LOCATION BLOOM COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Aeric Fluvaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Bloom silty clay loam - meadow grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) silty clay loam; dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable; common medium distinct brown (10YR 5/3) mottles; calcareous; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
AC--4 to 9 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; common medium distinct pale brown (10YR 6/3) concentrations and gray (10YR 5/1) depletions; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granules; slightly hard, very friable; few small crystals of calcium sulfate; calcareous; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Cyg--9 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam; brown (10YR 5/3) moist; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; common to many, medium to large, distinct gray (10YR 5/1) and gray (10YR 6/1) depletions; massive; hard, friable; weak accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate as crystals and as concretions; calcareous; moderately alkaline. (Several feet thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Otero County, Colorado; 792 feet south and 50 feet west of the NE corner of Sec. 18, T. 23 S., R. 57 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature is 52 to 56 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature is 72 to 76 degrees F.
Aquic moisture regime during the growing season
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 8 percent
Gypsum content: calcium sulfate crystals are present intermittently in the substratum
Depth to redox concentrations: 3 to 10 inches
Depth to redox depletions: 3 to 60 inches
Particle size control section:
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Silt content: 35 to 60 percent
Sand content: 10 to 35 percent, with less than 15 percent fine and coarser sand
Rock fragment content: 0 to 10 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma of 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam, silty clay loam
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
AC horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: of 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam, silty clay loam.
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
C horizon:
Hue: 5Y through 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma of 1 through 3
Texture: silty loam, silty clay loam. Some pedons have loam and clay loam textures below a depth of 40 inches.
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Caneek(IA) and
Sonoma(NV) series.
Caneek soils: do not have gypsum accumulations in the substratum
Sonoma soils: do not have gypsum crystals in the profile and have an aridic moisture regime during the growing season.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: flood plains
Slope: 0 to 3 percent
Parent material: silty mixed alluvial materials
Average annual precipitation is 10 to 14 inches, two-thirds of which falls during the months of April through August.
Average annual temperature: 50 to 54 degrees F.
Average frost free season: 120 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Apishapa, Las, and Rocky Ford soils. Apishapa soils average more than 35 percent clay, Las soils are in the fine-loamy family, and Rocky Ford soils are well drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly to poorly drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability. These soils have fluctuating water tables during most of the year that rise to within 6 inches of the surface during early summer.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used both as native pastureland and as irrigated cropland, although drainage is frequently needed to make them productive. Native vegetation is mainly alkali sacaton and inland saltgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Arkansas Valley area and southern Colorado. LRR: G; MLRA 69; The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pueblo Area, Colorado, 1974.
Remarks:
Particle size control section: 10 to 40 inches
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 4 inches
Depth to redox concentrations: 3 to 10 inches
Depth to redox depletions: 3 to 60 inches
Aquic moisture regime
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.
Taxonomic Version: Second Edition, 1999