LOCATION KITCARSON COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Oxyaquic Ustifluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Kitcarson loam - irrigated cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap1--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium and fine subangular blocks; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; slightly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated, 8 percent calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
Ap2--6 to 15 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocks; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine vesicular pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated, 10 percent calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
C1--15 to 22 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine vesicular pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated, 7 percent calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear boundary. (7 to 10 inches thick)
C2--22 to 28 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; few fine faint iron masses in the matrix; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocks; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine vesicular pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated, 16 percent calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
C3--28 to 34 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; common fine yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) distinct iron masses in the matrix; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocks; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine vesicular pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated, 11 percent calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 11 inches thick)
C4--34 to 46 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; few to common fine yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) distinct iron masses in the matrix; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; slightly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated, 5 percent calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 27 inches thick)
C5--46 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; few fine faint iron masses in the matrix; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; slightly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated, <5 percent calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Kit Carson County, Colorado; approximately 8 miles north of Burlington; 350 feet north and 350 feet west of the southeast corner of Sec. 35, T. 5 1/2 S., R. 44 W. U.S.G.S. quad Idalia S.W. Lat. 39 degrees, 33 minutes, 53 seconds N., and long. 102 degrees, 15 minutes, 39 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Organic carbon ranges .5 to 2 percent in the surface layer, but decreases irregularly with depth. Depth to endosaturation ranges from 22 to 36 inches from March through September in most years. Redoximorphic features are typically present the C horizons.
The Ap horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. When the moist value and chroma is as dark as 3/3, the horizon is too thin; if mixed to 7 inches, or if it is too light colored or contains too little organic carbon, it fails to qualify as a mollic epipedon. The A horizon usually has subangular blocky structure, but it is granular in some pedons. The clay content is 16 to 21 percent. Calcium carbonate of the fine earth ranges from 5 to 10 percent.
The C horizons have hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 1 through 4. Texture is loam, silt loam, clay loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, and sand, but the clay ranges from 3 to 27 percent, (weighted average is less than 18 percent in the particle-size control section), silt from 5 to 40 percent, and sand from 20 to 95 percent. Calcium carbonate of the fine earth ranges from 5 to 15 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: There currently are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Kitcarson soils are on flood plains of creeks and rivers. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Elevation ranges from 3,750 to 4,000 feet. The soil formed in sandy alluvium. The mean annual precipitation is about 14 to 17 inches with peak periods of precipitation in the spring and early summer months. Mean annual air temperature is 48 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 140 to 155 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bankard, Glenberg, Nunn, Paoli, Satanta, and Sampson soils. These soils are well drained. Also, Bankard is adjacent to stream channels where sand has accumulated. Glenberg and Paoli are coarse-loamy adjacent to stream channels where sand has accumulated. Nunn soils lack salt and occur higher on the landscape. Satanta and Sampson are fine-loamy. Also, Satanta occurs on higher landscapes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; low runoff ; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Kitcarson soils are used primarily for irrigated, nonirrigated cropland, and range. Vegetation is switchgrass, prairie cordgrass, big bluestem, western wheatgrass, and Indiangrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Colorado. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kit Carson County, Colorado, 1993.
REMARKS: The name is from a county in Eastern Colorado. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 15 inches (Ap)
Updated by the state 4/94.
Updated 1/10/01 by Jim Borchert to modify "water table" information to endosaturation. Removed the term "mottles" and replaced with redoximorphic features. And included the percent carbonates within the horizons. PRF