LOCATION KAPPES WY+UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Ustic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Kappes sandy loam on a north facing 2 percent slope under native range. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary.
A2--2 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine irregular pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (A horizon is 2 to 12 inches thick)
Bw--10 to 17 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; common very fine irregular and tubular pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 13 inches thick)
Bk--17 to 28 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive with about 20 percent sandstone fragments that work down by hand; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent, carbonates disseminated and few soft white masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 33 inches thick)
Cr--28 inches; soft sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Sweetwater County, Wyoming; about 6 miles west of Manila, Utah; west side of highway, 50 feet from fence opposite side road on east side; about 1300 feet south and 1300 feet east of the northwest corner of Section 20, T12N, R110W; Antelope Wash USGS quad; approximate location latitude 41 degrees, 00 minutes, 35 seconds N., longitude 109 degrees 50 minutes, 30 seconds W., NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock and paralithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 45 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature is 59 to 63 degrees F. Texture of the control section is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam with 8 to 18 percent clay. Content of rock fragments is less than 15 percent in most pedons but ranges from 0 to 35 percent gravel or channers.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Reaction is mildly or moderately alkaline. EC is less than 2 mmhos.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and a chroma of 3 or 4. Reaction is mildly or moderately alkaline. EC is less than 2 mmhos.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6. Calcium carbonate equivalent averages 10 to 40 percent. Reaction is mildly through strongly alkaline. EC is less than 8 mmhos. A thin C horizon may occur above the bedrock in some pedons.
The Cr horizon has variable hardness but in all pedons is rippable.
COMPETING SERIES: These are Amesha, Cryluha, Fiveoh, Kalsted, and McFadden series. Amesha, Fiveoh, Kalsted, and McFadden soils are deep. In addition, Fiveoh soils have hue of 7.5YR or 5YR. Cryluha soils have a cryic temperature regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kappes soils are on nearly level to moderately steep upland plateaus and hillslopes. Parent materials are commonly associated with the Bridger Formation. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. Elevations are 6,400 to 7,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 14 inches, being fairly distributed throughout the year but somewhat higher from March through June. The average annual temperature is 40 to 43 degrees F. The frost-free season is estimated at 85 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blackhall, McFadden, and Rentsac series. Blackhall soils are shallow. McFadden soils are deep. Rentsac soils are shallow and have a lithic contact, and contain over 35 percent coarse fragments throughout.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to high runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Kappes soils are used mainly for grazing and wildlife habitat. Some areas have been converted to irrigated cropland. Native vegetation is mainly big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, prairie junegrass, needleandthread, phlox, prickly pear cactus, and some more moist areas have juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Wyoming and the northeastern edge of Utah. The series is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Henrys Fork soil survey area, Utah and Wyoming, 1990.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 10 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Calcic horizon - 17 to 28 inches (Bk horizon)
Borollic feature - Organic matter and temperature regime meets the requirements for Borollic