LOCATION ECKLUND COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Typic Torripsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Ecklund loamy fine sand, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy fine sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to weak thin platy; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly effervescent, strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
C1--3 to 24 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) loamy fine sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly effervescent, strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 20 inches thick)
C2--24 to 36 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) gravelly fine sand, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 30 percent pebbles; violently effervescent, strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
R--36 inches; sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Moffat County, Colorado; approximately 43 miles northwest of Maybell, about 2,500 feet north and 1,300 feet west of the southeast corner of Sec. 23, T. 9 N., R. 102 W. Longitude: 108 degrees, 49 minutes, 28 seconds west; latitude: 40 degrees, 43 minutes, 29 seconds north.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 50 degrees F. Depth to the lithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The soil is calcareous to the surface. The moisture control section is moist in some part through May 15.
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. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
The C1 horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6. Reaction is moderately or strongly alkaline.
The C2 horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is gravelly fine sand, gravelly loamy fine sand, loamy fine sand, or fine sand. Pebbles range from 10 to 30 percent. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Als(T)(OR), Hawsley (NV), Isolde (NV), Kawish (NV), Razito (NV), Sheppard (UT), Stumble (NV), Sundown (NV), Tipper (WY), Tipperary (WY), Tricera (CO), and Yenrab (UT) series. The Als, Hawsley, Isolde, Kawish, Razito, Sheppard, Stumble, Sundown, Tipperary, Tricera, and Yenrab series lack a lithic contact above a depth of 40 inches. The Tipper series has a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ecklund soils are on plateaus. Slopes range from 1 to 12 percent. The soil formed in residuum and eolian deposits derived from sandstone. Elevation ranges from 5,400 to 6,000 feet. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 7 to 10 inches. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 45 to 48 degrees F. The frost-free period is about 90 to 105 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Crustown and the competing Tipper and Tipperary soils. Crustown soils are shallow.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation consists of needleandthread, bottlebrush squirreltail, Indian ricegrass, shadscale, Wyoming big sagebrush, and spiny hopsage.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils occur in northwestern Colorado. The series is of small extent. Total area is about 5,000 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 3 inches, and the lithic contact at 36 inches. Last updated by the state 12/90.