LOCATION LESHO KS+OKEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Fluvaquentic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Lesho clay loam - on a nearly level slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
A--10 to 18 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizons ranges from 7 to 20 inches.)
AC--18 to 32 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; common fine prominent reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) mottles; moderate medium granular structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly sticky; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; weak stratification of texture and color; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
2C--32 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sand and sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Edwards County, Kansas; about 5 miles southwest of Kinsley; 2300 feet west and 180 feet north of the southeast corner, sec. 18, T. 25 S., R. 19 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 10 to 20 inches. Depth to free carbonates ranges from 0 to 12 inches. The soil commonly is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline, but a few pedons are strongly alkaline. Depth to sandy material ranges from 20 to 40 inches. A saline phase is recognized.
The A horizon has color value of 3 to 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is dominant loam or clay loam, but the range includes silty clay loam.
The AC horizon has value of 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is clay loam or loam. A few pedons have strata of sandy clay loam or silty clay loam. Pedons with 3 chroma have mottles with 2 chroma above depths of 40 inches.
The 2C horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sand, sand, or coarse sand. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 5 percent by volume. A few pedons have buried dark colored horizons below 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lesho soils are on low stream terraces or flood plains . The slope gradient ranges from 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in loamy sediments moderately deep over contrasting sandy alluvium. The mean annual temperature ranges from 57 to 61 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 20 to 32 inches. Thornthwaite Annual PE Index ranges from 32 to 54.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Canadian, Dale, Lincoln, Kaski, Waldeck, and Zenda soils. The better drained Canadian, and Dale soils do not have contrasting textures and are on higher positions. Kaski, Waldeck, and Zenda soils have contrasting textures at a depth greater than 40 inches. These soils are on similar positions as Lesho soils. The somewhat excessively drained Lincoln soils have contrasting textures at a depth greater than 40 inches and are lower on the flood plains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is moderately slow in the upper part and rapid in the 2C horizon. The water table generally fluctuates between 3 and 6 feet below the surface but comes within 2 to 3 feet of the surface in wet years. Flooding is rare to frequent.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly used for cultivated crops. Winter wheat and grain sorghum are the principal crops. Native vegetation is mid and tall grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Kansas and north-central Oklahoma. The acreage is of moderate extent, with about 35,000 acres.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Reno County, Kansas, 1964.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to 18 inches (Ap and A horizons); ustic moisture regime.