LOCATION KUNZLER                 UT+NV

Established Series
Rev. BRG/JCL/MJD/JBF
12/2011

KUNZLER SERIES

The Kunzler series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately slowly permeable soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. They are on linear and concave parts of fan remnants, fan skirts, inset fans, lake plains, beach plains, and axial stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 10 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Xeric Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Kunzler loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A1--0 to 10 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine, and few medium roots; many very fine vesicular pores; secondary calcium carbonates are disseminated; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary.

A2--10 to 28 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist, weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine, and few medium and coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; secondary calcium carbonates are disseminated; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 8 to 48 cm)

Bq--28 to 41 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent durinodes; calcium carbonates are disseminated; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 40 cm thick)

Bqk1--41 to 64 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; 15 percent durinodes; secondary calcium carbonates are disseminated; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); gradual smooth boundary.

Bqk2--64 to 81 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; 25 percent durinodes; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); clear wavy boundary.

Bqk3--81 to 104 cm; pink (7.5YR 7/4) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 30 percent discontinuously cemented; common, soft to hard, medium cylindrical filaments of secondary calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary.

Bqk4--104 to 170 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; 30 percent discontinuously cemented; secondary calcium carbonates are disseminated; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1). (Combined thickness of the Bqk horizon is 46 to 190 cm)

TYPE LOCATION: Box Elder County, Utah; about 3.0 miles south of the Kunzler Ranch; 900 feet west and 1,300 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 31, T. 12 N., R. 12 W.; latitude 41 degrees 43 minutes 10 seconds N and longitude 113 degrees 15 minutes 8 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, but is moist in some part 25 to 35 percent of the time the soil temperature is above 5 degrees C. It is dry in all parts for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 10 to 12 degrees C.
Depth to the calcic horizon: 25 to 90 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist.
Structure: Platy or subangular blocky.
Consistence: Soft to slightly hard.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent through strongly effervescent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

Bq horizon (When present)
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 to 8 dry and 4 to 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Loam, fine sandy loam or sandy loam.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, mainly gravel.

Bqk horizon
Structure: Subangular blocky, platy or massive.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, very friable to firm, nonsticky to moderately sticky and nonplastic to moderately plastic.
Texture: Sandy loam, loam or fine sandy loam.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, mainly gravel; in some pedons more than 15 percent coarse fragments occur below 100 cm.
Durinodes: Contains 20 percent or more durinodes in some part of the horizon above 100 cm. About half of the durinodes are strongly cemented.
Exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP): Increases with depth and is greater than 40 percent in some part of the horizon.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent through violently effervescent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline through very strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ardep, Biblesprings, Ilton and Triplen series.

Ardep soils have mean annual soil temperatures above 12 degrees C. and are dry in all parts of the moisture control section from June 1 to November 15 and moist in all parts from December 15 to April 15. Biblesprings soils lack durinodes in the Bqk horizon. Ilton soils have a paralithic contact from 80 to 100 cm. Triplen soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 8 to 10 degrees C. and are not intermittently moist from July to September due to convective storms.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kunzler soils are on linear and concave parts of fan remnants, fan skirts, axial stream terraces, inset fans, lake plains, and beach plains. Slopes are from 0 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 1,470 to 2,050 meters. The soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks dominated by tuffaceous sandstone, tuff, and limestone. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm, and the mean annual temperature is 8 to 11 degrees C. The frost-free period is 100 to 160 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Acana, Hiko Peak, and Mellor soils. The Acana soils have argillic horizons and are on similar topographic positions. The Hiko Peak soils lack durinodes and brittleness and generally are on convex parts of bajadas. The Mellor soils have natric horizons and a fine silty particle-size control section and are on ephemeral stream flood plains.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; low or medium runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing. The potential vegetation is bottlebrush squirreltail, Indian ricegrass, Wyoming big sagebrush, and black greasewood.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Kunzler soils are located in northwestern Utah and central and eastern Nevada. They are moderately extensive. MLRA 28A and 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Box Elder County, Utah - Western Part, 1985

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm. (A1 and part of the A2 horizons)
Calcic horizon - The zone of carbonates accumulation from approximately 41 to 104 cm (Bqk horizons).
Durinodic feature - 20 percent or more durinodes in some part of the Bqk horizon above 100 cm.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.