LOCATION DIAFLATS COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Typic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Diaflats loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent, moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
AB--2 to 8 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, sticky and plastic; strongly effervescent, moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bk1--8 to 15 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; massive; soft, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine filaments of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent, moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); diffuse wavy boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
Bk2--15 to 26 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) silt loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; massive; soft, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine filaments of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent, moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
R--26 inches; hard fractured sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Moffat County, Colorado; approximately 22 miles west of Powderwash, about 2,000 feet north and 900 feet west of the southeast corner of Sec. 35, T. 12 N., R. 101 W. Longitude: 108 degrees, 42 minutes, 31 seconds west; latitude: 40 degrees, 57 minutes, 18 seconds north.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 44 to 47 degrees F., and mean summer soil temperature ranges from 53 to 56 degrees F. Depth to the lithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The soil is commonly calcareous to the surface, but may be leached a few inches in some pedons. The particle-size control section usually contains 0 to 20 percent rock fragments, but in some pedons a thin horizon immediately above the bedrock containing up to 35 percent rock fragments may occur. The particle-size control section averages 18 to 27 percent clay.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4.
The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is commonly loam, silt loam, or channery loam, but in some pedons horizons with textures of sandy loam or sandy clay loam occur at variable depths and with variable thicknesses. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Garsid(T)(WY), Monte (CO), and Talamantes (CO) series. Garsid soils have a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Monte and Talamantes soils lack bedrock above a depth of 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Diaflats soils are on plateaus. Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent. The soil formed in residuum derived from sandstone and siltstone. Elevation ranges from 6,600 to 7,200 feet. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 9 to 11 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 42 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is about 75 to 95 days. July is the driest month during the growing season.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beamton, Boltus, and competing Talamantes soils. The Beamton soils are fine and the Boltus soils are shallow to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation consists of thickspike wheatgrass, needleandthread, bottlebrush squirreltail, Indian ricegrass, Wyoming big sagebrush, and shadscale.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils occur in northwestern Colorado. The series is of small extent. Total area is about 2,200 acres.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Moffat County, Moffat County Area, Colorado, 1991.
REMARKS: The diagnostic horizons recognized in this pedon are the ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches, and the lithic contact at 26 inches. Last updated by the state 12/90.
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.