LOCATION DEERTRAIL COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Ustic Natrargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Deertrail loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak moderate subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
E--3 to 5 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable; vesicular; uncoated sand grains; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
Bt--5 to 10 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; strong medium columnar structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; extremely hard, firm, very plastic; thick continuous clay films on peds; slightly alkaline; (pH 7.4); ESP 4 percent; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Btn-10 to 18 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) heavy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular and subangular blocky; extremely hard, firm, very plastic; thin continuous clay films on peds; calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); ESP 18 percent; gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 13 inches thick)
BCk2--18 to 23 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; thin patchy clay films; a moderate k and z horizon with secondary accumulation of soluble salts as concretions and crystals; calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); ESP 16 percent; gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 13 inches thick)
Ck--23 to 34 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, friable; a moderate k and z horizon with secondary soluble salt accumulation mostly as concretions and crystals; calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); ESP 15 percent; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
Ckz--34 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable; a weak k and z horizon with secondary soluble salt accumulation mostly as concretions and crystals; calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); ESP 8 percent.
TYPE LOCATION: Arapahoe County, Colorado; approximately 800 feet north and 1,000 feet west of the SE corner of Sec. 16, T. 4 S., R. 59 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to calcic horizon: 9 to 26 inches
Depth to solum: 15 to 40 inches
Depth to argillic horizon: 2 to 7 inches
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent
Size: gravel
A horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 3
Texture: loam
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
E horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 3
Texture: loam
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
B horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silty clay, heavy silty clay loam, or heavy clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Silt content: 20 to 60 percent
Sand content: 5 to 45 percent
Reaction: neutral to strongly alkaline
Cation exchange capacity (meq/100gm): 60 to 90
C horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 0 to 35 percent
Reaction: strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES:
A current competitor is the
Winnett series.
Winnett soils have 35 to 50 percent clay in the particle size control section
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material: eolian or alluvial material
Landform: nearly level or slightly depressed intermediate areas between uplands and run-on areas and sloping eolian mantled upland table lands
Slope: 0 to 6 percent
Mean annual temperature: 50 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 13 to 15 inches
Precipitation pattern: 9 inches falling during the months of April through September
Frost free Period: 130 to 160 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
These are the
Adena,
Arvada,
Baca,
Campo,
Colby, and
Weld soils.
All except Arvada soils lack natric horizons.
Arvada soils have an ESP of greater than 15 percent in the upper Bt.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage: well drained
Runoff: low
Permeability: slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used generally for grazing; they are occasionally tilled to dryland crops with poor success. Crop and native grass growth is usually spotted. The dominant vegetation is western wheatgrass, buffalo grass, blue grama, and red threeawn.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Colorado. This series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Arapahoe County, Colorado, 1976.
REMARKS: Last updated by the state 12/76.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this profile are:
Argillic horizon: 5 to 18 inches (Bt horizon)
Calcic horizon: 18 to 60 inches (BCk and Ck horizons)
Updated the classification, competing series, and placed in semitab format. LRM 03/01