt loam but ranges include clay loam, loam, and fine sandy loam
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline
Bk horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 5 to 7, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2 (dry or moist)
Texture: silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam
Redoximorphic features: common to many and faint to prominent
Buried surface soils: common
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
Some pedons have an ACk horizon rather than a Bk horizon.
ACk horizon: (if present)
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2 (dry or moist)
Texture: silt loam, loam, or very fine sandy loam
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.
Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 5 to 8, 4 to 6 (moist)
Chroma: 1 or 2 (dry or moist)
Texture: silt loam, loam, clay loam and silty clay loam, 18 and 32 percent clay
Some pedons have thin strata of very fine sandy loam, loam, fine sandy loam or loamy fine sand.
2Cg horizon: below 102 centimeters (40 inches) and colors similar to Cg horizon Texture: loamy sand, fine sand, sand, coarse sand or gravelly sand
Stratified layers: silt loam to sandy loam textures
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Blackoar,
Gorham,
Lummi, and
Wapato series. The Blackoar soils are saturated higher in the profile for longer periods.
Gorham soils contain more sand in the lower part of the solum.
Lummi soils do not have carbonates in the series control section. They have a coastal climate.
Wapato soils have more than 35 percent clay in the lower part of the particle size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material; loamy alluvium that may have thin strata of sandy or clayey material
Landform: flood plains
Slopes: 0 to 2 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 51 to 76 centimeters (20 to 30 inches)
Mean annual temperature: 10 to 12 degrees C. (49 to 53 degrees F.)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Cass,
Grigston,
Inavale,
Lawet,
Lex,
Platte and
Sarpy soils.
The Cass, Grigston, Inavale, and Sarpy soils have a lower seasonal water table.
The Inavale and Sarpy soils are sandy.
Cass soils are coarse-loamy.
Lawet soils are fine-loamy in the particle size control section.
Lex soils are moderately deep over coarse sand or gravelly sand.
Platte soils are shallow over sand or gravelly sand.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: somewhat poorly drained
Runoff: low
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: moderately high
Flooding: occasionally
Seasonal high water table: 30 to 91 centimeters (1 to 3 feet), highest in the winter or early spring when stream flow is highest
Late summer water table: 0.9 to 1.8 meters (3 to 6 feet) or more
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the acreage is in cultivated crops.
Main crops are corn, alfalfa, grain sorghum, and soybeans. Many are irrigated. Native vegetation is tall prairie grasses with scattered trees along the stream channels.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern and central Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota. The Leshara series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clay County, South Dakota; 1953.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 48 centimeters (0 to 19 inches)
Cambic horizon; 48 to 94 centimeters (19 to 37 inches) (Bk1 and Bk2 horizon)
Aquic soil conditions: 48 to 203 centimeters (19 to 80 inches)(Bk1, Bk2, Cg1 and 2Cg2 horizons).
Phases of Leshara soils recognized to date include saline, alkali, drained, moderately deep and clayey substrata.
Classification changed from Haplaquolls to Endoaquolls according to changes in Taxonomy in 1992.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data for four pedons of Leshara soils is published on pages 107-113 of Soil Survey Investigations Report No, 5, "Soil Survey Laboratory Data and Descriptions for Some Soils of Nebraska".
Modified format by LRM in 10/2005 to include metric conversion and change permeability to saturated hydraulic conductivity.