LOCATION KIRTLEY WY
Established Series
Rev. PSD-KLS
05/2023
KIRTLEY SERIES
The Kirtley series consists of well drained soils that are moderately deep to soft bedrock. They formed in slope alluvium over calcareous residuum weathered from redbed shales and sandstone. Kirtley soils are on bedrock controlled hills, ridges, cuestas and low hills in strike valleys. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 410 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 8 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Kirtley loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 10 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/2) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)
BA--10 to 18 cm; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; few thin clay films on faces of peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)
Bt1--18 to 28 cm; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; continuous thin and moderately thick clay films on faces of peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--28 to 41 cm; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; continuous thin clay films on all faces of peds and lining pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8) clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt1 and Bt2 horizons - 18 to 38 cm)
Bk1--41 to 56 cm; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few thin clay films on faces of peds; strongly effervescent, common soft calcium carbonate masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary.
Bk2--56 to 76 cm; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent, common soft calcium carbonate masses and threads; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk1 and Bk2 horizons - 20 to 35 cm)
Cr--76 to 152 cm; reddish brown, weakly consolidated, calcareous shale interbedded with some olive shale.
TYPE LOCATION: Johnson County, Wyoming; near the center of sec. 27, T. 44 N., R. 83 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 8 to 12 degrees C
Mollic epipedon thickness - 18 to 50 cm
Depth to paralithic contact - 50 to 100 cm
Particle-size control section:
Clay content - 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragment content - 0 to 15 percent
A horizon
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 through 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
Bt horizons
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 through 6 dry; 2 through 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 5, dry or moist
Texture: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent clay
Sand content: less than 35 percent but more than 15 percent fine or coarser sand
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
Note: The upper part of the Bt horizon is typically part of the mollic epipedon.
Bk horizons
Hue: 5YR through 10R
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist
Texture: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent clay
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 9.0
COMPETING SERIES:
Ascalon (CO) - are deep
Belfon(KS) - are deep; have a calcic horizon; have lithologic discontinuities
Bresser(CO) - are deep; do not have an accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate
Cedak(WY) - have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y
Charkiln(NV) - are deep; do not have an accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate
Corralgulch (CO) - are deep
Critchell(CO) - are deep; do not have an accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate
Dagflat(UT) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact; do not have an accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate
Datil(NM) - are deep; have a calcic horizon
Featherlegs(WY) - are deep; have a calcic horizon; have a lithologic discontinuity
Forgan(OK) - have a lithologic discontinuity
Hargreave(WY) - have hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y; do not have an accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate
Harlan(WY) - are deep
Hemingford(NE) - have hue of 10YR; do not have an accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate
Hiarc(NM) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact; do not have an accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate
Lavate(UT) - are deep; do not have an accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate
Loarc(NM) - are deep; do not have an accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate
Moskee(WY) - are deep
Noden(WY) - are deep; do not have an accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate
Palmer Canyon(WY) - are deep; have a lithologic discontinuity
Recluse(WY) - are deep
Satanta(KS) - are deep; have lithologic discontinuities
Shalona(CO) - are deep
Sitcan(CO) - are deep
Sugardee(WY) - are deep
Wages(CO) - are deep
Wolf(WY) - are deep; have a calcic horizon
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - bedrock controlled hills, ridges, cuestas and low hills in strike valleys
Elevation - 1,075 to 2,300 meters
Slope - 0 to 15 percent
Parent material - slope alluvium over calcareous residuum weathered from redbed shales and sandstone
Mean annual air temperature - 7 to 10 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation - 355 to 480 mm
Frost-free period - 95 to 130 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and some small areas of either dry or irrigated cropland. Native vegetation consists of western wheatgrass, blue grama, big sagebrush, and scattered cacti.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Kirtley series is of moderate extent in north-central Wyoming and along the Front Range region of north-central Colorado; MLRAs 49 and 58B.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Johnson County (Southern Part), Wyoming; 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 28 cm (A, BA and Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon - 18 to 41 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - 18 to 41 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizon)
Kirtley soils have a mesic soil temperature regime and an ustic soil moisture regime bordering on aridic.
Converted to metric, formatting updated to current standards, and competing series section updated. 12/2020
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.