LOCATION EGERIA COTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic Vertic Cryaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Egeria clay, on a linear 1 percent slope in irrigated hay at an elevation of 7,580 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on August 1, 1996 the soil was moist from 0 to 8 inches and saturated from 8 to 65 inches.
A1--0 to 8 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak medium granular structure; hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many fine and very fine, common medium roots; few fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary.
A2--8 to 24 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many fine and very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary (The combined thickness of the A horizons is 20 to 30 inches)
Cg1--24 to 42 inches; gray (2.5Y 6/1) clay, dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) moist; massive; hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; 5 percent gravel; few fine faint light gray (2.5Y 7/1) iron depletions; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual smooth boundary.
Cg2--42 to 65 inches; gray (2.5Y 5/1) cobbly clay loam, dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) moist; massive; hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; 5 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles; few fine and medium faint light gray (2.5Y 7/1) iron depletions; neutral (pH 7.0). (The combined thickness of the C horizon is 30 to 50 inches)
TYPE LOCATION: Routt County, Colorado; about 2 miles southeast of Phippsburg, Colorado; located about 2,350 feet north and 250 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 28, T. 3 N., R. 85 W.; Yampa USGS quad; lat. 40 degrees 13 minutes 22 seconds N. and long. 106 degrees 54 minutes 43 seconds W., NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Aquic moisture regime
Mean annual soil temperature: 36 to 40 degrees F
Mean summer soil temperature: 44 to 50 degrees F
Depth to redox depletions: 14 to 30 inches
Depth to endosaturation: 0 to 18 inches from mid April to September; 18 to 36 inches remainder of the year
Thickness of the mollic epipedon (which has an irregular decrease in organic matter): 20 to 36 inches
Linear extensibility: 6 to 9 cm (estimated)
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent
A horizon:
Value: 2 to 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2 dry or moist
Texture: CL, C
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction: neutral through moderately alkaline
Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry or moist
Chroma: 1 or 2 dry or moist
Texture: CL, C, SC modified by 0 to 30 percent gravel or cobbles
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: total range is 0 to 10 percent; 0 to 10 percent gravel; 0 to 10 percent cobbles above 40 inches and total range is 0 to 30 percent; 0 to 20 percent gravel; 0 to 25 percent cobbles below 40 inches
Reaction: neutral through moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Railway and Wetbag series. Railway soils have a perched water table (endosaturation). Wetbag soils have argillic horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium derived from mixed sources
Landform: flood plains
Slopes: 0 to 3 percent
Elevation: 7,400 to 8,400 feet
Mean annual temperature: 36 to 40 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 15 to 20 inches
Precipitation pattern: is relative evenly distributed throughout the year
Frost-free period: 35 to 55 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Samrock and Tanella series. The Samrock soils are well drained and occur on hills. The Tanella soils are moderately well drained and occur on lower flood plains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained, very high runoff, slow permeability, frequently flooded for long periods during the months of mid April through June.
USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are irrigated hay, pasture, and wetland wildlife habitat. The native plant community is rushes, sedges, and willows.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Colorado; LRR E, MLRA 48A; small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES PROPOSED: Routt County, Colorado, Routt County soil survey area, 1999. The name Egeria comes from a park in the survey area.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: from 0 to 24 inches. (A1 and A2 horizons)
Aquic conditions: in the zone from 8 inches and below, based on observed saturation and the low chromas of the matrix and redox depletions.
Vertic subgroup: Based on estimated linear extensibility in the zone from 0 to 42 inches. (A1, A2, and Cg1 horizons)
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (A2 and Cg1 horizons)
Taxonomic Version: Classified according to Ninth Edition, 2003