LOCATION BATTLEROCK              CO

Established Series
Rev. JWH/DKR/WWJ
12/2014

BATTLEROCK SERIES

The Battlerock series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in stratified alluvium derived from mixed sources. Battlerock soils are on alluvial terraces, drainageways, flood plains, and fans. Slopes range from 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 9 inches (229 mm) and the mean annual air temperature is about 54 degrees F (12.2 degrees C).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Typic Torrifluvents

TYPICAL PEDON: Battlerock clay loam, 2 percent slope in cropland at an elevation of 5,000 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on March 26, 1981 the soil was moist throughout.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches (0 to 25 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches or 10 to 30 cm thick)

C1--10 to 16 inches (25 to 41 cm); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 24 inches or 10 to 61 cm thick)

C2--16 to 24 inches (41 to 61 cm); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate thin platy structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 24 inches or 10 to 61 cm thick)

Cz--24 to 43 inches (61 to 109 cm); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine filaments of salt; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 24 inches or 0 to 61 cm thick)

C--43 to 56 inches (61 to 142 cm); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 18 inches or 0 to 46 cm thick)

Akb--56 to 60 inches (142 to 152 cm); brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure; very hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine filaments of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8) (0 to 12 inches or 0 to 30 cm thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Montezuma County, Colorado; about 22 miles west of Cortez; located about 10 feet east and 850 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 36, T. 36 N., R. 20 W.; Cajon Mesa, Utah-Colorado USGS quad; lat. 37 degrees 19 minutes 50 seconds N. and long. 108 degrees 15 minutes 5 seconds W., NAD

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July through September and December through March. Driest during May and June. Typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 55 to 57 degrees F (12.8 to 13.9 degrees C).
Particle-size control section: 18 to 35 percent clay
Depth to salt accumulations: 12 to 60 inches (30 to 152 cm)

A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 20 percent
Salinity: 0 to 16 dS/m
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline

C horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, silt loam, loam, clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 20 percent
Gypsum: 0 to 5 percent
Salinity: 0 to 4 dS/m
Sodicity, SAR: 0 to 30 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Binton (WY), Boysen (WY), Clayhole (AZ), Hamburn (NM), Jocity (AZ), Lostwells (WY), Toddler (UT), and Youngston (WY)soils. The Binton and Boysen soils have more than 15 percent exchangeable sodium throughout. Clayhole soils have hues redder than 10YR and contain high amounts of gypsum. Hamburn soils overlap the Battlerock soils and should be revaluated during the updates. Jocity soils have hue of 5YR or redder. Lostwells soils have more than 35 percent fine or coarser sand in the particle size control section. Toddler soils have more than 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent throughout the control section. Youngston soils receive about 1/2 of their annual precipitation from April to June.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Battlerock soils are on alluvial terraces, drainageways, flood plains and fans. They formed in stratified alluvium derived from mixed sources. Slopes range from 0 to 6 percent. Elevation ranges from 4,850 to 5,700 feet (1,478 to 1737 meters). The mean annual air temperature is 52 to 56 degrees F (11.1 to 13.3 degrees C) and the mean annual precipitation is 6 to 10 inches (152 to 254 mm). the precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year with July and August being slightly wetter and May and June being the driest months. The frost-free period is 130 to 160 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Mack and Redlands series. Both Mack and Redlands soils have argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, negligible to medium runoff, moderately slow permeability

USE AND VEGETATION: Battlerock soils are used for irrigated cropland and livestock grazing. The dominant vegetation in the plant community is alkali sacaton, western wheatgrass, fourwing saltbush, and greasewood.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwest Colorado. LRR D, MLRA 35. This series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

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 10 inches (0 to 25 cm)(Ap horizon)

Surface layer does not quality for a mollic epipedon due to lithochromic parent material and being very hard and massive.

Particle size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (25 to 100 cm) (C1, C2, and part of Cz horizons)

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 12th Edition, 2014.

Update and revision for the competing series section 2/08 DWD

Revised for the correlation the SDJR - MLRA 35 - Battlerock clay loam, 0 to 6 percent slopes, December 2014, LJG2

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.