LOCATION GAMBLER CO+MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Ustic Glossocryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Gambler stony loam, forested (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oe--1/2 to 0 inch; decomposing needles, leaves, and twigs.
E--0 to 8 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) stony loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, and slightly plastic; 2 percent pebbles and 3 percent cobbles, 3 percent stones; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary (4 to 10 inches thick)
E/B--8 to 18 inches; about 60 percent pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) stony clay loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist (E part); 40 percent light brown (7.5YR 6/4) stony clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist (B part); weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, and slightly plastic; 2 percent pebbles and 3 percent cobbles, 15 percent stones; neutral; clear wavy boundary (8 to 12 inches thick)
Bt--18 to 38 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very stony clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular and angular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky, and plastic; 5 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles, 40 percent stones; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; neutral; clear wavy boundary (16 to 22 inches thick)
BC--38 to 48 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very stony clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, and slightly plastic; 5 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles, 35 percent stones; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary (8 to 12 inches thick)
C--48 to 55 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) very stony clay loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, and slightly plastic; 5 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles, 35 percent stones; slightly alkaline (6 to 9 inches thick)
R--55 inches; hard basalt rock.
TYPE LOCATION: Rio Blanco County, Colorado; 660 feet east and 1980 feet north of the southwest corner of Sec. 31, T. 2 N., R. 89 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 36 to 40 degrees F., and mean summer soil temperature ranges from 44 to 47 degrees F. Depth to hard lithic bedrock and solum thickness to the base of the Bt horizon ranges 40 to 60 inches. Rock fragments range from 35 to 70 percent and are dominantly stones.
The E horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 6 or 7 dry and 4 through 6 moist, with chroma of 2 through 4.
The E/B horizon has intermediate colors from the E and the Bt horizons, and are blotches about the rock fragments. Hues are 2.5Y through 7.5YR, with value of 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is loam or clay loam.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist, with chroma of 3 or 4. Textures are clay loam or sandy clay loam with clay ranging from 27 to 35 percent.
The transitional BC horizon is similar in color and texture to the Bt horizon.
A thin layer of C material is typically above the lithic bedrock.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Hollandlake (MT) series. Hollandlake soils are greater than 60 inches to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gambler soils are on high mountain side slopes and hills at elevations ranging from 8,500 to 10,500 feet. They formed over residuum and colluvium derived from basalt, andesite, and trachyte. Slopes range from 15 to 65 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 17 to 28 inches.The mean annual air temperature is 34 to 38 degrees F., and mean summer air temperature is 54 to 57 degrees F. The frost-free period is less than 75 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Passar and Angostura soils. Angostura soils lack glossic features and the Passar soils have over 35 percent clay in an argillic layer.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low to high runoff; moderate or rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation includes open stands of Aspen and small groups of Engelmann Spruce and subalpine fir. The understory is mainly needlegrass, brome, Colorado blue wildrye, bluegrass and other shrubs and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: High mountain mesas and sideslopes in northwestern Colorado. The soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Regis-Ninemile area, Montana, 1970.
REMARKS: The responsibility for the series was transferred from Montana to Colorado in 1994 for use on the Flat Tops Soil Survey area, where approximately 1,700 acres have been correlated in complex with the Passar and Angostura series.
Diagnostic features include an albic horizon from 0 to 8 inches, a glossic layer from 8 to 18 inches, and an argillic horizon from 18 to 38 inches. A lithic contact is at depths of 40 to 60 inches. This revision also documents a change in classification from Typic to Glossic Cryoboralfs. Last updated by the state 4/94.