LOCATION FRUITA                  CO+WY

Established Series
Rev. RHM/CRP/JCK
04/2017

FRUITA SERIES

The Fruita series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in alluvium derived from sandstone and shale. These soils are on stream and strath terraces. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 203 mm, and mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Typic Argigypsids

TYPICAL PEDON: Fruita clay loam in small grains. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Ap--0 to 5 cm; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; few fine irregular calcium carbonate masses in the matrix; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 20 cm thick)

Btk1--5 to 15 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak medium granular; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; common fine and medium irregular calcium carbonate masses in the matrix; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary.

Btk2--15 to 41 cm; pink (7.5YR 7/4) clay loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; common fine irregular calcium carbonate masses in the matrix; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary.

Btk3--41 to 56 cm; pink (7.5YR 7/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; common fine and medium irregular calcium carbonate masses in the matrix; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of Btk horizons is 28 to 91 cm)

Bk--56 to 81 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; common fine and medium irregular calcium carbonate masses in the matrix; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 33 cm thick)

Bky--81 to 165 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) gypsiferous sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine irregular calcium carbonate masses and many fine and medium gypsum masses and crystals in the matrix; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Mesa County, Colorado; about 640 meters north and 335 meters east of the southwest corner of sec. 15, T. 9 S., R. 103 W.; USGS Badger Wash, Colorado quadrangle, NAD 27; UTM 83100 meters E, 49100 meters N, zone 12.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 11 to 14 degrees C
Particle-size control section:
Clay content - 25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 10 percent gravel or sandstone channers

Ap or A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4, 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel or channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 4
Reaction: 7.8 to 8.4

Btk horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5, 6 or 7 dry; 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 4 or 5 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Texture: clay loam or loam
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel or channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Gypsum content: 0 to 5 percent
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 2 to 8
Reaction: 7.8 to 8.4

Some pedons have Btky horizons.

Bk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5, 6 or 7 dry; 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 4 or 5 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Texture: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 22 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel or channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Gypsum content: 0 to 5 percent
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 2 to 8
Reaction: 7.8 to 8.4

Bky horizon
Hue: 7.5YR to 10YR
Value: 5, 6 or 7 dry; 4, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 3, 4 or 5
Texture: sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 15 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel or channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Gypsum content: 15 to 40 percent
Electrical conductivity: 4 to 16 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 2 to 8
Reaction: 7.8 to 8.4

COMPETING SERIES:
Chimrock (CO) - have less than 15 percent gypsum (by weight) in the gypsic horizon
Fruitvale (CO) - have a lithologic discontinuity; have less than 15 percent gypsum (by weight) in the gypsic horizon
Yogovuci (CO) - have a lithologic discontinuity

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material - alluvium derived from sandstone and shale
Landform - stream and strath terraces
Slopes - 0 to 8 percent
Elevation - 1,220 to 1,768 meters
Mean annual temperature - 10 to 12.8 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation - 152 to 229 mm
Precipitation pattern - significant increases in spring, late summer and early fall
Frost-free period - 140 to 180 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The Gypimack and Gyprockmesa soils occur on similar landforms. Gypimack soils have a calcic horizon. Gyprockmesa soils have a gypsic horizon below 100 cm and have cobbles and stones in the lower part of the subsoil.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate and moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mostly for irrigated cropland and urban development. Native vegetation consists of shadscale saltbush, Gardner's saltbush, galleta, and Indian ricegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Fruita soils are of moderate extent in western Colorado and west-central Wyoming. MLRA 32 and 34B.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mesa County (Grand Junction Area), Colorado, 1905.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 5 cm (Ap horizon)
Argillic horizon - from 5 to 56 cm (Btk1, Btk2, and Btk3 horizons)
Secondary calcium carbonate accumulation - from 5 to 165 cm (Btk1, Btk2, Btk3, Bk and Bky horizons)
Gypsic horizon - from 81 to 165 cm (Bky horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 5 to 55 cm (Btk1, Btk2 and part of the Btk3 horizon)

Fruita soils have a mesic temperature regime and an aridic moisture regime.

Note: Fruita soils in Wyoming are still classified as Fine-loamy, mixed superactive, mesic Typic Haplargids, which is the pre-April-2004 taxonomic classification. These soils need to be investigated to determine correct series assignment.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.