LOCATION KANDRIX COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Calciustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Kandrix loam, on a south facing, 3 percent slope in grass at an elevation of 5,290 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on April 5, 2002 the soil was dry throughout.
A--0 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky and weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots throughout; strong effervescence (4 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--6 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots throughout; violent effervescence (11 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Bk1--14 to 26 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots throughout; 15 percent patchy distinct pressure faces on vertical faces of peds; violent effervescence (19 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear smooth boundary.
Bk2--26 to 42 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots throughout; few fine irregular carbonate masses; violent effervescence (15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary.
Bk3--42 to 51 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine irregular carbonate masses; violent effervescence (16 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk1, Bk2 and Bk3 horizons is 30 to 42 inches)
Bk4--51 to 65 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine irregular carbonate masses in matrix; violent effervescence 10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Las Animas County, Colorado; about 3.5 miles north of Andrix, Colorado; located about 1750 feet east and 2000 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 19, T. 31 S., R. 51 W.; Andrix USGS quad; lat. 37 degrees 19 minutes 54 seconds N. and long. 103 degrees 11 minutes 9 seconds W., NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is moist intermittently May through August, driest December through February; ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 50 to 54 degrees F
Mean summer soil temperature: 68 to 74 degrees F
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 0 to 6 inches
Depth to calcic horizon: 10 to 30 inches
Thickness of the cambic horizon: 6 to 14 inches
Thickness of the calcic horizon: 30 to 42 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 20 to 30 percent
Sand content: 25 to 55, with more than 15 percent fine sand to coarser sand
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bw horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: silt loam, loam, clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bk1, Bk2 and Bk3 horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: loam, silt loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 35 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Bk4 horizon: (Bky is present in some pedons)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, fine sandy loam
Clay content: 15 to 27 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 35 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Cibeque (AZ),
Coconino (AZ), and
Quartermaster (AZ) series.
Cibeque soils: average more than 15 percent rock fragments and are dry in
May and June
Coconino soils: have a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches
Quartermaster soils: have an identifiable hard pan and a petrocalcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: eolian deposits and alluvium derived from sedimentary materials
Landform: plains, hills, ridges, fans
Slopes: 1 to 6 percent
Elevation: 4,700 to 6,000 feet
Mean annual temperature: 51 to 53 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 14 to 16 inches
Precipitation pattern: moist intermittently April through August, driest December through February
Frost-free period: 135 to 155 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chicosa, Olnest, Otero, and Wiley series. The Chicosa soils average more than 35 percent rock fragments and are on fans and ridges. The Olnest and Wiley soils have argillic horizons and are on plains, fans, and hills. The Otero soils do not have a calcic horizon and are on hills and ridges.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained, low to moderate runoff, moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: rangeland, irrigated and nonirrigated cropland, and wildlife habitat; the native vegetation is mainly blue grama, western wheatgrass, buffalograss, sand dropseed, sideoats grama, yucca, and prickly pear cactus.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: southeastern Colorado; LRR G, MLRA 67; moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES PROPOSED: Las Animas County, Colorado, Las Animas County soil survey area, Colorado. The name is coined and taken from the town site of Andrix.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Series control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (parts of Bw, Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 6 inches. (A horizon)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 6 to 14 inches. (Bw horizons)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 14 to 51 inches. (Bk1, Bk2, and Bk3 horizons)
Other features: aridic ustic moisture regime.
Remarks: This soil was originally included with the Kimst series but was separated due to consistent identifiable carbonates and the presence of a calcic horizon.
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is supported by lab sample(s) numbers S03CO071002.
Taxonomic Version: Second Edition, 1999.
ADDITIONAL DATA: