LOCATION CAVINESS COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic Umbric Palecryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Caviness loam, on a south facing, simple, 11 percent slope in aspen woodland at an elevation of 9,740 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) Described on September 17, 1986.
Oi--0 to 3 inches; organic mat of leaves and roots. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A1--3 to 11 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 2 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 16 inches thick)
A2--11 to 21 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) stony loam; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 5 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear irregular boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
E--21 to 32 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) stony sandy clay loam; brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 5 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Bt--32 to 51 inches; light red (2.5YR 6/6) clay; red (2.5YR 5/6) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many prominent clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 2 percent pebbles, 2 percent cobbles, 1 percent stones; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 30 inches thick)
BC--51 to 58 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; 2 percent pebbles, 2 percent cobbles, 1 percent stones; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
R--58 inches; hard sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: La Plata County, Colorado; about 7 miles northeast of Mancos, Colorado, on Caviness Mountain, along Forest Service road leading to radio towers; about 300 feet east and 400 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 23, T. 36 N., R. 12 W.; Thompson Park USGS quad; lat. 37 degrees 21 minutes 27 seconds N. and long. 108 degrees 08 minutes 44 seconds W., NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: (Depths given are measured from the mineral soil surface)
Soil moisture regime: udic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 36 to 41 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 42 to 46 degrees F. with an O horizon.
Depth to lithic contact: 40 to 60 inches
Thickness of the umbric epipedon: 16 to 26 inches
Surface rock fragment content: 0 to 3 percent stones and boulders
Particle-size control section:
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragment content: 5 to 35 percent sandstone rock fragments.
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry and moist
Rock fragment content: 0 to 10 percent
Base saturation: 50 to 70 percent (estimated)
Reaction: strongly acid or moderately acid
E horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry and moist
Texture, fine earth fraction: L or SCL
Rock fragments: 15 to 65 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid
Bt horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 8, dry and moist
Texture, fine earth fraction: C, SC, or CL
Rock fragments: 3 to 15 percent pebbles, 3 to 20 percent cobbles and stones
Base saturation: 50 to 70 percent (estimated)
Reaction: very strongly acid or strongly acid
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no competitors. The Routt series, in a closely related family, has a mollic epipedon and does not have a lithic contact within 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium and residuum derived from Dakota sandstone.
Landform: mountain slopes.
Slopes: 5 to 45 percent
Elevation: 8,800 to 10,600 feet
Mean annual air temperature: 34 to 40 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 25 to 35 inches.
Wettest months: July and August receive slightly more precipitation than other months.
Driest months: May and June receive the least precipitation, however the soils are still moist from snowmelt.
Frost-free period: 60 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nordicol and Goldbug series. Both are on mountain slopes.
Nordicol soils are loamy-skeletal and have a mollic epipedon.
Goldbug soils have warmer temperatures and lack an ochric epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low to medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally for timber production, livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation consists of quaking aspen, snowberry, aspen peavine, meadow rue, Oregon grape, mountain brome, and bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Colorado. LRR E, MLRA 48A. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: La Plata County, Colorado, Animas-Dolores Soil Survey Area. 2002. Series proposed in 1986. The name is taken from the mountain where the soil was described.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Umbric epipedon: The zone from 3 to 21 inches. (A1 and A2 horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 32 to 51 inches. (Bt horizon)
Lithic contact: Sandstone bedrock at 58 inches.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 32 to 51 inches. (Bt horizon)
The base saturation by sum of cations is presumed to be greater than 35 percent in the argillic horizon and hence this soil is not an Ultisol. This needs further study.
Keys to Soil Taxonomy: Classified according to the Eighth Edition, 1998