LOCATION HEPLER             KS+MO
Established Series
Rev. ACP, PRF
11/2004

HEPLER SERIES


The Hepler series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained, moderately slowly permeable soils that formed in silty alluvial sediments. These nearly level to very gently sloping soils are on flood plains in the Cherokee Prairies (MLRA 112) and Ozark Highlands (MLRA 116A). Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 43 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 59 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, thermic Mollic Endoaqualfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Hepler silt loam - in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 8 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)

E1--8 to 16 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak fine and medium granular structure; hard, friable; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

E2--16 to 27 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) irregularly shaped masses of iron accumulation with diffuse boundaries throughout; few fine pores; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizon is 10 to 30 inches.)

Btg1--27 to 32 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) irregularly shaped masses of iron accumulation with diffuse boundaries throughout; common fine pores; ped surfaces coated with grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Btg2--32 to 38 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak medium blocky structure; very hard, very firm; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) irregularly shaped masses of iron accumulation with diffuse boundaries throughout; thin clay films on some faces of peds; few fine black (N 2/0) strongly cemented manganese concretions throughout; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 6 to 25 inches.)

BCg--38 to 62 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; many medium and coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) irregularly shaped masses of iron accumulation with diffuse boundaries throughout; very strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Crawford County, Kansas; 2.5 miles south and 0.5 mile west of Walnut; 400 feet east and 2,440 feet north of the southwest corner, sec. 35, T. 28 S., R. 21 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Depth to argillic horizon: 16 to 30 inches
Depth to redox concentrations: 4 to 12 inches
Depth to endosaturation: 12 to more than 72 inches from January to May

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Sand content: 4 to 15 percent

Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3, 3 to 5 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam
Clay content: 15 to 19 percent
Base saturation: 59 to 79 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to strongly acid

E horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3
Redoximorphic features: none to common masses of iron accumulations, none to common masses of iron-manganese, none to few iron-manganese concretions
Texture: silt loam
Clay content: 13 to 17 percent
Base saturation: 40 to 62 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to very strongly acid

B horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5, 4 to 6 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2
Redoximorphic features: few to many masses of iron accumulations, none to few iron-manganese concretions, none to common masses of iron-manganese
Texture: silty clay loam or silt loam and ranges to silty clay in lower part
Clay content: 14 to 34 percent
Base saturation: 40 to 84 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to very strongly acid

2B horizon (where present):
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5, 4 to 6 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2
Redoximorphic features: few to many masses of iron accumulations, none to few iron-manganese concretions, none to common masses of iron-manganese
Texture: silty clay loam or silt loam and ranges to silty clay in lower part
Clay content: 31 to 45 percent
Base saturation: 85 to 90 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to very strongly acid

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Similar soils are:
Loreauville soils are neutral to moderately alkaline in the B horizon
Leanna soils have a fine textured control section
Lightning soils have a fine textured control section
McCune soils have a lighter colored A horizon
Moniteau soils are in the mesic soil temperature regime

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: River Valleys
Landform: high flood plains
Slopes: 0 to 3 percent
Parent material: silty alluvial sediments
Average annual precipitation: 40 to 45 inches
Annual Thornthwaite P-E Index: 64 to 78
Average annual temperature: 57 to 60 degrees F

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Cherokee soils have a fine textured argillic horizons
Lightning soils have a fine textured argillic horizons
Mason soils contain a mollic epipedon
Osage soils have a mollic epipedon, are fine textured, and do not have an argillic horizon
Parsons soils have a fine textured argillic horizons
Radley soils have a mollic epipedon and do not have an argillic horizon
Verdigris soils have a mollic epipedon and do not have an argillic horizon
Wynona soils have a mollic epipedon and do not have an argillic horizon

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage: Somewhat poorly
Runoff: low or very slow
Permeability: moderately slow
Flooding: occasionally or frequently flood
Water saturation: saturated with water from 12 to 36 inches below the surface during January to May in most years.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly cultivated. Principal crops are winter wheat, soybeans, grain sorghum, and corn. Native vegetation is hardwood forest with an understory of tall prairie grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Kansas and southwestern Missouri. The series is of large extent.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Crawford County, Kansas, 1969.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 27 to 38 inches (Btg1 and Btg2 horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 8 inches (Ap horizon)
Albic horizon: The zone from 8 to 27 inches (E1 and E2 horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 27 to 38 inches (Btg1 and Btg2 horizons)
Redoximorphic concentrations: In the zone from 16 to 62 inches (E2, Btg1, Btg2, and BCg horizons)
Endosaturation: The zone of saturation at 12 to 62 inches. (E1, E2, Btg1, Btg2, and BCg horizons)

Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxomony, Eighth Edition, 1998

ADDITIONAL DATA:
7/19/01 - PRF - formatted to semi tab. Included water saturation and redox features.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.