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Kim loam, I to 3 percent slopes
<br />This is a deep, well drained soil on smooth plains and alluvial fans at elevations of 4,900 to 5,250
<br />feet. It formed in mixed eolian deposit and parent sediment from a wide variety of bedrock.
<br />Included in mapping are small areas of soils that have loamy sand underlying material.
<br />Typically the surface layer is brown and pale brown loam about 12 inches thick. The upper 28
<br />inches of the underlying material is pale brown loam. The lower part to a depth of 60 inches is pale
<br />brown fine sandy loam.
<br />Permeability is moderate. Available water capacity is high. The effective rooting depth is 60
<br />inches or more. Surface runoff is medium, and the erosion hazard is low.
<br />In irrigated areas this soil is suited to all crops commonly grown in the area, including corn, sugar
<br />beets, beans, alfalfa, small grain, potatoes, and onions. An example of a suitable cropping system is
<br />3 to 4 years of alfalfa followed by corn, corn for silage, sugar beets, small grain, of beans. Land
<br />leveling, ditch lining (fig. 6), and installing pipelines may be needed for proper water applications.
<br />All methods of irrigation are suitable, but furrow irrigation is the most common. Barnyard manure
<br />and commercial fertilizer are needed for top yields.
<br />In nonirrigated areas this soil is suited to winter wheat, barley, and sorghum. Most of the acreage is
<br />planted to winter wheat and is summer fallowed in alternate years to allow moisture accumulation.
<br />Generally precipitation is too low for beneficial use of fertilizer.
<br />Stubble mulch farming, stripcropping, and minimum tillage are needed to control soil blowing and
<br />water erosion. Terracing also may be needed to control water erosion.
<br />The potential native vegetation is dominated by blue grama. Several mid grasses, such as western
<br />wheatgrass and needleandthread, are also present. Potential production ranges from 1,600 pounds
<br />per acre in favorable years to 1,000 pounds in unfavorable years. As range condition deteriorates,
<br />the mid grasses decrease; blue grama, buffalsograss, snakeweed, yucca, and fringed sage increase;
<br />and forage production drops. Undesirable weeds and annuals invade the site as range condition
<br />becomes poorer.
<br />Management of vegetation on this soil should be based on taking half and leaving half of the total
<br />annual production. Seeding is desirable if the range is in poor condition. Sideoats grama, little
<br />bluestem, western wheatgrass, blue grama, pubescent wheatgrass, and crested wheatgrass are
<br />suitable for seeding. The grass selected should meet the seasonable requirements of livestock. It
<br />can be seeded into a clean, firm sorghum stubble, or it can be drilled into a firm prepared seedbed.
<br />Seeding early in spring has proven most successful.
<br />Windbreaks and environmental plantings of trees and shrubs commonly grown in the area are
<br />generally well suited to this soil. Cultivation to control competing vegetation should be continued
<br />for as many years as possible following planting. Trees that are best suited and have good survival
<br />are Rocky Mountain juniper, eastern redcedar, ponderosa pine, Siberian elm, Russian-olive, and
<br />hackberry. The shrubs best suited are skunkbush sumac, lilac, Siberian peashrub, and American
<br />plum.
<br />Parsons Mine
<br />DRMS 112 Reclamation Permit Application
<br />Page 14 of Il0
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