LOCATION BREECE             CO+MT WY
Established Series
Rev. SSP/JWB/AP
11/2007

BREECE SERIES


The Breece series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in thick noncalcareous alluvium and slope alluvium derived mainly from granite. Breece soils are on concave alluvial fans, toe slopes, and small upland drainageways and have slopes of 0 to 40 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 18 inches and mean annual temperature is about 40 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Haplustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Breece coarse sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 18 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable; 10 percent gravel; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)

A2--18 to 36 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2); moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; 25 percent gravel; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)

C--36 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loamy coarse sand; brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable; 25 percent gravel; neutral.

TYPE LOCATION: Larimer County, Colorado; about .1 mile east of top of hill and .3 mile northwest of Forest Service sign; at the edge of old borrow pit; SW1/4 of section 10, T. 10 N., R. 71 W.; Livermore Mountain Quadrangle; 40 degrees, 50 minutes, 48 seconds north latitude; 105 degrees, 20 minutes, 23 seconds west longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Ustic, dry in parts of the moisture control section for 55 to 65 cumulative days
Mean annual soil temperature: 32 to 46 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 58 to 68 degrees F.
Depth to calcium carbonate: 40 inches or greater
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 16 to 50 inches
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline
Base saturatation: 80 to 100 percent
Particle-size control section (weighted average): typically coarse sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Sand content: greater than50 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent and are mostly fine and very fine angular granite fragments

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR through 5Y
Value: 3 through 5, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3
Texture: sandy loam or coarse sandy loam
Some pedons have B horizons with colors and texture like the A horizon

C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR through of 5Y
Texture: loamy coarse sand, coarse sandy loam, or sandy loam
Clay content: 5-18 percent

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Breeton, Chrishall, Coberly, Dotsero, Hedoes, Klizhin, Parshall, Ruso, and Tuntsa series.

Breeton, Chrishall: have cambic horizons
Coberly: have a paralithic contact between 20 and 40 inches
Dotsero, Parshall, Ruso: have accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate
Hedoes: has Bw and Bk horizons
Jarmillo: has cambic horizons and derived from rhyolite and tuff
Klizhin: buried argillic below 40 inches depth
Tuntsa: have basalt rock fragments

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: thick noncalcareous alluvium and slope alluvium derived principally from granite
Landform: concave alluvial fans, toe slopes, and small upland drainageways
Slopes: 0 to 40 percent
Elevation: 6,800 to 8,800 feet
Mean annual temperature: 40 degrees F.
Mean summer temperature: 60 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: about 18 inches
Precipitation pattern: peak periods of precipitation in the spring and summer
Frost-free period: 75 to 110 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kassler and Pring soils. Kassler soils are sandy-skeletal. Pring soils have a mollic epipedon less than 16 inches thick.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or low runoff; moderately rapid or rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally as native pastureland, native hay meadows, and in places for cultivated crops. Native vegetation is mainly bluegrass, fescue, shrubs, and bluestem.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of Colorado and Wyoming. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bitterroot Valley Area, Montana, 1952.

REMARKS:
Breece and Breeton need further research as to competing properties.
Classification was changed from Pachic Haploborolls to frigid Pachic Haplustolls 2/1999.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: the zone from 10 to 40 inches. (Part of the A1, A2, and part of the C horizon)
Mollic epipedon: the zone from 0 to 36 inches. (A1 and A2 horizons)

Last updated by the state 4/01.

Taxonomic version: Eighth Edition, 1998.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.