LOCATION ELYRIA CO
Established Series
PRR-EED
03/2026
ELYRIA SERIES
Depth class: Deep and very deep
Drainage class: Well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: Moderately high
Parent material: Thick to very thick fine-loamy human-transported materials over Pleistocene-aged eolian deposits derived from glaciofluvial sources
Geomorphic location: Fills on eolian-mantled plains and strath terraces
Slope range: 0 to 8 percent
Mean annual temperature: 11.0 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation: 406 millimeters
Taxonomic Class:
Fine-loamy, spolic, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Anthroportic Ustorthents
Typical Pedon:
Elyria loam in a Denver, Colorado golf course. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
^A--0 to 6 centimeters; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine roots throughout; noneffervescent; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary (5 to 20 centimeters thick)
^C1--6 to 19 centimeters; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; finely disseminated free carbonates throughout the matrix; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary
^C2--19 to 39 centimeters; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine roots; finely disseminated free carbonates throughout the matrix; few patchy distinct carbonate coats on ped faces (assumed to be inherited from fill), violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary
^C3--39 to 57 centimeters; brown (7.5YR 4/2), sandy clay loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine roots throughout; finely disseminated free carbonates throughout the matrix; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary
^C4--57 to 97 centimeters; brown (7.5YR 4/3), sandy clay loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine roots throughout; finely disseminated free carbonates throughout the matrix; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary
^C5--97 to 127 centimeters; variegated brown (10YR 4/3) and brown (10YR 5/3), clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; very hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; finely disseminated free carbonates throughout the matrix; very few patchy distinct carbonate coats on ped faces (assumed to be inherited from fill), slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary (combined thickness of ^C horizons is greater than 50 centimeters)
2Bk--127 to 148 centimeters; very pale brown (10YR 7/3), clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; finely disseminated free carbonates throughout the matrix; few patchy distinct carbonate coats on ped faces; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary (0 to 30 centimeters thick)
2C--148 to 200 centimeters; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4), loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grain; loose, non-sticky, non-plastic; finely disseminated free carbonates throughout the matrix; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8)
Type Location:
Denver County, CO
USGS Quadrangle: Fitzsimons, CO
Latitude: 39.7117500
Longitude: -104.8722306
Datum: WGS84
Coordinates sources: Hand-held GPS
Range in Characteristics:
Depth to free carbonates--0 to 15 centimeters
Thickness of human-transported material--50 to 200 centimeters
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content--28 to 35 percent
Sand content--25 to 50 percent
Human artifacts--0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments--2 to 20 percent
Combined artifacts and rock fragments--2 to 25 percent
^A(u) horizons:
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value-2 to 5 dry; 2 to 4 moist
Chroma--3 or 4; moist or dry
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--Clay loam, loam, sandy clay loam
Clay content--25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments--0 to 12 percent gravel
Human artifacts--0 to 5 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--0 to 3 percent
Reaction--pH 7.0 to 7.8
Thickness--5 to 25 centimeters
^C horizon(s):
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--4 to 6 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Chroma--4 or 5 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--Clay loam, sandy clay loam
Clay content--20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments--0 to 15 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent--3 to 15 percent
Reaction--pH 7.4 to 8.4
^Cu horizon(s) (where present):
Hue--2.5YR to 10YR
Value--4 to 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma--2 to 4 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)-- Clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay
Clay content--25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments--5 to 20 percent gravel
Human artifacts--1 to 10 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--1 to 5 percent
Reaction--pH 7.2 to 7.8
2Bkb horizon (when present):
Hue--10YR
Value-5 to 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma--4 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--Silty clay loam, sandy loam, coarse sand
Clay content--30 to 45 percent
Rock fragments--0 to 5 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent--3 to 14 percent
Reaction--pH 8.0 to 8.4
2C horizon (when present):
Hue--2.5Y or 10YR
Value--4 to 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma--4 or 5 dry or moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--Fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy sand
Clay content--5 to 25 percent
Rock fragments--0 to 30 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent--0 to 14 percent
Reaction--pH 7.9 to 8.4
Competing Series:
None
Geographic Settings:
Parent material--Thick to very thick fine-loamy human-transported materials over Pleistocene-aged eolian deposits derived from glaciofluvial sources
Landform--Fills on eolian-mantled plains and strath terraces
Slope ranges--0 to 20 percent
Mean annual air temperature--10.0 to 12.0 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation range--356 to 432 millimeters
Frost-free period--135 to 165 days
Elevation--1,565 to 1,725 meters
Climate--continental, temperate, semi-arid; very cold and snowy winters; cool, moist springs, hot summers, with North American monsoon precipitation from July through August.
Geographically Associated Soils:
These are the Altitude, Ascalon, Racas, Rosegulch, and Weld soils.
Altitude soils have a loamy-skeletal particle-size control sectino and occur on nearby fills and other graded areas on stream terraces
Ascalon and Weld soils are found in similar landscape positions, have argillic horizons and mollic epipedons, and formed in native materials.
Racas soils are found in similar landscape positions but formed in thick clayey human-transported material over loess or alluvium derived from loess
Rosegulch soils are found in similar landscape positions but formed in thick clayey human-transported material over loess and have cambic horizons
Drainage and Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity:
Drainage class: Well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: Moderately high (1.5 to 5 m/sec)
Flooding: none to occasional and brief
Ponding: none
Use and Vegetation:
Most areas are used for residential suburban development. Vegetation may include a mix of managed and unmanaged plant communities with a mix of native and non-native species. Many areas are vegetated with non-native ornamental landscaping and/or turfgrass associated with developed land uses. Some areas may exhibit weedy, invasive, and/or primary succession vegetation communities (e.g., abandoned lots and other unmanaged areas). The potential native vegetation is little bluestem, sideoats grama, winterfat, and skunkbush sumac.
Distribution and Extent:
Plains mantled with eolian deposits on the east bank of the South Platte River in the vicinity of Denver, Colorado. MLRA 67B - Central High Plains, Southern Part. These soils are of moderate extent.
Soil Survey Region (SSRO) Responsible: Raleigh, North Carolina (Special Projects Office)
Series Established: Denver County, Colorado, 2025.
Remarks:
Typical Pedon Taxonomic Features:
Ochric epipedon--0 to 6 centimeters (^A horizon)
Free carbonates--6 to 200 centimeters (^C horizons,2Bk,2C)
Secondary carbonates: 127 to 148 (2Bk horizon)
Human-transported materials--0 to 127 centimeters (^A,^C horizons)
Lithologic discontinuity--127 centimeters
Particle-size control section--25 to 100 centimeters
Taxonomic version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 13th edition, (2022)
Other: Elyria series is the name of a neighborhood in Denver, CO.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.