LOCATION KURSTAN                 NV

Established Series
Rev. DJM/RLB
09/2015

KURSTAN SERIES

The Kurstan series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in mixed alluvium. The Kurstan soils are on fan piedmonts. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 5 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 58 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Durinodic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Kurstan gravelly sandy loam, rangeland. The soil surface is partially covered with about 2 percent cobbles and 30 percent pebbles. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate thin platy structure; soft,very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many fine and medium vesicular and common very fine and fine tubular pores; 30 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)

A2--2 to 9 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; 15 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)

Bk1--9 to 19 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) gravelly sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; brittle matrix with discontinuous pockets of irregular shaped strongly lime cemented masses; common fine and medium lime filaments and seams; many thin lime coats and pendants completely coating rock fragments; 25 percent pebbles and 2 percent cobbles; ; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 14 inches)

Bk2--19 to 30 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) gravelly sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few medium roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; brittle matrix with discontinuous pockets of irregular shaped strongly lime cemented masses; many fine and medium lime filaments and seams; common medium soft lime masses; many thin lime coats and pendants completely coating rock fragments; 25 percent pebbles and 2 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)

Bqk1--30 to 39 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; 20 percent discontinuous pockets of irregular shaped strongly lime and silica cemented durinodes and platelike masses; many fine and medium lime seams and soft masses; many thin lime and silica coats and pendants completely coating rock fragments; 20 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)

Bqk2--39 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; continuous brittle matrix with 25 percent discontinuous pockets of irregular shaped strongly lime and silica cemented durinodes and lenses; many fine and medium lime seams and soft masses; many thin lime and silica coats and pendants completely coating rock fragments; 20 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Nevada; approximately 2.5 miles south of Kane Springs Wash Road and along old U.S. Highway 93; about 710 feet east and 2675 feet south of the northwest corner of section 34, T. 11 S., R. 63 E.; 36 degrees, 57 minutes, and 10 seconds north latitude, 114 degrees, 55 minutes, and 17 seconds west longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during the winter and early spring months and for 10 to 20 days cumulative following summer convection storms in the period July through September.

Soil temperature - 59 to 64 degrees F.

Depth to calcic horizon - 5 to 14 inches.

Depth to Bqk horizon - 25 to 40 inches.


Control section - Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.

Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent mainly pebbles.


A horizons - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.

Chroma: 3 or 4.


Bk horizons - Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist.

Chroma: 2 through 4.

Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent mainly pebbles.

Calcium carbonate equivalent (< 20mm fraction): 20 to 35 percent.

Consistence: Slightly hard or hard, dry.


Bqk horizons - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.

Chroma: 2 through 4.

Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent mainly pebbles and contain 2 to 5 percent cobbles..

Calcium carbonate equivalent (< 20mm fraction): 20 to 35 percent.

Consistence: Slightly hard or hard, dry.

Cementation: Continuously or discontinuously weakly lime cemented with 20 to 30 percent durinodes and discontinuous pockets of strongly lime and silica cemented material.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kurstan soils are on summits and side slopes of fan remnants. These soils formed in alluvium from mixed rock sources. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. The elevations are 2600 to 3500 feet. The climate semiarid with cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 5 to 7 inches; the mean annual temperature is 57 to 62 degrees F., and the frost free season is about 200 to 220 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arizo, Knob Hill, and Tencee series. Arizo soils lack a calcic horizon and have a sandy-skeletal particle-size control section. Knob Hill soils have a sandy particle-size control section and are deeper than 20 inches to a calcic horizon. Tencee soils have a petrocalcic horizon at depths of less than 20 inches and have a loamy-skeletal particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Range and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly creosotebush, white bursage, range ratany, dalea, and big galleta.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Nevada, these soils are not extensive. MLRA 30.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, Nevada, South Part, 1992.

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

Ochric epipedon - The zone from about 0 to 9 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).

Calcic horizon - The zone from about 9 to 60 inches (Bk1, Bk2, Bqk1 and Bqk2 horizons).

Duric feature - The zone from 30 to 40 inches (Bqk1 and upper part of Bqk2 horizons).

Particle-size control section - The zone from about 10 to 40 inches (Bk1, Bk2, Bqk1 and Bqk2 horizons).

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 9/2015. The last revision to the series was 5/1997. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.