LOCATION BECKS CO+WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Aquic Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Becks gravelly loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 11 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 20 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
A2--11 to 15 inches; pale brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 20 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles; pebbles and cobbles are lime-coated on bottom; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline, gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
Bw--15 to 19 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 30 percent pebbles, 15 percent cobbles; pebbles and cobbles are lime-coated on bottom; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
C1--19 to 37 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) extremely gravelly loamy sand, dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; few fine distinct black (10YR 2/1) and common medium prominent strong brown (10YR 5/8) redox features; single grain; loose; 50 percent pebbles, 15 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
C2--37 to 60 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) extremely gravelly sand, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; many large prominent (10YR 2/1) redox features; single grain; loose; 50 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Custer County, Colorado; about 825 feet west of the NE corner of Sec. 35, T. 22 S., R. 73 W. U.S.G.S. Horn Peak quad; lat. 38 degrees, 6 minutes, 10 seconds N., and long. 105 degrees, 30 minutes, 30 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 40 to 44 degrees F. The average summer soil temperature ranges from 55 to 59 degrees F. Depth to bedrock is more than 60 inches. All horizons are slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. The 10- to 40-inch control section on a weighted average is less than 18 percent clay and 35 to 75 percent rock fragments. Rock fragments are rounded and dominantly less than 6 inches in diameter. Hue ranges from 7.5YR through 2.5Y in all horizons.
The Bw and C horizons have value of 5 or 6 dry and 4 or 5 moist. The Bw horizon is very gravelly sandy clay loam, but ranges to very gravelly loam and very gravelly sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Wishard (MT) series. Wishard soils are noncalcareous and have a strongly acid or medium acid A1 horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Becks soils are on fans and low stream terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. The soils formed in coarse textured, gravelly alluvium. Average annual precipitation is 15 to 18 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 38 to 42 degrees F. Frost-free season is 55 to 75 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ess and Norriston soils, both of which are well drained and noncalcareous.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability in the upper part over rapid or very rapid in the lower part. Water table is within 1 to 3 feet during snow melting period, but is below 4 feet during growing season.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland and irrigated meadow hay. Native vegetation is Thurber fescue, bluegrass, alpine timothy, redtop, shrubby cinquefoil, and iris. There is some mat muhly, sedge, and slender wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountain valleys of southern Colorado. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Custer County, Colorado, 1979.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features include a mollic epipedon from 0 to 11 inches; a cambic horizon from 15 to 19 inches; and redox features from 19 to 60 inches. It has a water table at 1 to 3 feet in the snowmelt season that drops to below 4 feet in the growing season. Last updated by the state 4/94.