LOCATION KETTLE                  CO

Established Series
Rev. RHM/LSL/KLS
07/2022

KETTLE SERIES

The Kettle series consists of deep, well to somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in material weathered from arkose deposits. Kettle soils are on alluvial fans, till plains, valley side slopes or hills and ridges and have slopes of 2 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 430 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Lamellic Haplustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Kettle loamy coarse sand - forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 5 cm; undecomposed organic material consisting primarily of needles, twigs, and bark.

Oe--5 to 8 cm; partially decomposed organic material like that of the horizon above.

A1--8 to 16 cm; gray (10YR 5/1) loamy coarse sand, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; strong fine and very fine granular structure; soft, very friable; 10 percent fine and very fine angular granite gravel; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

A2--16 to 49 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly loamy coarse sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak platy structure that parts to fine granular; soft, very friable; vesicular; 30 percent fine and very fine angular granite gravel; moderately acid; diffuse wavy boundary. (13 to 51 cm thick)

B2t--49 to 110 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) gravelly coarse sandy loam (composite texture); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; this horizon consists of a matrix of loamy coarse sand in which are embedded lamellae of accumulated silicate clay generally of coarse sandy loam, or sandy clay loam texture; weak medium subangular blocky structure; horizon is hard, very friable; peds are very hard, very friable; nearly continuous clay films on peds in the lamellae; thin clay films and fillings in some root channels and pores; weak clay bridges between sand grains in some parts of the horizon; 30 percent fine and very fine angular granite gravel; moderately acid; diffuse wavy boundary. (25 to 56 cm thick)

C--110 to 161 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; very hard, loose; 70 percent fine or very fine angular granite gravel; moderately acid.

TYPE LOCATION: El Paso County, Colorado; 405 meters east of the NW corner of Sec. 16, T. 11 S., R. 66 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Mean annual soil temperature--7 degrees C
Mean summer soil temperature--17 degrees C
Base saturation--60 to 100 percent in the particle-size control section
Depth to the top of the argillic horizon--less than 60 cm
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon--45 to 140 cm
Sand fraction--mostly medium to coarse angular sand with a large proportion of flat bearing surfaces between sand grains
Total rock fragment content--0 to 35 percent, mainly less than 75 mm in diameter
Reaction--pH 5.4 to 7.0

A1 horizon
Hue--2.5Y through 7.5YR
Value--4 through 6 dry, and 3 through 5 moist
Chroma--1 through 3

A2 horizon
Hue--2.5Y through 7.5YR
Value--5 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist
Chroma--1 through 4

B2t horizon
Hue--2.5Y through 7.5YR; hue redder than 7.5YR occur in some pedons
Value--5 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist
Chroma--1 through 6
Texture--sandy loam or loamy coarse sand containing lamellae of coarse sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Rock fragment content--15 to 35 percent

C horizon
Hue--2.5Y through 7.5YR; hue redder than 7.5YR occur in some pedons
Texture--loamy coarse sand or sand
Rock fragment content--15 to 90 percent
Reaction--pH 5.9 to 7.6

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Fern Cliff series. Fern Cliff soils have B2t horizons of sandy clay loam or clay loam lamellae in a sandy loam matrix and have rock fragments more than 250 mm in diameter.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--alluvial fans, till plains, valley side slopes, or hills and ridges
Elevation--2125 to 2350 meters
Slope--2 to 50 percent
Parent material--materials weathered from arkose deposits
Mean annual precipitation--400 to 480 mm, with peak periods of precipitation occurring in the spring and summer
Mean Annual Air Temperature--5 to 7 degrees C
Frost-free period--100 to 130 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well to somewhat excessively drained; rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Kettle soils are used principally for forestry, native pastureland, or for recreation. Native vegetation is a scattered growth of western yellow pine, and a sparse growth of grasses and shrubs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Kettle series is moderately extensive in the Black Forest areas of east-central Colorado. MLRA 49; LRR E.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: The Cherry Creek Demonstration Project, El Paso and Douglas Counties, Colorado. The series was established by prior correlation.

REMARKS: Converted to metric, updated formatting, and O horizons were updated to start at zero. 5/2022

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.