LOCATION LEVENMILE COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive Ustic Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Levenmile sandy loam - on a 5 percent slope in an area of rangeland at an elevation of 2850 meters (9350 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) Described on September 20, 1983.
A1--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--2 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (combined thickness of A horizons is 5 to 10 inches)
Bw--5 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; 45 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
C1--12 to 32 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
C2--32 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) coarse sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Park County, Colorado; about 5 miles southeast of Como; about 2,200 feet south and 2,300 feet east of the northwest corner of section 8, T. 9 S., R. 75 W.; Milligan Lakes USGS quad; lat. 39 degrees 17 minutes 2 seconds N. and long. 105 degrees 48 minutes 1 second W., NAD 1983
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is usually dry in late spring and early summer, moist in some part in late July and August, and intermittently dry in fall; ustic regime bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 37 to 41 degrees F
Mean summer soil temperature: 51 to 58 degrees F.
Thickness of mollic epipedon: 10 to 13 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted averages):
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Sand content: 55 to 85 percent
Rock fragment content: 10 to 15 percent gravel, indurated
Mica content: 10 to 45 percent (estimated)
A horizons
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Texture: sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Gravel content: 0 to 20 percent, indurated
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline (pH 6.1-7.8)
Bw horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry; 2 to 4 moist
Texture: very gravelly sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Gravel content: 15 to 60 percent, indurated
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline (pH 6.6-7.8)
C horizons (Bw horizons in some pedons)
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry; 2 to 6 moist
Texture: sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 10 to 19 percent
Gravel content: 5 to 15 percent, indurated
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 3 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline (pH 6.6-7.8)
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Branham, Clergern, Danielvil, Dinnen, Martland, Sula, and Teoculli series. Branham soils have a lithic contact between 20 and 40 inches. Clergern soils have a hue of 5YR or redder. Danielvil, Dinnen, and Teoculli soils are not bordering an aridic moisture regime. Redspoon and Martland soils have a paralithic contact between 20 and 40 inches. Sula soils have silt loam in the upper part.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: mixed alluvium, mainly from granitic rocks
Landform: bajadas
Slopes: 1 to 8 percent
Elevation: 8,700 to 9,800 feet
Mean annual temperature: 35 to 39 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 10 to 16 inches
Precipitation pattern: Monthly precipitation is lowest in winter greatest in July and August.
Frost-free period:50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gebson and Temdille soils. Gebson soils have argillic horizons. Temdille soils have greater than 35 percent gravel and the fine- earth fraction averages loamy sand or coarser in the particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing. Native vegetation consists of Arizona fescue, slimstem muhly, prairie junegrass, blue grama, bottlebrush squirreltail, needleandthread, and western wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Intermontane basins and valleys of Colorado; MLRA 48B; moderate extent. The name is coined from the Elevenmile Canyon and Reservoir in Park County.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Park County, Colorado, 2010; Teller-Park soil survey area.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recongnized in this pedon are:
Series control section: The zone from 0 to 60 inches.
Particle-size section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (part of the Bw, C1, part of the C2 horizons)
Mollic epepedon: From 0 to 12 inches. (A1, A2, Bw horizons)