LOCATION LILLINGS COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Ustic Torrifluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Lillings silt loam in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)
C--2 to 9 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 15 inches thick)
Ckyz1--9 to 18 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine irregular filaments, threads, seams, and concretions of calcium carbonate, gypsum, and sodium chloride crystals; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 39 inches thick)
Ckyz2--18 to 29 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak thick platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine irregular filaments, threads, seams, and concretions of calcium carbonate, gypsum, and sodium chloride crystals; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
Ckyz3--29 to 37 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common fine irregular concretions, filaments, threads, and seams of calcium carbonate, gypsum, and sodium chloride crystals; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Ckyz4--37 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few fine rounded or slightly oblong soft masses, filaments, threads, and concretions of calcium carbonate, gypsum, and sodium chloride crystals; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3).
TYPE LOCATION: Montezuma County, Colorado; about 1/2 mile south of the intersection of U.S. Route 160 and Colorado State Route 145; 400 feet west and 1,700 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 36, T. 36 N., R. 16 W.; Cortez, Colorado USGS quad; lat. 37 degrees 20 minutes 18 seconds N. and long. 108 degrees 33 minutes 19 seconds W., NAD27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: aridic bordering on ustic
Soil temperature regime: mesic
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 52 degrees F
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 0 to 20 inches
Particle-size control section:
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 5 to 7 (4 to 6 moist)
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent, mainly gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 15 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
C horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 5 to 7 (4 to 6 moist)
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silt loam, silty clay loam, loam, or clay loam (stratified in some pedons)
Gypsum content: 0 to 5 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, mainly gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 15 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to very strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: This isese are the no competing series. A potential competitor that does not yet have CEA class assigned is the Nuffel series. Nuffel soils are redder than 10YR throughout.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium derived from shale and sandstone
Landform: alluvial fans, flood plains, drainageways, and terraces
Slopes: 1 to 6 percent
Elevation: 5,800 to 7,200 feet
Mean annual temperature: 47 to 52 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 10 to 13 inches
Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year with July and August being slightly wetter and June being slightly dryer.
Frost-free period: 110 to 135 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Mikim, Ramper, and Zigzag soils. Mikim and Ramper soils have a fine-loamy particle-size control section. Zigzag soils have soft bedrock within a depth of 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained, medium to very high runoff, moderately slow permeability
USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are used for irrigated and nonirrigated cropland, grazing, wildlife habitat and limited urban development. Native vegetation is mainly alkali sacaton, inland saltgrass, big sagebrush, greasewood, and shadscale.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwest Colorado. LRR D, MLRA 367. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cortez Area, Colorado, Parts of Dolores and Montezuma Counties 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 2 inches. (A)
Feature: secondary accumulation of carbonates, gypsum, and salts more soluble than gypsum: The zone from 9 to 60 inches (Ckyz1, Ckyz2, Ckyz3, and Ckyz4).
Particle size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (Ckyz1, Ckyz2, Ckyz3, and Ckyz4)
Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999