LOCATION LAMBE              CO
Established Series
Rev. AJS/JWB
04/2009

LAMBE SERIES


The Lambe series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in gravelly alluvium and colluvium deposits derived from granite, gneiss, and mica schist. Lambe soils are on mountain slopes. Slopes range from 5 to 65 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 20 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 37 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Ustic Argicryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Map unit in which located: Lambe-Woodhall complex, 5 to 65 percent slopes
Location in survey area: Lambe gravelly sandy loam; Taylor Ranch USGS topographic quadrangle, NAD83; 37 degrees 13 minutes 35.57 seconds north latitude and 105 degrees 20 minutes 4.32 seconds west longitude; UTM 470,323 meters E, 4120,057 meters N, zone 13. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted). The surface is covered by about 30 percent subrounded indurated gravel, about 10 percent subrounded indurated cobbles and about 1 percent subrounded indurated stones derived from granite, gneiss, and mica schist.

A--0 to 8 centimeters (0 to 3 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; 18 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; friable, soft, slightly sticky, nonplastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots throughout; 20 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary.

Bt1--8 to 20 centimeters (3 to 8 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; 23 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, moderately sticky, nonplastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots throughout; very few distinct clay films on faces of peds; 25 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary.

Bt2--20 to 30 centimeters (8 to 12 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; 26 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable, moderately hard, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots throughout; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; 30 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary.

Bt3--30 to 56 centimeters (12 to 22 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; 25 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable, moderately hard, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; very fine, common very fine, fine and medium roots throughout; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; 40 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary.

Bt4--56 to 97 centimeters (22 to 38 inches); light brown (7.5YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; 23 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, moderately hard, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots throughout; very few distinct clay films on faces of peds; 50 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary.

Bt5--97 to 165 centimeters (38 to 65 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; 21 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, hard, slightly sticky, nonplastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots throughout; very few distinct clay films on faces of peds; 50 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary.

Bk--165 to 203 centimeters (65 to 80 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; 16 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly hard, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots throughout; irregular carbonate masses around rock fragments; 50 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent (5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Costilla County, CO; Taylor Ranch USGS topographic quadrangle, NAD83; 37 degrees 13 minutes 35.57 seconds north latitude and 105 degrees 20 minutes 4.32 seconds west longitude; UTM 470,323 meters E, 4120,057 meters N, zone 13

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Ustic moisture regime bordering on udic.
Soil moisture regime subclass: ustic
Soil moisture regime class: udic
Seasonal pattern: The soil moisture control section is affected by snow melt in early spring and peak precipitation occurring in the form of thunderstorms from June to September.
Mean annual soil temperature: 34 to 44 degrees F (1.1 to 6.7 degrees C)
Mean summer soil temperature: 42 to 48 degrees F (5.6 to 8.9 degrees C)
Depth to diagnostic feature: 2 to 8 inches (5 to 20 centimeters) to argillic horizon; 60 to 80 inches (152 to 203 centimeters) to secondary carbonates
Thickness of diagnostic feature: mollic epipedon is 10 to 16 inches (25 to 40 centimeters); argillic horizon is 55 to 70 inches (140 to 178 centimeters); secondary carbonates is 10 to 20 inches (25 to 51 centimeters)
Linear extensibility: weighted average RV is 1.3 percent
Surface fragments: 10 to 50 percent subangular indurated gravel; 0 to 20 percent subangular indurated cobbles and 0 to 5 percent subangular indurated stones derived from granite, gneiss, and mica schist

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 10 to 27 percent
Sand content: 38 to 70 percent
Silt content: 15 to 35 percent
Rock fragment content: 35 to 70 percent

A horizon(s)
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: gravelly sandy loam
Clay content: 6 to 18 percent
Carbonate clay content: 0 to 1 percent
Sand content: 52 to 70 percent
Silt content: 15 to 35 percent
Fragment content, total: 15 to 35 percent
Fragment size and content: 15 to 25 percent indurated gravel
0 to 8 percent indurated cobbles
0 to 2 percent indurated stones derived from granite, gneiss, and mica schist
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 1 percent
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 1
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
Organic matter content: 1.5 to 3.0 percent

