LOCATION KUTCH COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Torrertic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Kutch clay loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; strong fine and medium granular structure soft, very friable, plastic; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
BA--4 to 7 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) heavy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; extremely hard, firm, sticky, plastic; few thin glossy patches on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 4 inches thick)
Bt--7 to 18 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; extremely hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; thin nearly continuous glossy and wax-like coatings on faces of peds; wax-like coatings and fillings in some root channels and pores; few wide shiny faces presumed to be slickensides near the base of the horizon; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bk--18 to 22 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; few thin glossy and wax-like patches on faces of peds; wax-like coatings and fillings in some root channels; broad shiny surfaces presumed to be slickensides on some peds; secondary calcium carbonate as small concretions; few crystals of calcium sulfate; weakly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Ck--22 to 30 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak coarse angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; calcium carbonate as concretions and in thin seams and streaks; few calcium sulfate crystals; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 28 inches thick)
Cr--30 inches; gray and olive clay shales; calcareous and containing some crystalline gypsum.
TYPE LOCATION: Elbert County, Colorado; 350 feet west and 100 feet south of the N1/4 corner of Sec. 32, T. 10 S., R. 60 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 19 inches, depth to calcareous material ranges from 6 to 20 inches, thickness of the solum ranges from 15 to 40 inches, and depth to bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Rock fragments range from 0 to 15 percent in the solum and C horizon, but are normally less than 5 percent. Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 58 degrees F, and mean summer soil temperature ranges from 58 to 79 degrees F. The time soil temperature at depth of 20 inches is 41 degrees F or higher ranges approximately from 230 to 305 days. Cumulative time the soil is moist in some part of the moisture control section and the soil temperature at depth of 20 inches is 41 degrees F or higher ranges approximately from 56 to 152 days.
The A horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It usually has granular primary structure but has subangular blocky structures in some pedons. This horizon is soft to slightly hard. It is slightly acid to mildly alkaline.
The Bt horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 through 7, 3 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It has 35 to 60 percent clay, 10 to 50 percent silt, and 10 to 45 percent sand. This horizon usually has prismatic primary structure but has angular blocky structure in some pedons. It is slightly acid to mildly alkaline. Oriented clay films occur in some part of this horizon.
The C horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR. It is clay loam or clay with 35 to 60 percent clay. This horizon is moderately or strongly alkaline, and has 4 to 14 percent calcium carbonate equivalent of the fine earth.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Denver, Englewood, and Pleasant series. These soils lack a paralithic contact at depths of less than 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kutch soils are on uplands. Slopes typically range from 2 to 40 percent. The soil formed in moderately thin calcareous fine textured materials weathered residually from clayey sedimentary rock. At the type location the average annual precipitation is 15 inches with peak periods of precipitation in the spring and early summer. Mean annual temperature is 47 degrees F, mean summer temperature is 67 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Denver soils and the Samsil soils. Samsil soils lack an argillic horizon and have bedrock at depths of less than 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well to moderately well drained; rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: They are used as native pastureland or as cropland. Native vegetation is western wheat, blue grama, sage, and cactus.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eastern Elbert County Area, Colorado, 1964.