LOCATION GILCREST COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Ustic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Gilcrest sandy loam - irrigated cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; neutral, clear smooth boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
Bt--7 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; thin patchy clay films on peds and on sand grains and as bridges between sand grains; approximately 20 percent gravel; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 16inches thick)
Bk--15 to 22 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly light sandy loam; brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; visible calcium carbonate occurs as concretions and as coatings on gravel fragments; 20 percent gravel; clay bridging and coatings on sand grains; calcareous moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
2Ck--22 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand and gravel, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grained; loose; weak to moderate accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate principally as coatings on the underside of pebbles in the upper part of horizon; calcareous; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Morgan County, Colorado; 2,600 feet south and 700 feet west of the NE corner of Sec. 12, T. 4 N., R. 59 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 50 degrees F.
Depth to the argillic horizon: 5 to 9 inches
Depth to calcic horizon: 10 to 25 inches
Depth to clean sand gravel substratums: 20 to 40 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 8 to 25
Sand content: 65 to 75
Rock fragments: 15 to 30 percent.
Size: gravel
A horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist,
Chroma: 1.5 through 3
Texture: loamy sand or sandy loam
Reaction: neutral
B horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 5 through dry, 4 or 5 moist,
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: sandy loam
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Silt content: 5 to 35
Sand content: 52 to 80 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
2Ck horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Texture: loamy sand loam and sand
Reaction: moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES:
Current competitor series are the
Betonnie,
Bijou,
Terro,
Terry,
Tintero, and
Vonalee series.
Betonnie and Tintero soils typically have redder hues.
Bijou soils are noncalcareous throughout.
Bijou, Terry and Vonalee soils have less than 15 percent rock fragments.
Terro and Terry soils have a lithic or paralithic contact at depth of less than 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material: alluvium
Landform: nearly level to gently sloping stream terraces and alluvial fans.
Slope: 0 to 6 percent
Mean annual temperature: 53 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 14 inches
Precipitation pattern: 8 to 9 inches of which falls during the months of April through August.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
These are the
Glenberg,
Haverson and
Vona soils and the competing
Bijou soils.
Glenberg and Haverson soils lack an argillic horizon.
Vona soils have less than 15 percent rock fragments.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage: well to somewhat excessively drained
Runoff: low
Permeability: rapid
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used as irrigated and dry cropland, and as native pastureland. Native vegetation is mainly blue grama, needle grass, and some cactus.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: The Greeley Area, Colorado, 1929.
REMARKS: Last updated by the state 2/74.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this profile are:
Argillic horizon: 7 to 15 inches (Bt horizon)
Calcic horizon: 15 to 60 inches (Bk and 2Ck horizon)
Updated the classification, competing series and placed in semitab format. LRM 03/01