LOCATION EMLIN CO+MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcidic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Emlin loam, on a south facing, 3 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 7,360 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
A2--2 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
AB--5 to 11 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--11 to 14 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few faint dark grayish brown clay films on faces of peds; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Bt2--14 to 19 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; few faint clay films on faces of peds; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 15 inches thick)
Bk1--19 to 30 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silty clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; violently effervescent, 20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
Bk2--30 to 41 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/3) silty clay loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; 5 percent pebbles, violently effervescent, 35 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
Bk3--41 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silty clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; 5 percent pebbles, violently effervescent, 30 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Moffat County, Colorado; 8 miles north northeast of Dinosaur, Colorado; 25 feet north and 2,200 feet west of the southeast corner of Sec. 22, T. 5 N., R. 102 W. Lazy Y Point, CO USGS quad; lat. 40 degrees, 21 minutes, 47 seconds N and long. 108 degrees, 50 minutes, 28 seconds W., NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is moist in all parts for 30 to 45 consecutive days in April and May, moist in some parts in October through March, dry in all parts more than half the time that the soil at a depth of 20 inches is above 41 degrees F., usually July through mid September; Ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 42 to 46 degrees F
Mean annual summer soil temperature: 59 to 65 degrees F
Depth to argillic horizon: 5 to 14 inches
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 5 to 30 inches
Depth to calcic horizon: 10 to 30 inches
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 7 to 13 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent pebbles
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Pebbles: 0 to 5 percent
Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: L or CL
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent pebbles
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bk1 and Bk2 horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: L, SICL, or CL
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent pebbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Bk3 horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: SCL, SICL, or CL
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent pebbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 20 to 40 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Assinniboine,
Beavwan,
Berlake,
Bostwick,
Cheeseman,
Crittenden,
Duffson,
Eapa,
Evanot,
Evanston,
Jarre,
Joplin,
Kenilworth,
Kevin,
Marmarth,
Morval,
Notter,
Nuley,
Perrypark,
Peyton,
Reicess,
Sugakool,
Telstad,
Turret,
Udecide,
Varney, and the
Villa Grove series.
Assinniboine: lack a calcic horizon and have 45 to 60 percent sand in the Bt horizon.
Beavwan and Notter: have greater than 35 percent rock fragments in some or all horizons below the Bt.
Berlake, Botswick, Jarre, Perrypark, Peyton, and Turret: noncalcareous to a depth of 40 inches or more.
Cheeseman, Duffson, and Marmarth: lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
Crittenden, Evanot, Evanston, Joplin, Kevin, Reicess, and Telstad: lack a calcic horizon.
Eapa: has a moisture control section that is moist in some or all parts from April through June.
Kenilworth: lithologic discontinuity at a depth of 10 to 26 inches.
Morval: has a moisture control section that is dry in all parts April through June, and intermittently moist July through September 15th.
Nuley: sandy-skeletal below 24 inches.
Sugakool: hue of 5YR or redder.
Udecide: paralithic contact between 20 and 40 inches.
Varney: moist in some or all parts of the moisture control section July through September 15th.
Villa Grove: less than 13 inches of annual precipitation and has greater than 5 percent exchangable sodium in the Bt horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loess and alluvium derived from limestone and sandstone
Landform: piedmont slopes, mountains, structural benches, plateaus, and alluvial fans
Slopes: 0 to 12 percent
Elevation: 6,600 to 8,200 feet
Mean annual temperature: 42 to 45 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 12 to 16 inches
Precipitation pattern: precipitation is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year except for a 25 percent decline in July and August
Frost-free period: 75 to110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brownsto, Layoint, Maybell, Moosed, Rencot, and Zillion series. The Brownsto and Rencot soils are loamy-skeletal. The Layoint, Maybell, and Moosed soils are sandy. The Zillion soils have a mollic epipedon greater than 16 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, low to medium runoff, moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is big sagebrush, western wheatgrass, Junegrass, needleandthread, and bluegrasses.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Colorado and northeastern Utah; LRR E, MLRA 47 in Utah and LRR D, MLRA 34 in Colorado. This series is of small extent.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Moffat county, Colorado, Moffat County soil survey area, 1991.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 11 to 19 inches. (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 11 inches. (A1, A2, and AB horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 11 to 19 inches. (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 19 to 60 inches. (Bk1, Bk2, and Bk3 horizons)
Remarks: This soil was proposed in Teton County, Montana. The type location was moved to Moffat County, Colorado, in 1985.
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.
The classification was changed from Aridic Argiborolls to frigid Calcidic Argiustolls 12/98.
Taxonomic Version: Eighth Edition, 1998.