LOCATION CASVARE CO
Established Series
Rev. RR-GB-KLS
03/2023
CASVARE SERIES
The Casvare series consists of shallow or very shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum weathered from granite, gneiss, and metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks. Casvere soils are on mountain slopes. Slopes are 10 to 60 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 360 mm and mean annual air temperature is about 6 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid, shallow Aridic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Casvare very gravelly loam-woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oe--0 to 3 cm; partially decomposed organic material, chiefly needles, bark and twigs.
A1--3 to 11 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 30 percent gravel, 10 percent cobble, and 5 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)
A2--11 to 19 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 45 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick)
AB--19 to 29 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; 80 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)
Bk--29 to 47 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; 40 percent rock structure; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; 80 percent gravel, 5 percent cobble; strongly effervescent, calcium carbonate coatings on rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 36 cm thick)
Cr--47 to 65 cm; soft weathered metasedimentary bedrock with visible secondary calcium carbonate as coatings on rock faces. (0 to 38 cm thick)
R--65 cm; hard, fractured metasedimentary bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Fremont County, Colorado; about 490 meters west and 185 meters north of the southeast corner of Sec. 19, T. 49 N., R. 11 E. U.S.G.S. Howard quad.; Lat. 38 degrees, 29 minutes, 34 seconds N., and Long. 105 degrees, 47 minutes, 40 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--6 to 8 degrees C
Thickness of mollic epipedon--10 to 30 cm
Oe horizons are generally present, but are absent in some pedons.
Depth to uniformly calcareous material--10 to 30 cm
Depth to paralithic contact--15 to 50 cm
Depth to lithic contact--50 to 100 cm
A horizon
Hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value--3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma--2 or 3
Reaction--pH 6.6 or 7.8
Bk horizon
Hue--7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value--5 through 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma--2 to 6
Texture--sandy loam or loam
Sand content--35 percent or more, fine or coarser sand
Clay content--15 to 25 percent
Rock fragment content--35 to 90 percent gravel
Reaction--pH 7.9 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Ratake (CO) series. Ratake soils lack a horizon of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--mountain slopes
Elevation--2200 to 2600 meters
Slope--10 to 60 percent
Parent material--residuum from weathered granite, gneiss, and metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks
Mean annual precipitation--310 to 410 mm
Mean annual air temperature--5 to 7 degrees C
Frost-free period--90 to 115 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate and moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for woodland wildlife habitat, and livestock grazing. Native vegetation is mainly pinyon pine and juniper woodland with a sparse understory of Scribner needlegrass, red threeawn, pricklypear, mountain mahogany, Gambel oak, mountain muhly, and blue grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Casvare soils are of small extent in the mountains and high foothill areas of central Colorado; MLRA 49.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fremont County (Fremont County Area), Colorado, 1988
REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this soil:
Mollic epipedon--3 to 29 cm (A1, A2 and AB horizons)
Horizon of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation--29 to 47 cm (Bk horizon)
Depth to paralithic contact--47 cm to soft, weathered bedrock (Cr horizon)
Depth to lithic contact--65 cm to hard, fractured bedrock (R horizon)
Particle-size control section--25 to 47 cm (part of the AB horizon and all of the Bk horizon)
Casvare soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic soil moisture regime with an aridic subclass.
Converted to metric and O horizons were updated to start at zero. Competing series section was not updated. 01/2023
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.