LOCATION ALTMAN COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic Ustic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Altman gravelly loam, 12 percent slope in grassland at an elevation of 9120 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) Described on June 9, 1989.
Ap--0 to 7 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) gravelly loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; 25 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 7 inches thick)
A--7 to 12 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) gravelly loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine pores; 25 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 5 inches thick)
AB--12 to 15 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly sandy clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bt1--15 to 29 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many faint clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--29 to 41 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; common faint clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual smooth boundary. (combined thickness of Bt horizons: 16 to 30 inches)
BC--41 to 51 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
C--51 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Teller County, Colorado; about 2 miles north of Divide; about 1,000 feet west and 1,900 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 36, T. 12 S., R. 70 W.; Divide USGS quad; lat. 38 degrees 57 minutes 41 seconds and long. 105 degrees 09 minutes 41 seconds, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is usually dry in some part in early summer, moist in some or all parts in late July and August, and intermittently dry in fall; ustic regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 37 to 42 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 51 to 58 degrees F.
Thickness of mollic epipedon: 10 to 15 inches
Depth to argillic horizon: 10 to 15 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 40 to 48 percent
Rock fragment content: 3 to 10 percent gravel
Ap and A horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Clay content: 20 to 27 percent
Rock fragment content: 15 to 34 percent gravel
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral
AB horizon (not in all pedons; an E horizon in some pedons):
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: gravelly loam or gravelly sandy clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragment content: 15 to 34 percent gravel
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral
Bt horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Texture: clay or clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 48 percent
Rock fragment content: 3 to 10 percent gravel
Clay increase from horizon above (within 7.5 cm): 15 to 20 percent (absolute)
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
BC horizon (not in all pedons):
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: clay or clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 48 percent
Rock fragment content: 3 to 10 percent gravel
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam, or sandy clay
Clay content: 27 to 40 percent
Rock fragment content: 3 to 10 percent gravel
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Gothic,
Jerry,
Judy,
Little Horn,
Mayoworth,
Owen Creek,
Parlin,
Piltz,
Sneffels,
Tobincreek series.
The Gothic soils have a udic moisture regime that borders ustic. This separation is not clear; Gothic soils have vegetation characteristic of cooler and more moist conditions, but may actually be in an ustic regime.
The Jerry and Parlin soils have accumulations of secondary carbonate.
The Judy, Little Horn, Mayoworth, Owen Creek, Piltz, Sneffels, and Tobincreek soils have a lithic or paralithic contact between 20 and 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium
Landform: remnant terrace
Slopes: 8 to 40 percent
Elevation: 9,000 to 9,400 feet
Mean annual air temperature: 37 to 42 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 15 to 23 inches
Precipitation pattern: Monthly precipitation is lowest in winter and greatest in July and August.
Frost-free period: 50 to 80 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cowd, Seitz, and Tellura series. The Cowd soils do not have a thick dark surface horizon. The Seitz and Tellura soils have greater than 35 percent rock fragments.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained, highhigh slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Potential native vegetation is Arizona fescue, mountain muhly, Parry's oatgrass, blue grama, prairie junegrass, sleepygrass, slimstem muhly, and western wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Colorado; LRR E, MLRA 48A; small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Teller County, Colorado, Teller-Park soil survey area, CO, 2010. The name is from an abandoned townsite in the Cripple Creek area. When first proposed this series was named Goth.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Series control section: The zone from 0 to 60 inches.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 15 to 35 inches. (Bt1, Bt2 horizons)
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 15 inches. (Ap, A, AB horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 15 to 41 inches. (Bt1, Bt2 horizons)
Cryic temperature regime.
This series has a transition to the argillic horizon that is marginal to the Abruptic subgroup. This distinction was not identified where this soil was first mapped; a more gradual clay increase to the argillic was chosen as most typical but future work must confirm this. Smectitic mineralogy is assumed.
Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 11th edition, 2010.