LOCATION COLOROW CO+UT

Established Series
Rev. GB/CSW/JWB
04/2011

COLOROW SERIES

The Colorow series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in mixed alluvium derived from sedimentary rocks. Colorow soils are on flood plains, fans, and low stream terraces, and have slopes of 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 10 inches and mean annual temperature is about 48 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Ustic Torrifluvents

TYPICAL PEDON: Colorow sandy loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 5 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate and strong very thin, thin and medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)

C1--5 to 32 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) stratified loam and fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak thick and very thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (20 to 30 inches thick)

C2--32 to 43 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) stratified fine sandy loam and loamy fine sand; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist, common distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) redox features; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)

C3--43 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) stratified sandy loam and sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; common distinct very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redox features; massive; soft, very friable or loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Rio Blanco County, Colorado; approximately 2 miles west of Rangely, Colorado along the White River; 1,600 feet west and 900 feet north of the SE corner of Sec. 4, T. 1 N., R. 102 W. U.S.G.S. Rangely quad.; Lat. 40 degrees, 04 minutes, 49 seconds N., and Long. 108 degrees, 50 minutes, 37 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: aridic moisture regime bordering on ustic; moist in the lower part of the particle-size control section due to a capillary fringe from a fluctuating water table for 90 cumulative days when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 52 degrees F.
Depth to redoximorphic features: 32 to 40 inches
Depth to endosaturation: 48 to 96 inches, with seasonal high during the spring runoff period

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Silt content: 5 to 40 percent
Sand content: 40 to 85 percent with more than 35 percent being fine sand or coarser
Texture: predominantly stratified fine sandy loam, but includes strata of loam to loamy fine sand
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, mainly gravel

A horizon:
Hue: 5Y to 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Consistence: soft or slightly hard
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

C horizon:
Hue: 5Y to 10YR
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Some pedons have a Cg horizon below a depth of 60 inches with the following properties:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 dry; 4 moist
Chroma: 2 dry or moist
Texture: loam
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent
Carbonate clay content: 1 to 3 percent
Fragment size and content: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 12 percent
Gypsum content: 0 to 2 percent
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 4 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 2
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cameo (CO), Castledale (UT), Charalito (NM), Clarkelen (WY), Glenberg (CO), Innacutt (NM), Kornman (CO), Radnik (AZ), Redbank (WY) and Tapicito (NM) series. Cameo, Clarkelen, Radnik and Tapicito soils are well drained, do not have a fluctuating water table, and do not have redoximorphic features. Castledale soils are well drained and have greater than 15 percent rock fragments in the control section. Charalito soils are well drained, have fragments of monzonite, gneiss and schist, and have 15 to 25 percent fine sand or coarser in the particle-size control section. Innacutt soils are somewhat excessively drained, do not have a fluctuating water table, and do not have redoximorphic features. Glenberg soils are well drained and do nothave redoximorphic features. Kornman soils have an over-thickened (10 to 20 inches thick) nitrogen and phosphate enriched man-made surface horizon resulting from applications of silty irrigation water over long periods of time. Redbank soils have hue of 7.5YR or redder.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Colorow soils are on flood plains, fans, and low stream terraces at elevations of 4,800 to 6,500 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. These soils formed in thick stratified alluvial sediments derived from sedimentary rocks. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 8 to 12 inches. Average annual temperature ranges from 45 to 50 degrees F., and average summer temperature ranges from 65 to 72 degrees F. The frost-free season is about 105 to 150 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Billings, Turley, and Uffens soils. Billings soils have a fine-silty particle-size control section. Turley soils have 18 to 35 percent clay in the control section. Uffens soils have a natric horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; low runoff; moderately rapid or moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly as range and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is western wheatgrass, saltgrass, sedges, fourwing saltbush, tall rabbitbrush, scattered willows, and cottonwoods with some widely occurring greasewood. In central Utah, basin big sagebrush is predominant; in irrigated areas, alfalfa hay is grown.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Colorado and possibly adjacent parts of Utah and Wyoming; central Utah. This series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rio Blanco County, Colorado, 1979.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to 5 inches (A horizon)
Stratification throughout the texture control section
Coarse-loamy texture control section
Ustic aridic moisture regime
Mesic temperature regime. Last updated by the state 4/95.

The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Lakewood MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.

Taxonomic Version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.