LOCATION BENDIRE CO

Established Series
Rev. JR/EML/JCK
05/2017

BENDIRE SERIES

The Bendire series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum derived from volcanic, igneous or metamorphic rock. Bendire soils are on mountain slopes. Slopes are 2 to 60 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 432 mm, and mean annual air temperature is about 5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Bendire gravelly loam, on a 23 percent east facing slope within a twoneedle pinyon-Arizona fescue plant community. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 13 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 20 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (12 to 25 cm thick)

Bt1--13 to 25 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay loam; dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 30 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 20 cm thick)

Bt2--25 to 36 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; common prominent clay films on faces of peds; hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary.

Bt3--36 to 69 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; 40 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of Bt2 and Bt3 horizons is 20 to 48 cm)

R--69 cm; andesite bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Saguache County, Colorado; about 15 meters west of Old Woman Creek Road, and about 2.5 km north of the junction of Forest Service Road #660, in the SW 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Sec. 17, T. 41 N., R. 5 E. U.S.G.S. Twin Mountains quad.; Lat. 37 degrees, 48 minutes, 07 seconds N., and Long. 106 degrees, 26 minutes, 54 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 5 to 8 degrees C
Mollic epipedon thickness - 18 to 40 cm
Depth to lithic contact - 50 to 100 cm
Particle-size control section:
Clay content - 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments - 35 to 60 percent gravel, cobbles or stones

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1, 2 or 3
Texture: loam or fine sandy loam
Clay content: 12 to 26 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 35 percent gravel; 0 to 15 percent cobbles; 0 to 10 percent stones
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3

Bt horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4, 5 or 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Textures: clay loam, sandy clay loam, loam or fine sandy loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--35 to 60 percent gravel; 0 to 30 percent cobbles; 0 to 10 percent stones
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.4

C horizon (where present)
Hue: 2.5Y, 10YR or 7.5YR
Textures: sandy clay loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 22 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent--15 to 80 percent gravel; 0 to 30 percent cobbles; 0 to 10 percent stones
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.4

COMPETING SERIES:
Averett (UT) - are very deep; have a calcic horizon
Blaincreek (MT) - have angular gravel and cobbles
Borpark (CO) - are very deep; have a calcic horizon
Crackerville (MT) - have a paralithic contact
Crampton (MT) - have a paralithic contact
Curecanti (CO) - are very deep
Ess (AZ) - are very deep
Hilger (MT) - are very deep; have a calcic horizon
Holter (MT) - are very deep; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Quincreek (MT) - have a calcic horizon
Sawbuck (MT) - are very deep
Sawicki (MT) - are very deep
Shawmut (MT) - are very deep; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Wickes (MT) - have a calcic horizon

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - mountain slopes
Elevation - 2,073 to 2,804 meters
Slope - 2 to 60 percent
Parent material - colluvium and residuum derived from volcanic, igneous or metamorphic rock
Mean annual temperature - 3.9 to 7.2 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation - 381 to 508 mm
Frost-free season - 80 to 110 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Tolman, Comodore, Alamaditas, and Posant series.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Bendire soils are used for livestock grazing and big game winter range. Native vegetation includes western wheatgrass, mountain mahogany, Gambel oak, muttongrass, Arizona fescue, muhly, squirreltail, service berry, snow berry and scattered twoneedle pinyon and Utah juniper.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Bendire soil is of moderate extent in western Colorado. MLRA 48A.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rio Grande National Forest Area, Colorado, West Part, Parts of Archuleta, Conejos, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache, and San Juan Counties, 1987.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 25 cm (A and Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon - from 13 to 69 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons)
Lithic contact - at 69 cm (R horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 13 to 63 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and part of Bt3 horizons)

Bendire soils have frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.