LOCATION SITCAN COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Sitcan loam, on a east facing, 3 percent slope in grass at an elevation of 4740 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on April 10, 1992 the soil was moist from 0 to 40 inches ( 0 to 102 cm).
A--0 to 10 inches (0 to 25 cm); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
AB--10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 cm); brown (10YR 4/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--15 to 28 inches (38 to 71 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist and crushed; moderate fine prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common thin clay films occur on faces of peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--28 to 33 inches (71 to 84 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few thin clay films occur on faces of peds; 7 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent, slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 16 to 32 inches)
Bk1--33 to 40 inches (84 to 102 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 1 percent pebbles; 1 percent fine carbonate masses and threads; violently effervescent (3 percent calcium carbonate); moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bk2--40 to 70 inches (102 to 178 cm); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 1 percent pebbles; 1 percent medium carbonate masses and threads; violently effervescent (5 percent calcium carbonate); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Las Animas County, Colorado; about 11 miles North of Kim in Smith Canyon; located about 200 feet south and 2,400 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 25, T. 29 S., R. 54 W.; Icehouse Canyon USGS quad; lat. 37 degrees 29 minutes 47 seconds N. and long. 103 degrees 24 minutes 42 seconds W., NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is moist May and June and moist intermittently July and August; Aridic moisture regime bordering on Ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 49 to 54 degrees F. (9.5 to 12.2 degrees C)
Mean summer soil temperature: 69 to 74 degrees F. (20.5 to 23 .3 degrees C)
Depth to base of the argillic horizon: 24 to 40 inches (61 to 102 cm)
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 12 to 30 inches (30 to 76 cm)
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 8 to 20 inches (20 to 51 cm)
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Sand content: 25 to 60 percent, with less than 35 percent fine and coarser sand
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction: neutral or slightly acid
Bt horizon: (Btk horizons are present in some pedons below the Bt)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 1 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bk horizon: (Bb horizons are present in some pedons)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 26 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent, commonly less than 6 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
Gypsum: 0 to 1 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Ascalon (CO),
Bresser (CO),
Cedak (WY),
Datil (NM), Feathergrass (WY),
Forgan (OK),
Hemingford (NE),
Hiarc (NM),
Moskee (WY),
Recluse (WY),
Satanta (KS),
Shalona (CO),
Sugardee (WY),
Wages (CO), and
Wolf (WY) series.
Ascalon soils: average more than 35 percent fine and coarser sand
Bresser soils: depth to calcium carbonate is 40 to 60 inches or more
Cedak soils: have a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches
Datil soils: have 15 to 35 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the Bk horizon
Feathergrass soils: have a lithologic discontinuity with 40 to 70 percent rock fragments
Forgan soils: are greater than 60 inches to the base of the argillic horizon
Hemingford soils: have a paralithic contact at depths of 40 to 60 inches
Hiarc soils: have a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches
Moskee soils: are dry 60 consecutive days after July 15, have a mean annual temperature of 44 to 49 degrees F., and a frost free season of less than 130 days
Recluse soils: are dry 60 consecutive days after July 15 and a frost free season of less than 130 days
Satanta soils: have a PE index of 25 to 40, and a mean annual soil temperature greater than 54 degrees F.
Shalona soils: have a moisture control section that is dry from
May 15 to July 15
Sugardee soils: have hues of 2.5YR or 5YR in the argillic horizon
Wages soils: are less than 24 inches to the base of the argillic horizon
Wolf soils: have 15 to 30 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the Bk horizon
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium derived from sedimentary deposits
Landform: fans, terraces
Slopes: 1 to 4 percent
Elevation: 4,000 to 5,200 feet (1,219 to 1,585 m)
Mean annual temperature: 51 to 54 degrees F. (10.5 to 12.2 degrees C)
Mean annual precipitation: 12 to 14 inches (300 to 360 mm)
Precipitation pattern: peak period May through August, driest December through February
Frost-free period: 130 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Fort,
Kimera,
Mauricanyon, and
Wilid series.
The Fort soils do not have a mollic epipedon and are on fans.
The Kimera soils do not have an argillic horizon and are on fans.
The Mauricanyon soils have a mollic epipedon greater than 20 inches thick and are on terraces.
The Wilid soils are in the fine-silty family and are on fans and plains.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, moderately high to high saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat; native vegetation is mainly blue grama, galleta, sand dropseed, western wheatgrass, needlegrass, buffalograss, yucca and cacti.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: southeastern Colorado; LRR G, MLRA 69; small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Las Animas County, Colorado, Las Animas County Area soil survey area, Colorado. The name is coined from Smith canyon, a prominent drainage in the area.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 15 to 33 inches (38 to 84 cm). (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 15 inches ( 0 to 38 cm). (A and BA horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 15 to 33 inches (38 to 84 cm). (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Other features: Ustic aridic moisture regime
The Sitcan soils were part of the Satanta series, but have been separated based on lower soil moisture, cooler soil temperatures, and the removal of Satanta from MLRA 69.
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.
10/2008 LAN WAW updated the format to include metric and updated horizon nomenclature during final correlation of Las Animas County soil survey.
Taxonomic Version: Second Edition, 1999