LOCATION ALMONT COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Cumulic Cryaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Almont silt loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A11--0 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong fine crumb structure; soft, very friable; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
A12--8 to 13 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) stony light silty clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 3/3) moist; common medium distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) moist; mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure that parts to moderate fine subangular blocks; slightly hard, very friable; few thin discontinuous clay films on horizontal and vertical faces of peds; 15 percent limestone rock fragments; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
B2g--13 to 19 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) stony light silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; common medium distinct dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist mottles; weak to moderate medium subangular blocky structure that parts to moderate fine subangular blocks; hard, very friable; approximately 30 percent limestone flagstones and smaller fragments; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 25 inches thick)
Clg--19 to 26 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) stony silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; common medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) mottles; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable; approximately 30 percent limestone flagstones and smaller fragments; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 30 inches thick)
C2g--26 to 60 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) stony silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; common medium distinct dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist mottles; massive; hard, very friable; approximately 35 percent limestone flagstones and smaller fragments; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Gunnison County, Colorado; adjacent to Cement Creek near a miner's cabin in Sec. 3, T. 13 S., R. 84 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 8 to 20 inches. Organic carbon in the mollic epipedon ranges from 1 to 4 percent and decreases uniformly with increasing depth. These soils are usually mottled in the lower part of the mollic epipedon and throughout the control section. The 10- to 40-inch control section is usually light clay loam or heavy loam and ranges in clay from 18 to 35 percent. Limestone flagstones on the soil surface range from 5 to 20 percent. Rock fragments in the control section range from 15 to 35 percent by volume and are predominantly flagstones. Bulk calcium carbonate equivalent is high, due to limestone fragments, but is less than 40 percent.
The A1 horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 through 5.5 dry, 2 through 3.5 moist, and chroma of 3 or less. It is neutral or mildly alkaline. Usually the horizon has granular or crumb structure in the upper part but is subangular blocky in the lower part. Dry consistence is soft or slightly hard. The horizon is usually distinctly mottled in the lower part.
The B2g horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to mildly alkaline. The horizon is distinctly mottled and has base colors with chroma of 2 or less.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y and is usually distinctly mottled. Reaction is neutral or mildly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Dilman, Doct and Furniss series. Dilman and Furniss soils have a mean annual soil temperature of more than 32 degrees F. Doct soils have bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Almont soils are in basins and depressions above timber line or in seepage areas on slopes above timber line. Slope gradients range from 0 to as much as 30 or more percent in some areas. They formed in moderately fine textured parent materials weathered from platy shales and limestones. At the type location the average annual precipitation is 20 inches. The average annual temperature is 28 degrees F. There is no frost-free period.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Basquez, Haverly, and Ptarmigan soils. These soils are very strongly acid, and have umbric epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly to somewhat poorly drained; very slow or ponded to rapid runoff, depending on the slope on which the soils occur; moderate permeability above the water table. Poor drainage is often due to seepage water.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used as rangeland or for recreational purposes. Principal native vegetation is willows, sedges, and water-tolerant plants.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of central Colorado. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gunnison County, Colorado, 1975.
REMARKS: Last updated by the state 6/75.