LOCATION GARO                    CO

Established Series
Rev. LC/TWH
05/2011

GARO SERIES

The Garo series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium from shale. Garo soils are on basin floors and alluvial flats. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 330 mm (13 inches) and the mean annual temperature is about 2.8 degrees C. (37 degrees F.).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active Calcic Haplocryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Garo clay, on a 1 percent slope in grassland at an elevation of 2795 meters (9,170 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) Described on September 21, 1983.

A--0 to 8 cm (0 to 3 inches); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak very thick platy structure; slightly hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; strongly effervescent; 1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 18 cm thick)

Bknz1--8 to 18 cm (3 to 7 inches); pale olive (5Y 6/3) clay, olive (5Y 5/3) moist; weak medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine carbonate masses in the matrix; few fine salt crystals in the matrix; strongly effervescent; 1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary.

Bknz2--18 to 41 cm (7 to 16 inches); pale olive (5Y 6/4) clay, olive (5Y 5/4) moist; weak medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine carbonate masses in the matrix; few fine salt crystals in the matrix; strongly effervescent; 1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear smooth boundary.

Bknz3--41 to 64 cm (16 to 25 inches); olive (5Y 5/3) clay, olive (5Y 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine carbonate masses in the matrix; common fine salt crystals in the matrix; strongly effervescent; 8 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear smooth boundary.

Bknz4--64 to 152 cm (25 to 60 inches); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine carbonate masses in the matrix; common fine salt crystals in the matrix; strongly effervescent; 8 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3). (Combined thickness of the Bknz horizons is greater than 56 cm)

TYPE LOCATION: Park County, Colorado; about 19 kilometers (12 miles) north of Hartsel; about 1,200 feet south and 500 feet west of the northeast corner of Sec. 14, T. 10 S., R. 76 W.; Elkhorn USGS quad; lat. 39 degrees 10 minutes 59 seconds N. and long. 105 degrees 50 minutes 53 seconds W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is usually dry in late spring and early summer, moist in some part in late July and August, and intermittently dry in fall; ustic regime bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 2.8 to 5.0 degrees C (37 to 41 degrees F)
Mean summer soil temperature: 10.6 to 14.4 degrees C (51 to 58 degrees F)
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 8 to 18 cm (3 to 7 inches)
Depth to cambic horizon: 8 to 18 cm (3 to 7 inches)
Depth to salt accumulations: 8 to 18 cm (3 to 7 inches)
Thickness of the ochric horizon: 8 to 18 cm (3 to 7 inches)

Particle-size control section (weighted averages):
Noncarbonate clay content: 47 to 60 percent
Fine sand and coarser sand content: 10 to 15 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent

A horizon
Hue: 2.5Y, 5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Clay content: 40 to 55 percent
Gravel content: 0 to 5 percent, indurated
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 2 percent
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 2 to 8
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline (pH 7.4 to 8.4)

Bknz horizons
Hue: 2.5Y, 5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry; 2 to 4 moist
Clay content: 40 to 65 percent
Carbonate clay content: 0 to 3 percent
Gravel content: 0 to 5 percent, indurated
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
Electrical conductivity: 2 to 16 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 12 to 15
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline (pH 7.9 to 9.0)

COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series recognized in this family. The Peaspear series in a closely related family has smectitic clay mineralogy.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium from shale, typically the Pierre Formation.
Landform: basin floors and alluvial flats
Slopes: 0 to 3 percent
Elevation: 2743 to 2835 meters (9,000 to 9,300 feet)
Mean annual temperature: 2.2 to 3.3 degrees C (36 to 38 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 305 to 356 mm (12 to 14 inches)
Precipitation pattern: Monthly precipitation is lowest in winter and greatest in July and August.
Frost-free period: 50 to 80 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gebson and Monahan series. Gebson soils have a mollic epipedon and an argillic horizon and are on pediments. Monahan soils have an argillic horizon and are on pediments.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained, very slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation consists mainly of western wheatgrass, Junegrass, inland saltgrass, needleandthread, slender wheatgrass, slimstem muhly, streambank wheatgrass, and mat muhly.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Colorado; LRR E, MLRA 48B; small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Park County, Colorado; Teller-Park soil survey area, Colorado; 2010. The name is taken from an abandoned town site in Park County.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Series control section: The zone from 0 to 200 cm.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 25 to 100 cm. (part of Bknz2, Bknz3, and part of Bknz4 horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 8 cm. (A horizon)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 8 to 152 cm. (Bknz1, Bknz2, Bknz3, Bknz4 horizons)
Secondary carbonates: The zone from 8 to 152 cm. (Bknz1, Bknz2, Bknz3, Bknz4 horizons)
Salt accumulations: The zone from 8 to 152 cm. (Bknz1, Bknz2, Bknz3, Bknz4 horizons)

The Garo series name was reactivated in 2009 for use in the Teller-Park soil survey. This series was originally established in 1959 in Chaffee County, Colorado, in the Trout Creek Watershed Area, which is now a part of the soil survey of Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Northern Part.

Taxonomic Version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 11th Edition, 2010.

ADDITIONAL DATA: This soil was sampled by the National Soil Survey Lab, soil survey sample number S08CO093-003.The sampled pedon is not the series typical pedon, but it is very near it.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.