LOCATION GARITA CO+WY

Established Series
Rev. GB/SJJ
08/2016

GARITA SERIES

The Garita series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in thick calcareous very cobbly, moderately fine textured sediments from basalt. Garita soils are on alluvial fans and valley filling side slopes and have slopes from 0 to 35 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 7 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 41 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Garita cobbly loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 9 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) cobbly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; slightly effervescent; 10 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles, mostly basalt; many dark mineral grains in the sand and silt fractions; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)

BCk1--9 to 30 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) very cobbly loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent, many visible secondary carbonates, mainly in finely divided marl-like forms; few crystals of gypsum; 20 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles, mostly basalt; many dark mineral grains in the sand and silt fractions; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)

BCk2--30 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very cobbly loam; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent, visible secondary carbonate occurring mostly as concretions, in thin seams, streaks, and as coatings on rock fragments; 20 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles, mostly basalt; many dark mineral grains in the sand and silt fractions; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Rio Grande County, Colorado; approximately 700 feet south and 50 feet west of the NE corner of Sec. 28, T. 38 N., R. 7 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 43 to 46 degrees F, and mean summer soil temperature ranges from 61 to 65 degrees F. Depth to uniformly calcareous material ranges from 0 to 5 inches. Depth to the calcic horizon ranges from 5 to 40 inches. The soil above the calcic horizon ranges from neutral to strongly alkaline. The calcic horizon ranges from moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline. The particle size control section averages 18 to 35 percent clay. Total rock fragments in the particle size control section range from 35 to 75 percent. A few thin subhorizons of some pedons have hue redder than 7.5YR. The soil moisture regime is Typic Aridic.

The A horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3.

The BCk or Bk horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 15 to 35 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the (T) Cambarge, Durreo, Mitring and Snowslide series. Cambarge, Durreo and Snowslide soils have less than 18 percent clay in their particle size control section. Mitring soils have a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Garita soils are on alluvial fans and valley filling side slopes. Slopes typically range from 0 to 35 percent. These soils formed in thick, calcareous, very gravelly or very cobbly, moderately fine textured slope alluvium from basalt. The average annual precipitation is 7 inches, but ranges from 6 to 9 inches, with peak periods of precipitation in the spring and early summer months. Mean annual temperature is 40 to 43 degrees F, and the mean summer temperature is 59 to 63 degrees F. Elevation ranges from 7,500 to 8,800 feet. Frost free days are 90 to 115.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Derrick and Norte soils. Derrick soils have an argillic horizon. Norte soils lack a calcic horizon and have less than 35 percent rock fragments throughout the control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium runoff; moderately permeable.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used as native pastureland but are tilled to irrigated crops in some localities. Principal native plants are snakeweed, Russian thistle, squirreltail, rabbitbrush, and winterfat.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: San Luis Valley Area of south-central Colorado. The series is of moderate extent. MLRA 51 and 48A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rio Grande County Area, Colorado, 1972.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon.
Ochric epipedon 0 to 9 inches.
Calcic horizon 9 to 30 inches.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.