Bt1 and Bt2 horizon(s)
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry; 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: very gravelly sandy clay loam, very gravelly sandy loam, gravelly loam
Clay content: 10 to 27 percent
Carbonate clay content: 0 to 3 percent
Sand content: 38 to 60 percent
Silt content: 15 to 35 percent
Fragment content, total: 15 to 60 percent
Fragment size and content: 15 to 40 percent indurated gravel
0 to 15 percent indurated cobbles
0 to 5 percent indurated stones derived from granite, gneiss, and mica schist
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 1 percent
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 1
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
Organic matter content: 0.2 to 2.0 percent

Bt3, Bt4 and Bt5 horizon(s)
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: very gravelly sandy clay loam, very gravelly sandy loam, gravelly loam, very gravelly loam, extremely gravelly sandy loam, extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, extremely gravelly sandy clay loam
Clay content: 10 to 27 percent
Carbonate clay content: 0 to 3 percent
Sand content: 38 to 70 percent
Silt content: 15 to 35 percent
Fragment content, total: 35 to 85 percent
Fragment size and content: 30 to 60 percent indurated gravel
5 to 20 percent indurated cobbles
0 to 5 percent indurated stones derived from granite, gneiss, mica schist
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 3 percent
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 1
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
Organic matter content: 0.2 to 1.0 percent

Bk horizon(s)
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: extremely gravelly sandy loam, extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Carbonate clay content: 2 to 6 percent
Sand content: 52 to 75 percent
Silt content: 15 to 35 percent
Fragment content, total: 60 to 85 percent
Fragment size and content: 50 to 60 percent indurated gravel
10 to 20 percent indurated cobbles
0 to 5 percent indurated stones derived from granite, gneiss, and mica schist
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 10 percent
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 1
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
Organic matter content: 0.2 to 0.8 percent

COMPETING SERIES:

These are the Blaine, Bowen, Fingerrock, Fornor, Fourmile, Geertsen, Hoodle, Hungryhill, Lagarita, Libeg, Nathale, Norriston, Quander, Ratiopeak, Spanpeak, and Woodhall series.

BLAINE (MT) -has lithic contact at depths of 40 inches or less.
BOWEN (CO), Hungryhill (MT), NATHALE (WY), NATHROP (CO), WOODHALL (CO) soilshave lithic contact at depths of 40 inches or less.
FINGERROCK (T) soils have an argillic horizon that is 8 to 20 inches thick.
Fornor (WY) soils have an argillic horizon that is 9 to 16 inches thick.
HOODLE (UT) soils dominantly have rock fragments that are 3 to 10 inches.
LAGARITA (CO) soils have an argillic horizon that is 4 to 15 inches thick.
RATIOPEAK (MT) soils have an argillic horizon that is 14 to 37 inches thick.
FOURMILE (CO) soils have a lithologic discontinuity at depth of 40 inches or less and have ustic moisture regime
GEERTSEN (UT) soils have a lithic contact at depths between 40 and 60 inches.
LIBEG (MT) soils do not have secondary carbonates
NORRISTON (CO) soils have sandy-skeletal materials above a depth of 40 inches.
QUANDER (CO) soils do not have secondary carbonates.
SPANPEAK (MT) havean O horizon and an argillic horizon that is 7 to 25 inches thick.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: gravelly alluvium and colluvium deposits derived from granite, gneiss, and mica schist
Landform: mountain slopes
Elevation: 8,900 to 11,500 feet (2,713 to 3,505 meters)
Slope: 5 to 65 percent
Climatic data:
Mean annual precipitation: 16 to 25 inches (406 to 635 millimeters)
Mean annual air temperature: 33 to 41 degrees F. (0.6 to 5.0 degrees C.)
Frost-free period: 40 to 70 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Woodhall and Laveta series.
Woodhall soils are moderately deep.
Laveta soils are moderately deep.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained, medium to high runoff, moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for forestry, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is fescue, wheatgrass, junegrass, squirrel tail, sagebrush, forbs, and shrubs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas bordering the San Luis Valley in south-central Colorado; LRR E, MLRA 48A. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Costilla County, CO, Costilla County Soil Survey Area, CO, 2009. The name Lambe is coined.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 30 centimeters (0 to 12 inches). (A, Bt1, Bt2 horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 3 to 165 centimeters (3 to 65 inches). (Bt horizons)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 165 to 203 centimeters (65 to 80 inches). (Bk horizon)

Remarks:

The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.

Taxonomic Version: Tenth Edition, 2006

ADDITIONAL DATA:


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.