LOCATION KAITO AZ+NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Kaito extremely gravelly fine sandy loam - on an alluvial fan sloping 49 percent to the west at 5,810 feet elevation -- rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described, the soil was dry throughout.)
A--0 to 3 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) extremely gravelly fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak thick platy structure parting to moderate coarse granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and few very fine roots; common fine irregularly shaped pores; 45 percent gravel, 15 percent cobble, 10 percent stones, and 5 percent boulders; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bk1--3 to 10 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) gravelly fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few medium, fine and very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel, and 5 percent cobble; violently effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common fine irregularly shaped accumulations on rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
Bk2--10 to 24 inches; pink (5YR 7/4) very fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; violently effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as many medium and coarse irregularly shaped accumulations on faces of peds and on rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 14 inches thick)
2Bk3--24 to 32 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; 5 percent soft, slakable sandstone fragments; violently effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common medium and large irregularly shaped accumulations on faces of peds and on rock fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 18 inches thick)
2BCk--32 to 47 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; massive, platy rock structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 25 percent soft, slakable sandstone and siltstone fragments; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as few fine and medium irregularly shaped accumulations as filaments and on rock fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 17 inches thick)
2Cr--47 inches; soft sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Apache County, Arizona; on the Navajo Indian Reservation about 6.5 miles west-southwest of Red Mesa Trading post; 2,350 feet east and 150 feet south of the northwest corner of section 29, T.41N., R.27E; 36 degrees 56 minutes 15 seconds north latitude and 109 degrees 28 minutes 22 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The soil moisture control section is intermittently moist in some part from July to September and December to mid-April. Driest during May and June. Typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 56 to 58 degrees F.
Depth to bedrock: 40 to 60 inches
Depth to calcic horizon: 3 to 10 inches
Clay content: averages 10 to 18 percent in the control section
Reaction: moderately to strongly alkaline
A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 through 6, dry or moist
Rock fragments: 60 to 75 percent
40 to 50 percent gravel
5 to 15 percent cobble
10 to 15 percent stone
1 to 5 percent boulders
Bk1 horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 through 6, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 30 percent
10 to 20 percent gravel
5 to 10 percent cobble
Bk2 horizon
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist
Chroma: 4 through 6, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 25 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent
0 to 10 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent cobble
2Bk3 and BCk horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent soft, slakable sandstone or siltstone fragments
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bluechief (UT), Boreham (UT), Hiko Springs (UT), Kinan (AZ), McCutchen (NV), Moffat (UT), Nakai (UT), Nakoy (UT), Nolava (UT), Nuahs (NV), Pagina (AZ), Riemod (UT), Teabrush(T)(UT), and Trook (WY) series. Bluechief and Pagina soils are moderately deep to bedrock. Boreham, Hiko Springs, Kinan, McCutchen, Moffat, Nakai, Nakoy, Nolava, Nuahs, Riemod, Teabrush, and Trook soils are very deep. In addition, Hiko Springs, McCutchen, and Nuahs soils are in the Great Basin Desert (MLRAs 28A, 28B, & 29) and have precipitation more evenly distributed throughout the year.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kaito soils are on alluvial fans of hills. They formed in alluvium and residuum derived from sandstone, siltstone, and conglomerate. Slopes are 30 to 50 percent. Elevation ranges from 5,300 to 6,000 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 5 to 8 inches with 35 to 60 percent falling as rain from high-intensity thunderstorms between July and September. The mean annual air temperature is 54 to 56 degrees F. The frost-free period is 150 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aneth, Claysprings, Piute, Sheppard, and Tohatin soils. Aneth soils are sandy, contain buried loamy horizons, and occur on adjacent eolian-mantled surfaces. Claysprings soils are shallow and occur on adjacent backslopes of hills. Piute soils are very shallow and occur on structural benches. Sheppard soils are sandy and occur on stable dunes. Tohatin soils are sandy, contain less than 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent, and occur on dissected fan terraces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Kaito soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Present vegetation is blackbrush, Indian ricegrass, galleta, bottlebrush squirreltail, and Torrey Mormon tea.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Kaito soils are of small extent on the Blanding Basin portion of the Colorado Plateau province in northeast Arizona. MLRA 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Shiprock Area, Parts of San Juan County, New Mexico and Apache County, Arizona; 1993.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 3 inches (A horizon)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 3 to 47 inches (Bk1, Bk2, 2Bk3, 2BCk horizons)
Paralithic contact - the boundary at 47 inches (2Cr horizon)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Ninth Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.
ADDITIONAL DATA: The control section of the typifying pedon was wet sieved to determine percent of size fraction larger than very fine sand. The weighted average of the pedon was over 30 percent coarser than very fine sand.
Updated competing series March 2010, CEM