LOCATION EARSMAN                 CO

Established Series
NST/GB/SJJ
04/2020

EARSMAN SERIES

The Earsman series consists of very shallow or shallow, well drained or somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium weathered from calcareous sandstone and quartzite. Earsman soils are on mountain hillsides and ridges and have slopes of 5 to 65 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 14 inches and mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Aridic Lithic Ustorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Earsman stony sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 5 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) stony sandy loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; weak very fine granular structure; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 5 percent pebbles, 4 percent cobble, 7 percent stone; strongly effervescent, moderately alkaline, gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)

AC--5 to 14 inches; red (10R 5/6) very channery sandy loam, red (10R 4/6) moist; single grain; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 35 percent channers, l0 percent cobbles and l0 percent stones; secondary calcium carbonate coatings on rock fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual broken boundary. (0 to l0 inches thick)

C--14 to 18 inches; red (2.5YR 5/6) very channery sandy loam, red (2.5YR 4/6) moist; single grain; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 30 percent channers, l5 percent cobble, l0 percent stone; secondary calcium carbonate coatings on rock fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)

R--18 inches; hard calcareous sandstone.

TYPE LOCATION: Garfield County, Colorado; 500 feet south and 400 feet east of the northwest corner of Sec. 10, T. 7 S., R. 88 W.; Carbondale USGS quad; lat. 39 degrees 28 minutes 03 seconds N. and long. 107 degrees 12 minutes 55 seconds W., NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to hard sandstone ranges from 4 to 20 inches. The soils are commonly calcareous throughout with some pedons leached to a depth of 15 inches. Sandstone channers in the particle size control section range from 35 to 70 percent. The mean annual soil temperature ranges 44 to 46 degrees F. Mean summer soil temperatures ranges 59 to 65 degrees F. Clay content in the particle-size conrol section ranges from 5 to l8 percent, silt from 20 to 50 percent and sand from 35 to 65 percent, with more than 35 percent fine sand or coarser.

The A horizon has hues of 2.5YR through 10YR, value of 4 through 6, 3 through 5 moist and chroma of 2 through 6. It is mildly through strongly alkaline.

The AC horizon, if present, has hues of 5YR through 10R, value of 4 through 6, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6. It is mildly through strongly alkaline.

The Bk or C horizon, if present, has hues of 5YR through 10R, value of 5 through 7, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6. Fine earth is sandy loam or loam. Soil Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES:
Bloodstone: Fine earth is less than 35 percent fine sand or coarser (assumed).
Gompers: 15 to 30 percent calcium carbonate in profile.
Hangmans: 10YR or 2.5Y colors.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Earsman soils are on mountain sides and ridges. Slopes range from 5 to 65 percent. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium weathered from calcareous sandstone and quartzite. Elevation ranges from 5500 to 8600 feet. The mean annual temperature is 42 to 45 degrees F. Mean summer temperature is 57 to 63 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 11 to 18 inches. The frost free period ranges from 65 to 105 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Evanston, Goslin, and Millerlake soils. Evanston soils lack skeletal particle-size control sections and have argillic horizons. Goslin soils lack bedrock above 20 inches and the Millerlake soils have cryic temperatures and argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained or somewhat excessively drained; rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is Pinyon pine, Utah Juniper, Big sagebrush, Antelope bitterbrush, rabbitbrush, and slender wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Colorado. These soils are of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Garfield County (Aspen Gypsum Soil Survey Area), Colorado, 1982.

REMARKS: Diagnostic features are a lithic contact at 18 inches. After the Earsman series was reclassified, it was found to be very similar to the Bloodstone series. Further investigation is needed to determine if the two series should be combined.

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.

Previous classification: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Lithic Ustic Torriorthents. Updated the soil classification to better reflect the soil moisture regime concept.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.