LOCATION KANABOWNITS        AZ
Established Series
Rev. BAL/RLB
09/2006

KANABOWNITS SERIES


The Kanabownits series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum from cherty limestone and sandstone. Kanabownits soils are on summits and shoulders of hills and ridges on plateaus. Slopes range from 2 to 40 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 30 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 40 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, semiactive, nonacid, frigid Oxyaquic Ustorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Kanabownits very cobbly loam - woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oe--0 to 1 inch; partially decomposed conifer and grass litter.

A1--1 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very cobbly loam; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel, 20 percent cobble; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary.

A2--5 to 13 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly loam; brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine through medium and few coarse roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel, 20 percent cobble; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary.

A3--13 to 22 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly loam; brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel, 25 percent cobble; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of A horizons is 1 to 30 inches.)

AE--22 to 26 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely cobbly fine sandy loam; brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel, 30 percent cobble; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)

E--26 to 41 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very cobbly fine sandy loam; pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel, 35 percent cobble; rock fragments range from nonweathered to moderately weathered; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (15 to 40 inches thick)

E/Cr--41 to 46 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very cobbly fine sandy loam; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel, 30 percent cobble; rock fragments are moderately to highly weathered with clay forming in fractures and on faces; neutral (pH 6.7); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)

R--46 inches; sandstone bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Coconino County, Arizona; located about 1.15 miles west of Highway 67 and about 2 miles north of Bright Angel Spring, Bright Angel Point quadrangle; 36 degrees, 14 minutes, 32 seconds north latitude; 112 degrees, 4 minutes, 34 seconds west longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: soil moisture control section, in normal years, is dry in all parts for less than 45 consecutive days in the 4 months following the summer solstice. Udic ustic moisture regime based on precipitation.

Mean annual soil temperature: 38 to 47 degrees F

Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

Depth to bedrock: 40 to 60 inches

Particle-size control section (weighted average) - Clay content: 8 to 18 percent

Rock fragments: greater than 35 percent, mostly gravel and cobble

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist

E horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Some pedons have Cr or Bw horizons.
Some pedons may have iron concentrations and redoximorphic features in the lower part.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: Residuum from sandstone, limestone and chert
Landform: summits and sideslopes hills and ridges on plateaus
Slopes: 2 to 40 percent
Elevation: 7900 to 9150 feet
Mean annual temperature: 36 to 45 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 25 to 33 inches
Precipitation pattern: Wettest months: December through March
Driest months: May, June, October and November
Frost-free period: 70 to 105 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kaiparowits and Kippers soils. Kaiparowits soils are nonskeletal and have an argillic horizon. Kippers soils also have an argillic horizon and are nonskeletal but in addition have an Aquic moisture regime.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained, low to high runoff, moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for recreation, timber production, pasture and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation includes Engelmann spruce, white fir, Douglas fir, quaking aspen and ponderosa pine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Kaibab Plateau above 7900 feet in north central Arizona; MLRA 35. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grand Canyon Area, Arizona, Parts of Mohave and Coconino Counties, 2001.

REMARKS:

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 26 inches (O, A, and AE horizons)

Oxyaquic features: The zone below 30 and 40 inches that is saturated with water for 20 or more consecutive days or 30 or more cumulative days in the months of March and April. Saturation is from snowmelt.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.