LOCATION KYLECANYON NV

Established Series
REV: CB/LJL/TM/ET
09/2015

KYLECANYON SERIES

The Kylecanyon series consists of moderately deep to a petrocalcic horizon, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from limestone and dolostone. Kylecanyon soils are on smooth fan remnants. Slopes range from 4 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 millimeters (10 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is about 8 degrees C. (47 degrees F.).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, mesic Petrocalcic Calciustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Kylecanyon extremely gravelly loam - rangeland and wildlife habitat. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. The soil surface is covered by approximately 70 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles.

A--0 to 10 centimeters (0 to 4 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong, medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and common medium roots; many very fine, fine, and common medium tubular pores; 60 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (9 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 13 centimeters thick)

ABk--10 to 30 centimeters (4 to 12 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and common medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores; 90 percent, 1 to 5 millimeter, prominent, white, irregular calcium carbonate nodules on undersides of rock fragments, strongly cemented, sharp; 20 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (18 to 38 centimeters thick)

Bk1--30 to 48 centimeters (12 to 19 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and common fine interstitial and tubular pores; 90 percent, 1 to 5 millimeter, prominent, white, irregular calcium carbonate nodules on undersides of rock fragments, strongly cemented, sharp; 50 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles; 20 percent of horizon has pockets of extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, 10 to 40 centimeter pockets; violently effervescent (35 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary.

Bk2--48 to 61 centimeters (19 to 24 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores; 90 percent, 1 to 5 millimeter, prominent, white, irregular calcium carbonate nodules on undersides of rock fragments, strongly cemented, sharp; 15 percent, 5 to 20 millimeter, prominent, very pale brown, platy calcium carbonate nodules within soil matrix with discontinuous laminar cap, moderately cemented, sharp; 70 percent gravel; violently effervescent (45 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); very abrupt wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 25 to 64 centimeters)

2Bkqm1--61 to 66 centimeters (24 to 26 inches); white (10YR 8/1) indurated petrocalcic horizon, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; very rigid, very rigid, brittle; violently effervescent; thin 1 millimeter laminar cap; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 centimeters thick)

2Bkqm2--66 to 150 centimeters (26 to 59 inches); white (10YR 8/1) weakly to strongly cemented, averaging moderately cemented, stratified petrocalcic horizons, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; very hard, extremely firm, brittle; violently effervescent.

TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Nevada; about 5.2 kilometers (3.25 miles) south and 0.8 kilometers (0.5 miles) east of Angel Peak located in the Spring Mountains; approximately 3.2 (2 miles) east of Deer Creek Highway and 0.1 mile north of Kyle Canyon Road alongside the telephone pole road; 780 kilometers (2,560 feet) south and 283 meters (930 feet) west of the northeast corner of sec. 27, T. 19 S., R. 57 E.; USGS Angel Peak, NV 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 36 degrees, 16 minutes, 15.7 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 34 minutes, 9.3 seconds west longitude; UTM 11,0628513 e 4014959n; NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in late winter and early spring and intermittently moist in the upper part for 10 to 20 days cumulative, from July through September, following summer convection storms. The soils have an aridic bordering on ustic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C. (47 to 52 degrees F.).

Depth to base of mollic epipedon: 23 to 38 centimeters (9 to 15 inches).

Depth to calcic horizon: 25 to 50 centimeters (10 to 20 inches).

Depth to petrocalcic horizon: 50 to 100 centimeters (20 to 40 inches).

Control section
Clay content: 8 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: averages 50 to 70 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon:
Structure: Moderate or strong, fine or medium.
Calcium carbonate equivalence in the fine earth fraction: 5 to 15 percent.
Organic matter: 1.0 to 2.5 percent.

ABk horizon:
Structure: Medium or coarse.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, friable or very friable.
Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: 5 to 15 percent.
Organic matter: 1.0 to 2.5 percent.

Bk1 or Bk2 horizons:
Structure: weak or moderate, fine or medium subangular blocky or massive.
Consistence: Moderately hard, friable or firm.
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction: 30 or 50 percent.
Organic matter: 0.5 to 1.0 percent.

Bkqm horizons:
Indurated or very strongly cemented in the upper part. Weakly to strongly cemented in the lower parts.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series at this time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kylecanyon soils are on smooth fan remnants. Slope ranges from 4 to 15 percent. These soils formed in alluvium derived from limestone and dolostone. Elevations are 1,680 to 2,200 meters (5,500 to 7,220 feet). The climate is sub-humid continental, cool, with moist winters and occasional summer thundershowers. The mean annual precipitation is 228 to 280 millimeters (9 to 11 inches); mean annual air temperature is 7 to 10 degrees C. (45 to 50 degrees F.), and the frost-free season is 90 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Buckspring, Goodwater and Purob soils. Buckspring soils are on backslopes of mountains. Goodwater soils are on fan remnants at slightly higher elevations. Purob soils are on fan remnants at lower elevations.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity over an impermeable layer.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly mountain sagebrush, Stansbury cliffrose, banana yucca, and green ephedra.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southern Nevada; MLRA 30. These soils are not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clark County Area, Nevada, 2006. Proposed in Clark County, Nevada; Clark County Soil Survey, 2003. The name is coined from Kyle Canyon located in the Spring Mountains.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:

The soil series moisture regime was changed from aridic bordering on xeric to aridic bordering on ustic. This is more representative of the series.

Mollic epipedon - 0 to 30 centimeters (0 to 12 inches) (A and ABk horizons).
Calcic horizon - 30 to 61 centimeters (12 to 24 inches) (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).
Petrocalcic horizon - 61 to 109 centimeters (24 to 43 inches) (2Bkqm1 and 2Bkqm2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - 25 to 61 centimeters (10 to 24 inches) (Part of the ABk, Bk1, and Bk2 horizons).

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 9/2015. The last revision to the series was 6/2011. ET

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.