LOCATION KEZAR CO+WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Ustic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Kezar gravelly sandy loam, grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 6 inches, brown (7.5YR 4/3) gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; 25 percent pebbles, mainly fine angular granite fragments; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
BA--6 to 10 inches, brown (7.5YR 5/3) gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; hard, very friable; few faint clay films on some peds and in some root channels and pores; 25 percent fine angular granite pebbles; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--10 to 22 inches, brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many distinct clay films on peds, in root channels and pores; clay bridges between sand grains; 25 percent fine angular granite pebbles; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
Bt2--22 to 26 inches, brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very friable; slightly sticky, and slightly plastic; few faint clay films on peds and in root channels and pores; 30 percent fine granite pebbles; mildly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
R--26 inches, hard granite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Gunnison County, Colorado; Sec. 24, T. 51 N., R. 1 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 44 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature is 58 degrees F. The Kezar soils are normally noncalcareous throughout except very thin calcareous subhorizons occur just above the bedrock in some pedons. Base saturation ranges from 60 to 100 percent but typically is more than 80 percent. Depth to the lithic contact ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 15 to 40 inches. Rock fragments range from 0 to 35 percent by volume in a major part of the solum and any C horizon above the bedrock and are mostly smaller than 1 inch in diameter. The solum ranges from moderately acid to mildly alkaline. The moisture control section is dry in most parts 50 percent of the time when the soil temperature at 20 inches is greater than 41 degrees F.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3.
The Bt horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 6. It is typically sandy clay loam and has 18 to 35 percent clay, 5 to 30 percent silt and 45 to 75 percent sand with more than 35 percent being fine or coarser sand within the sand fraction. A large percentage is medium, coarse, and very coarse angular sand and has a large proportion of flat bearing surfaces between sand grains.
Some pedons have a thin 2Bt horizon just above the bedrock with up to 45 percent rock fragments.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Amsden (WY),
Buffork (WY),
Cific (WY), (T)
Coldspring (CO),
Croftshaw (NM),
Croydon (UT),
Dra (ID), (T)
Gebson (CO),
Gelkie (CO),
Hourglass (UT),
Inchau (WY),
Kittredge (CO),
Leavitt (WY),
Lucky (CO),
Lymanson (WY),
Lyonman (CA),
Michelson (MT) ,
Miracle (CO),
Monad (MT), (T)
Monida (ID),
Morset (CO),
Mult (UT),
Newlands (CA),
Oro Fino (MT),
Passcreek (WY),
Philipsburg (MT),
Primeaux (NV), (T)
Rainbolt (WY),
Rammel (ID),
Shotgun (ID), (T)Slacks (ID), (T)
Sponsor (CO),
Swede (ID),
Tingey (UT),
Tripit (WY),
Troutdale (CO),
Wellsville (CO),
Woosley (WY), and
Youga (CO) series. Amsden, Coldspring, Croftshaw, Croydon, Gebson, Gelkie, Hourglass, Kittredge, Leavitt, Lyonman, Michelson, Monad, Monida, Morset, Oro Fino, Philipsburg, Sponsor, Swede, Tingey, Wellsville, and Youga soils lack a lithic contact above a depth of 40 inches. Dra, Passcreek, Rammel, and Woosley soils have argillic horizons with less than 35 percent fine or coarser sand, are calcareous in the lower solum or any C horizons, and have continuous subhorizons of visible secondary calcium carbonate accumulations. Buffork, Cific, Inchau, Lymonson, Rainbolt, Tripit, and Troutdale soils have a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Shotgun soils lack extremely hard consistency when dry and sandy textures in the profile. Lucky soils have only small amounts of medium, coarse, and very coarse angular sand and lack very hard consistency when dry. Miracle soils have hue of 5YR or redder and have argillic horizons with less than 15 percent rock fragments in the control section. Slack soils have moisture control sections that are usually moist. Mult soils have argillic horizons with less than 35 percent fine or coarser sand and only small amounts of coarse and very coarse angular sand, and have coarse fragments throughout the solum that effervesce in dilute acid even though the soil mass is noncalcareous. Mult soils also lack hard setting properties when dry. Newlands and Primeaux soils have argillic horizons with le
ss than 35 percent fine or coarser sand.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kezar soils are on moderately sloping to steep upland hills and ridges or mountain sides. Slope gradients range from 5 to 40 percent. The soils formed in material weathered residually from underlying granite. The mean annual precipitation is 15 inches with equal amounts of precipitation throughout the year. The mean annual temperature is 40 degrees F., mean summer temperature is 56 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Lucky soils and the Parlin soils. Parlin soils have fine textured argillic horizons and have mean summer soil temperature warmer than 58 degrees F.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used as native pastureland, and for recreational purposes. Native vegetation is mainly big sagebrush, Arizona fescue, western wheatgrass, and bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of central and western Colorado and southern Wyoming. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gunnison, Colorado, 1974.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features include a mollic epipedon from 0 to 10 inches, an argillic horizon from 10 to 22 inches, and a lithic contact at 26 inches. Last updated by the state 2/91.