LOCATION IKIT UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, mesic Lithic Xerorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Ikit gravelly loam - rangeland. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) gravelly loam, red (2.5YR 4/6) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure that parts to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; common very fine and fine vesicular pores; 10 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
A2--3 to 6 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) gravelly loam, red (2.5YR 4/6) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
C--6 to 17 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very gravelly loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 55 percent gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 13 inches thick)
R--17 inches; red fractured limestone.
TYPE LOCATION: Iron County, Utah; about 6 miles northeast of Paragonah at the mouth of Little Creek Canyon; 3000 feet west and 600 feet south of the northeast corner of section 27, T. 33 S., R. 8 W; Cottonwood Mountain Quadrangle; lat. 37 degrees 54 minutes 35 seconds N. and long 112 degrees 44 minutes 48 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil moisture regime is xeric bordering on aridic. The soil moisture control section, in 6 or more out of 10 years, is dry in all parts for 60 or more consecutive days in the 4 months following the summer solstice, and moist in all parts for 45 or more consecutive days in the 4 months following the winter solstice. Also, in 6 or more out of 10 years, the moisture control section is moist in some part for more than half the cumulative days per year when the soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches from the soil surface is higher than 41 degrees F., and for 90 or more consecutive days when the soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is higher than 46 degrees F. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. and the mean summer soil temperature is 68 to 70 degrees F.
The depth to fractured limestone ranges from 10 to 20 inches. Calcium carbonate content of the whole soil, size fractions less than 20 mm, ranges from 40 to 60 percent; for the less than 2 mm fraction, it ranges from 15 to 40 percent. Rock fragments average 35 to 60 percent in the control section and are mostly gravel and cobbles derived from limestone, conglomerate, and sandstone. Clay content in the particle size control section ranges from 18 to 27 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR or 2.5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 5 through 8. Texture is gravelly loam or very gravelly loam. Reaction is moderately alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 5YR or 2.5YR, value of 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 4 through 8. Texture is very gravelly loam. Reaction is strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Richmond (UT) series. Richmond soils have 10YR colors.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ikit soils occur on hillsides and mountain slopes at elevations of 6,000 to 7,200 feet. Slopes are 25 to 60 percent. These soils formed in residuum, colluvium and alluvium derived from red limestone. The mean annual air temperature is 45 to 48 degrees F., and the mean annual summer temperature is 69 to 72 F. Average annual precipitation is 12 to 14 inches. The frost-free period is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOIL: This is the Gage soils. Gage soils are 7.5YR and yellower.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is dominantly pinyon-juniper and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Utah. MLRA 28A; These soils are inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Iron County, Utah (Iron-Washington Area), 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to 7 inches. (A1 and A2 horizon)
Lithic contact - the boundary with hard rock
The classification is based on the "Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eighth Edition, 1998". The cation exchange activity class is an estimate based on NASIS data.