LOCATION KIMST COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Aridic Ustorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Kimst sandy clay loam - nonirrigated cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
AC--5 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and few fine roots, few very fine vesicular pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 17 inches thick)
C--12 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sandy clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots, common very fine vesicular pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Kit Carson County, Colorado; approximately 11 miles south of Seibert; about 1,100 feet north and 1,300 feet west of the southeast corner of Sec. 29, T. 11 S., R. 49 W. U.S.G.S. Stratton quad. Lat. 39 degrees, 3 minutes, 25 seconds N., long. 102 degrees, 54 minutes, 38 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 48 to 53 degrees F. Organic carbon ranges from .5 to 2 percent in the Ap horizon. Rock fragments range from 0 to 10 percent fine pebbles by volume. These soils have soil temperatures greater than 41 degrees F. at 20 inches for 195 to 220 days.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y to 7.5YR, value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. When colors in parts of the upper 7 inches are 3/3 moist, colors after mixing are non-mollic. It is sandy clay loam, loam, or clay loam. This horizon typically has clay that ranges from 21 to 31 percent, silt from 10 to 50 percent, and sand 40 to 70 percent. Rock fragments range from 0 to 5 percent fine pebbles by volume. Calcium carbonate ranges from 5 to 15 percent. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The C horizons have a hue of 2.5Y to 7.5YR, value of 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 3 to 6. These horizons are typically loam, clay loam, and sandy clay loam, but clay ranges from 20 to 35 percent, silt ranges from 10 to 50 percent, and sand from 30 to 70 percent. Rock fragments range from 0 to 10 fine pebbles by volume. Calcium carbonate ranges from 5 to 15 percent. It is slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Iwait (WY) and the Ucross (WY) series. The Iwait series have soil temperatures greater than 41 degrees F. for 175 to 195 days at 20 inches. The Ucross soils are moderately deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Kimst soils are on hills and plains. Slopes range from 0 to 20 percent. The elevation ranges from 4,300 to 6,000 feet. They formed in alluvial and mixed eolian and alluvial material derived from tertiary material. The mean annual precipitation is about 13 to 16 inches with peak periods of precipitation in the spring and early summer months. Mean annual temperature is 45 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 135 to 155 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ascalon, Otero, Sampson, Pleasant, Stoneham, Fort Collins, Satanta, Wages, Ulmet, Nunn, Weld, Wiley, Norka, Richfield, Colby, Eckley, Schamber, and Canyon soils. Ascalon, Sampson, Pleasant, Satanta, Wages, Eckley, Nunn, Weld, Norka, and Richfield soils have mollic epipedons and argillic horizons. Pleasant, Ulmet, Weld, Nunn, and Richfield soils are fine textured. Stoneham, Wiley, and Fort Collins soils have ochric epipedons and argillic horizons. Otero soil is coarse-loamy. Schamber soil is sandy-skeletal. Colby and Wiley soils are fine-silty. Canyon soil is shallow to weathered rock from the Ogallala Formation.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; runoff is low to high; moderate or moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Kimst soils are used primarily for range and nonirrigated cropland. Native vegetation is mainly blue grama, sideoats grama, needleandthread, western wheatgrass, and green needlegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Colorado in MLRA 67. This series is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kit Carson County, Colorado, 1994.
REMARKS: The name is coined from the Kim series. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 5 inches (Ap), and a calcareous zone from 10 to 20 inches.
Moisture regime is Ustic bordering on Aridic.
Last updated by the state 4/94.