LOCATION BUENA VISTA COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Pachic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Buena Vista extremely stony sandy loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely stony sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 40 percent stones; noncalcareous; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
A3--5 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very stony sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure that parts to medium granular; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic, 50 percent stones; noncalcareous; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
B2t--9 to 18 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very stony sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure that parts to medium granular; slightly hard, very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic, 50 percent stones; noncalcareous; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
B3ca--18 to 22 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very stony sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few thin glossy patches on the faces of some peds and discontinuous glossy om the inside of some root channels and pores; 50 percent stones; visible secondary calcium carbonate occurring as concretions and in thin seams and streaks and as coatings on the rock fragments; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Cca--22 to 35 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) extremely stony sandy loam, grayish brown 2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 60 percent stones; visible secondary calcium carbonate occurring as concretions in thin seams and streaks and as coatings on the rock fragments; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 35 inches thick)
R--35 to 60 inches; hard trachyte.
TYPE LOCATION: Chaffee County, Colorado; NW 1/4 of Sec. 26, R. 14 S., R. 77 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to uniformly calcareous material normally range from 12 to 40 inches. Depth to the lithic contact ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to continuous subhorizons of visible secondary calcium carbonate and/or calcium sulfate ranges from 10 to 40 inches. A majority of subhorizons above the bedrock has hue or 7.5YR or yellower although subhorizons redder than 7.5YR occur in some pedons. Rock fragments average 35 to 75 percent by volume in the 10- to 40-inch section and these are mainly 10 to 24 inches in diameter. These soils are dry in some part of the moisture control section for some time in most years; mean annual soil temperature ranges from 30 to 44 degrees F and mean summer soil temperature ranges from 55 to 59 degrees F.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3. It ranges from slightly acid to mildly alkaline. (l:5 dilution unbuffered organic dye).
The B2t horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 6. It is typically stony or very stony sandy loam but clay ranges from 5 to 18 percent, silt from 5 to 40 percent, and sand from 50 to 82 percent with more than 35 percent being fine or coarser sand. This horizon ranges from slightly acid to moderately alkaline (l:5 dilution unbuffered organic dye).
The C horizon, if present, has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR. It is typically stony or very stony sandy loam but clay ranges from 5 to 18 percent, silt from 5 to 40 percent, and sand from 50 to 82 percent with more than 35 percent being fine or coarser sand. This horizon is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline (l:5 dilution unbuffered organic dye). Calcium carbonate of the fine earth ranges from 3 to
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blaine, Bowen, Elwood, Ess, Geertsen, Hoodle, Libeg, Nathrop, Norriston, Parkview, Quander, Tahquates, Thiel, Winada, and Woodhall series. Blaine soils have solums of less than 15 inches to the base of the argillic horizon, contain course fragments that are predominantly less than 10 inches in diameter and have more than 18 percent clay and less than 35 percent fine or coarser sand in the solum and C horizon. Bowen, Elwood, and Woodhall soils are noncalcareous throughout or have thin discontinuous calcareous subhorizons just above the bedrock. Ess, Hoodle, Libeg, Norriston, Tahquats, and Thiel soils lack a lithic contact within a depth of 40 inches. Geertsen and Quander soils are 40 to more than 50 inches deep over bedrock and lack continuous subhorizons of secondary calcium carbonate above a depth of 40 inches. Nathrop soils have more than 18 percent clay and less than 35 percent fine or coarser sand in the B2t horizon. Parkview soils have a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches, are noncalcareous and lack a consistent horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation. Winada soils lack a Cca horizon and a lithic contact above a depth of 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Buena Vista soils are on hills, ridges, and mountainsides. Slopes range from about 2 to 40 percent or more. The soils formed in moderately thin stony moderately coarse textured calcareous materials weathered from tuff, trachyte, andesite, and similar rocks. At the type location the mean annual precipitation is about 20 inches with peak periods of precipitation in the spring and early summer. Mean annual temperature ranges from 35 to 39 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Garo and Wellsville soils. Garo soils have an ochric epipedon and have a paralithic contact at a depth of 10 to 20 inches. Wellsville soils have no bedrock above a depth of 40 inches and have fewer than 35 percent rock fragments.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; rapid to very rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used as grazing land and for recreation. Native vegetation is blue grama, native junegrass, sage, and muhly.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Trout Creek Area, Chaffee County, Colorado, 1959.
REMARKS: Last updated by the state 12/78.