LOCATION KIMNOLI            NM CO AZ
Established Series
Rev. JKM/CEM/RJA
12/2008

KIMNOLI SERIES


The Kimnoli series consists of very shallow and shallow, well drained, moderately permeable soils that developed in eolian material, alluvium, and slope alluvium derived from sandstone and shale on ridges, hills, mesas, and cuestas. Slope is 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 9 inches. Mean annual temperature is about 53 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Lithic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Kimnoli fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)

A--0 to 2 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; many fine irregular pores; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)

Bt--2 to 7 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; common fine irregular pores; few clay bridges on sand grains; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)

Btk--7 to 14 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; many fine irregular pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds lining and bridging sand grains; 5 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; calcium carbonate occurs as few fine irregular soft masses; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)

2R--14 inches; sandstone

TYPE LOCATION: McKinley County, New Mexico; Nose Rock Quadrangle; about 5 miles north of Nose Rock; 2,064 feet west and 2,064 feet south of the northeast corner of section 18, T. 20 N., R. 11 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section December through March and July through September. The soil is driest during May and June. Typic aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil Temperature: 52 to 57 degrees F.

Depth to bedrock: 10 to 20 inches

Depth to secondary carbonates: 7 to 18 inches

Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 15 percent

Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent

Percent sand: more than 45 percent

A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist

Bt and Btk horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam
Clay: 10 to 30 percent (control section averages 18 to 30 percent)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bojo (NV), Envol (NV), and Hokinnini (UT) series. All of these soils have more than 10 percent rock fragments in the control section. In addition, Bojo and Envol soils reflect xeric prepcipitation patterns and are more moist in winter and spring and drier in summer, Hoskinnini soils have hue 5YR and redder.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kimnoli soils are on ridges, hills, mesa tops and cuestas. Kimnoli soils formed in eolian material, alluvium, and slope alluvium derived from sandstone and shale. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. Elevation ranges from 6,000 to 6,800 feet. The average annual precipitation is 6 to 10 inches. The average annual air temperature is 50 to 55 degrees F. The average frost-free period is 130 to 160 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Benally, Doak, Huerfano, Kiki, Notal, Sheppard and Shiprock soils. Benally, Doak, Kiki, Notal, Sheppard and Shiprock soils do not have lithic contacts within 20 inches. Huerfano soils have a Natric horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to high runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Kimnoli soils are used for livestock grazing. Present vegetation is blue grama, threeawn, galleta, fourwing saltbush, Indian ricegrass and snakeweed.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern New Mexico and southwestern Colorado. MLRA 35, LRR-D. This series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Shiprock Area, Parts of San Juan County, New Mexico and Apache County, Arizona, 1993.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)

Argillic horizon - the zone from 7 to 14 inches (Btk horizon)

Lithic contact the boundary with hard sandstone at 14 inches (2R layer)

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006

Updated and revised for the correlation of Ft. Defiance Area AZ715 2/08 DWD


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.