LOCATION LIMON CO+KS UT WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, calcareous, mesic Ustertic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Limon silty clay loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; strong very fine granular structure; weak platy in the upper 1/4 inch; soft, very friable; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
AC--4 to 20 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak coarse angular blocky structure; extremely hard friable, very plastic; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary.(10 to 18 inches thick)
Bk--20 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) silty clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; massive; extremely hard, firm, very plastic; few visible secondary calcium carbonate concretions; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Bent County, Colorado; approximately 0.45 mile north and 0.15 mile east of the southwest corner of Sec. 7, T. 21 S., R. 52 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 58 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature ranges from 59 to 78 degrees F.
These soils are moist in some part of the soil moisture control section for 60 consecutive days when the soil temperature at 20 inches is 41 degrees F., or greater.
Aridic moisture regime bordering on ustic.
Organic carbon content: The A horizon ranges from 0.6 to 1.5 percent, and decreases uniformly with increasing depth
Electrical conductivity: less than 1 to 4 millimhos, but may range to 10 millimhos/cm in some pedons
Exchangeable sodium percentage: 1 to 14 percent throughout the particle size control section, but both differs widely between individual horizons
Cation exchange capacity: 60 to 90 millequivalents per 100 grams of clay
The particle size control section:
Texture: silty clay, clay, or heavy silty clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 60 percent
Silt content: 10 to 60 percent
Sand content: 5 to 40 percent with less than 35 percent fine sand or coarser
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent but are typically less than 2 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 5Y to 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline (A and AC horizons).
C horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Texture: silty clay, clay, or heavy silty clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 60 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 1 to about 8 percent with visible calcium carbonate occurring inconsistently as to amount and depth.
Gypsum content: 0 to 3 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bahl(WY),
Baldfield(UT),
Bodry,
Petrie(WY), and
Shower(UT) series.
Bahl soils: are dry in some part of the soil moisture control section for as long as 60 consecutive days when the soil temperature at 20 inches is 41 degrees F., which occurs on about April 24.
Baldfield soils: are dry in the soil moisture control section less than one-half of the time when the soil temperature at 20 inches is greater than 41 degrees F.
Bodry soils: have a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Petrie soils: have 15 to 40 percent ESP throughout the particle size control section.
Shower soils: have endosaturation at depths of 18 to 24 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvial deposits derived primarily from clay shales
Landform: flood plains and alluvial fans
Slopes: range from 0 to 12 percent
Average annual precipitation: 11 to 15 inches, with peak periods of precipitation during the spring and summer
Average annual temperature is 47 to 53 degrees F., and the average summer temperature is 65 to 74 degrees F.
Frost free season: 120 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gaynor and Samsil series. Gaynor soils have a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Samsil soils have a paralithic contact at a depth of less than 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used primarily as native pastureland. They are irrigated in some small areas. Native vegetation is short grasses, western wheatgrass, sage, and cactus.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Colorado, southeastern Wyoming, and probably northeastern New Mexico. The series is of moderate extent. LRR G, MLRA's 67 and 69.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Johnson County (Southern Johnson Area), Wyoming, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon.
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 4 inches. (A horizon)
Aridic moisture regime bordering ustic.
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.
Taxonomic Version: Second Edition, 1999