LOCATION ELBETH CO+MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Elbeth sandy loam, forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
E--4 to 8 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) loamy sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (1 to 12 inches thick)
Bw--8 to 13 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--13 to 24 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse angular blocks; extremely hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many prominent very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2 moist) clay films on faces of peds; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 20 inches thick)
Bt2--24 to 56 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and slightly plastic; many distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2 moist) and grayish brown (10YR 5/2 moist) clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid; diffuse boundary. (10 to 40 inches thick)
BCt--56 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky; few distinct clay films on faces of some peds; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Elbert County, Colorado; 2440 feet south of the NE corner of Sec. 32, T. 7 S., R. 64 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
The sand fraction, in the particle-size control section, has a high content of coarse sand.
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3 dry or moist.
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral.
E horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3 dry or moist.
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral.
Bw horizon:
Value: 6 or 7 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 2 to 4 moist.
Texture: loamy sand or sandy loam.
Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 5 dry or moist.
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral.
BCt horizon:
Hue: 7.5 YR to 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6 dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam or sandy loam
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral
C horizons are present in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: The only current competitor is the Zunalei series. Zunalei soils do not have an albic horizon and are driest during May and June.
Previous competitors prior to the Seventh Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy 1996 were the: Alderon, Allens Park, Bayerton, Bondoe, Bonfri, Elmark, Fairport, Ferball, Foreleft, Gateson, Haugan, Lakoa, Lengby, Lumpgulch, Nebish, Onaway, Plome, Regnaps, Rule and Snellman series.
Allens Park, Bayerton, Fairport, and Lumpgulch soils have lithic contacts at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Alderon, Bonfri, Elmark, Gateson, Regnaps, and Rule soils have paralithic contacts at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Bondoe, Ferball, Foreleft, Haugan, Lakoa, Lengby, Nebish, and Snellman soils have accumulations of secondary calcium carbonate. Nebish soils also formed in calcareous loamy till.
Plome soils have hue of 5YR or redder in the argillic horizon.
Onaway soils have illuvial horizons of sesquioxides.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Elbeth soils are on hills, mountains and ridges. Slopes range from 0 to 35 percent. These soils formed in slope alluvium from arkose deposits, granite, and schist. In Montana the soils formed in materials weathered from sedimentary rocks. The mean annual temperature is 44 degrees F. and the mean summer temperature is 64 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 15 to 20 inches with about one half falling from April through August. The driest months are December through February. The frost-free season is about 75 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Crowfoot, Kettle, Moen, Pring and Tomah soils. Crowfoot, Moen, Pring and Tomah soils have mollic epipedons. Kettle and Tomah soils have argillic horizons in which clay has accumulated as lamellae.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid to slow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Use is for forestry, pastureland and recreation. Native vegetation is mainly ponderosa pine with an understory of shrubs and grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Black Forest area of east-central Colorado and along the front range of the Rocky Mountains. The series is of moderate extent. LRR E, MLRA 49 and 48A in Colorado. In Montana it has been used in MLRA 43.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Larimer County, Colorado, 1975
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 8 inches. (A and E horizons)
Albic horizon: The zone from 4 to 8 inches. (E horizon)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 8 to 13 inches. (Bw horizon)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 13 to 60 inches. (Bt1, Bt2, and BCt horizons)
The particle-size control section extends from 13 to 33 inches. (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Taxonomic version of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy: Seventh Edition, 1996.
The original concept for this soil is in the Typic Ustic-Frigid zone in MLRA 49 near Colorado Springs, Colorado on hills and ridges that are in the transitional front range between the Rocky Mountains and the plains to the east. The original parent material source is arkosic deposits, granite and schist. The depth class has been redefined to very deep. The Elbeth pedon in Larimer County, Colorado is deep to a paralithic contact, which puts it outside the current concept for Elbeth.