LOCATION BAYFIELD CO+NM UT
Established Series
Rev. JPP-TWH-KLS
02/2018
BAYFIELD SERIES
The Bayfield series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in fine textured alluvium weathered from sandstone and shale. Bayfield soils are in valleys and drainageways and have slopes of 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 8.8 degrees C., and the mean annual precipitation is about 355 mm.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Torrertic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Bayfield loam in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 5 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak coarse platy structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--5 to 10 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; strong fine granular structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; neutral (pH 7.2); cracks 2 cm wide; clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of A1 and A2 is 5 to 15 cm thick).
Bw1--10 to 20 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium subangular block structure parting to moderate fine granular; very hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); cracks 2 cm wide; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw2--20 to 38 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; slightly effervescent; 1 percent calcium carbonate; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); cracks 2 cm wide; pressure faces common; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw3--38 to 51 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; slightly effervescent; 1 percent calcium carbonate; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); pressure faces common; gradual smooth boundary. (combined thickness of Bw1, Bw2 and Bw3 horizons is 35 to 63 cm thick)
C1--51 to 88 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; slightly effervescent; 1 percent calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual smooth boundary.
C2--88 to 122 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; slightly effervescent; 1 percent calcium carbonate; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5). (combined thickness of C1 and C2 horizons is more than 70 cm)
C3--122 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; strongly effervescent; 1 percent calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: La Plata County, Colorado; about 6 kilometers south of Bayfield; 396 meters west and 30 meters south of the northeast corner of Section 24, T. 34 N., R. 7 W. U.S.G.S. Bayfield quad.; Lat. 37 degrees, 11 minutes, 01 second N.; and Long. 107 degrees, 33 minutes, 15 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 8.3 to 12.7 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 15.0 to 20.0 degrees C.
Depth to uniformly calcareous material: less than 25 cm
Rock fragments, mainly gravel: range from 0 to 10 percent, but are typically less than 2 percent.
Particle size control section: 35 to 50 percent clay, 35 to 60 percent silt, and 10 to 30 percent sand.
A horizons
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 5 through 7 dry, and 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry and moist
Texture: loam or silty clay loam
Reaction (pH): 6.6 to 7.8
Bw horizons
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry and moist
Texture: silty clay, silty clay loam, clay, or clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 10
Reaction (pH): 7.4 to 8.4
C horizons:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry and moist
Texture: silty clay, silty clay loam, clay, or clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent; visible calcium carbonates occur in the lower part of some pedons along with a few gypsum nests
Electrical conductivity: 2 to 8 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratioR: 2 to 20
Reaction (pH): 7.4 to 9.0
COMPETING SERIES: None listed.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - valleys and drainageways
Elevation - 1,524 to 2,194 meters
Slopes - 0 to 8 percent
Parent material - fine textured alluvium weathered from sandstone and shale
Mean annual precipitation - 305 to 435 mm
Mean annual air temperature - 7.2 to 11.6 degrees C.
Mean summer air temperature - 17.7 to 21.1 degrees C.
Precipitation pattern - about half the precipitation falls between April and September. May and June are the driest months. July and August are the wettest months.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for irrigated cropland and rangeland. Crops are mainly alfalfa, pasture, and small grain. Native vegetation is big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, fourwing saltbush, Indian ricegrass, western wheatgrass, and Junegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Bayfield soils occur in western Colorado, southern Utah, and northern New Mexico; LRR D; MLRAs 35, 36; moderate extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: La Plata County, Colorado, 1982.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Cambic horizon: 10 to 51 cm (Bw1, Bw2, and Bw3 horizons)
Vertic properties (cracks): 5 to 38 cm (A2, Bw1, and Bw2 horizons)
Particle-size control section: from 25 to 100 cm (part of Bw2, Bw3, C1, and part of the C2 horizons)
Bayfield soils have a mesic temperature regime and are in a ustic soil moisture regime that borders on aridic.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization by the NSSL was completed in May 1981. Sample number is S80-CO-067-002.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.