LOCATION READING KS

Established Series
Rev. JCR, BCE, DJK
07/2020

READING SERIES

The Reading series consists of very deep, well drained or moderately well drained soils that formed in silty alluvium. Reading soils are on flood-plain steps and stream terraces in Nebraska and Kansas Loess-Drift Hills, MLRA 106. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 910 millimeters (36 inches) and the mean annual temperature is about 13 degrees C (55 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Argiudolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Reading silty clay loam in a cultivated field at an elevation of 307 meters (1008 feet). (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 15 centimeters; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly plastic and slightly sticky; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--15 to 36 centimeters; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly plastic and slightly sticky; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 25 to 51 centimeters thick)

Bt1--36 to 56 centimeters; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky and angular blocky structure; hard, firm, plastic and sticky; few distinct patchy continuous clay films on face of peds; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt2--56 to 102 centimeters; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky and angular blocky structure; hard, firm, plastic and sticky; common distinct continuous clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary

Bt3--102 to 142 centimeters; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, plastic and sticky; few distinct patchy clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid; diffuse boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons ranges from 51 to 140 centimeters thick)

C--142 to 200 centimeters; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; massive; hard, firm, plastic and sticky; neutral.

TYPE LOCATION: Shawnee County, Kansas; about 0.3 kilometers (0.2 miles) east of the Shawnee-Wabaunsee County line on Kansas Highway #4; located about 366 meters (1,200 feet) east and 774 meters (2,540 feet) south of the northwest corner, sec. 35, T. 12 S., R. 13 E; Dover USGS quadrangle; lat. 38 degrees 57 minutes 52.7 seconds N. and long. 95 degrees 56 minutes 33.7 seconds W, WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to argillic horizon: 25 to 51 centimeters (10 to 20 inches)
Depth to calcium carbonate: greater than 125 centimeters (50 inches)
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 60 to 150 centimeters (24 to 60 inches)
Depth to redox concentrations: greater than 91 centimeters (36 inches)
Mean annual soil temperature: 13 to 14 degrees C (55 to 58 degrees F)

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Sand content: 1 to 10 percent

Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3 moist, 3 to 5 dry
Chroma: 1 to 3 dry or moist
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 32 percent
Sand content: 1 to 12 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

Bt horizon (Upper Portion):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 to 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 2 to 3 dry or moist
Texture: silty clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Sand content: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

Bt horizon (Lower Portion):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 moist, 4 to 6 dry
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: silty clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Sand content: 1 to 10 percent
Redoximorphic features: masses of oxidized iron occur in some pedons
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

BC or C horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Sand content: 1 to 12 percent
Redoximorphic features: masses of oxidized iron occur in some pedons
Rock fragments: 0 to 2 percent fine gravel chert fragments
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Barremills, Cotter, Troxel, and Wiota series.
Barremills soils have an average clay content of 18 to 27 percent (silt loam texture) in the PSCS.
Cotter soils contain less than 27 percent clay in the C horizons.
Troxel soils have more than 20 percent sand in the lower third of the series control section.
Wiota soils have deeper depths to the argillic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: silty alluvium
Landform: flood-plain steps or stream terraces

Slopes: 0 to 3 percent
Elevation: 235 to 475 meters (770 to 1560 feet)
Mean annual air temperature: 12 to 14 degrees C (53 to 57 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 810 to 1020 millimeters (32 to 40 inches)
Precipitation pattern: Precipitation is usually evenly distributed throughout the year with the exception of November through February being the driest months and May and June being the wettest months. Summer precipitation occurs during intense summer thunderstorms.
Frost-free period: 170 to 205 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chase, Kennebec, Muscotah, and Wabash soils.
Chase soils are somewhat poorly drained and are lower on the floodplain.
Kennebec soils do not have an argillic horizon and are lower on the flood plain.
Muscotah soils are somewhat poorly drained and are lower on the floodplain.
Wabash soils are poorly drained and are lower on the floodplain.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: well or moderately well
Runoff: low
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: moderately high
Flooding: rare or very rare
Duration: brief or very brief

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated.
The principle crops are corn, wheat, sorghum, soybeans and alfalfa.
Native vegetation is tall prairie grasses and a few deciduous trees.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern and Central parts of Eastern Kansas; Land Resource Region M, Central Feed Grains and Livestock Region and H, Central Great Plains Winter Wheat and Range Region; MLRAs 106 and 76; The series is extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Riley County, Kansas, l970.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: 36 to 86 centimeters (Bt1, Bt2, horizons)
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 102 centimeters (Ap, A, Bt1, Bt2 horizons)
Argillic horizon: 36 to 142 centimeters (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3 horizons)
Other features: Some areas have lighter textured subsoil and some have heavier textured subsoil.

12/00 BCE, JCR
Range of Characteristics: Changed the "Depth to redox concentrations" back to the original series concept. Added a statement, that some pedons may have a BC Horizon.
Updated the competing series section
Restated ranges for mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature.

Modified format by LRM in 3/2006 to include metric conversion and change permeability to saturated hydraulic conductivity.

09/2008 GJJ removed English units and made some format changes.

1/2015 DJK Updated climate data using 1981-2010 data. Updated RIC of mollic thickness, depth to redox, and PSCS clay content. Updated horizon ranges; split Bt into upper and lower, combined BC with C, changed to reaction classes rather than values. Updated competing series, distribution and extent, and additional data sections.

ADDITIONAL DATA:Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory data available for Pedon ID 71KS045002; Kansas State University Pedology Laboratory data available for Pedon ID numbers: 88KS061323, 89KS061545, 94KS087013, 95KS087010s, 95KS177022s, 96KS045101s, 97KS091001, 99KS197003, 04KS103019, and 05KS103045.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.