LESTER SERIES - The State SOIL
Location: Dakota, Hennepin, Wright, McLeod, LeSueur, Rice, Steele, Waseca, Dodge and Freeborn counties
Soil Association Map Unit D18
The Lester series consists of deep, well drained soil on end moraines. They are moderately permeable. These soils formed in friable loam glacial till. Slopes range from 2 to 18 percent. This undulating, well drained soil is on ridges, knolls, and convex side slopes on glacial till plains. Individual areas are irregular in shape and range from 3 to about 70 acres in size.
Permeability is moderate in the Lester soil. The available water capacity is high. The organic matter content is moderate. The surface layer is medium acid or slightly acid. Surface runoff is medium.
Most areas are forested and are used as pasture or woodland. In areas that have been cleared, this soil is well suited to cultivation. Water erosion is the main management concern. It can be controlled by a cropping sequence that includes grasses and legumes, grassed waterways, and a system of conservation tillage that leaves crop residue on the surface. Applications of lime are needed in some areas. Returning crop residue to the soil and minimizing tillage can improve tilth.
This soil is well suited to pasture and hay. Applications of fertilizer and weed control increase forage production. Overgrazing depletes the protective plant cover and thus increases the erosion hazard. Also, weeds can become established in overgrazed areas.
This soil is well suited to woodland. Plant competition is severe in replanted areas. It can be controlled by cultivating or spraying.
A wide variety of trees and shrubs can be grown as windbreaks and environmental plantings on this soil. Cultivation or applications of herbicide help to remove competing vegetation. This soil is fairly well suited to building site development. The shrink-swell potential of the subsoil is the main limitation. Properly designed footings and basement walls can withstand the shrink-swell action of the soil. Drainage lines along the sides of footings help to keep underground basements dry by intercepting surface water during unusually wet periods. Because of the restricted permeability, this soil is only fairly well suited to septic tank absorption fields. Enlarging the absorption field helps to overcome this limitation.
Because of low strength, this soil is poorly suited to local roads and streets. Well compacted base material that has more strength should be used in the roadbed.
The land capability classification is IIe.