LOCATION KIPPEN COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, frigid Torriorthentic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Kippen loamy coarse sand - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A11--0 to 15 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; very weak very coarse subangular blocky structure that parts to fine granules; slightly hard, very friable; 5 percent fine angular granite gravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
A12--15 to 28 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, loose; peds are very hard; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
C--28 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy coarse sand; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; very hard, loose, neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Colorado; 200 feet north of the center of Sec. 25, T. 10 S., R. 65 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 16 to 40 inches thick. Kippen soils typically are noncalcareous to depths of more than 40 inches, but depth to uniformly calcareous material ranges from 40 to more than 60 inches. Base saturation typically is more than 80 percent and ranges from 60 to 100 percent. The control section is loamy coarse sand or coarse sand. A high percentage of the sand fraction is angular and has a large proportion of flat bearing surfaces between sand grains. Rock fragments range from 0 to 15 percent by volume and are mainly less than 3 inches in diameter. The solum and C horizons range from slightly acid through mildly alkaline. The mean annual soil temperature is 45 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature is 62 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 C horizon normally has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR. Subhorizons redder than 7.5YR occur in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Lonetree and Ouray series. Lonetree soils have hue of 5YR or redder and have mollic epipedons less than 16 inches thick. Ouray soils have a moderately coarse textured layer 10 to 25 inches thick in the upper part of the control section and have only small amounts of medium, coarse, and very coarse angular granite sand.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Kippen soils are on gently to moderately steeply sloping alluvial fans and valley side slopes. Slope gradients range from 1 to 30 or more percent. The soils formed in thick deposits of coarse textured material derived from arkose beds or granite. At the type location the average annual precipitation is 17 inches with peak periods of precipitation occurring in the spring and early summer.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Pring soils and the competing Lonetree soils. Pring soils have mollic epipedons less than 16 inches thick and are moderately coarse textured.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well to somewhat excessively drained; slow runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally as native pastureland, although they are tilled in some places. Native vegetation is mainly big and little bluestem, sandreed grass, mountain muhly, blue grama, sand dropseed, and native bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The foothill and Black Forest areas in east-central Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Colorado, 1974.
REMARKS: Last updated by the state 8/74.