LOCATION GLADLOW COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Vertic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Gladlow clay loam, on an east facing, simple, 27 percent slope in grassland at an elevation of 7,800 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) Described on June 11,1990.
A--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine roots; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--5 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; few very fine pores; 1 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
Bk--14 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine angular blocky structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; 1 percent gravel; violently effervescent; visible carbonates in patches; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Bky--24 to 31 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; 5 percent shale fragments; common fine masses of lime; violently effervescent; visible carbonates in patches; visible gypsum crystals; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); gradual smooth boundary. (7 to 10 inches thick)
C--31 to 60 inches; variegated colors (due to parent material) of gray (10YR 6/1) and pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) and brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; 10 percent shale fragments; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Dolores County, Colorado; about 20 miles north of Dolores; located about 1,100 feet N. and 1,700 feet W. of the southeast corner of sec. 32, T. 41 N., R. 16 W.; Glade Mountain USGS quad; lat. 37 degrees 46 minutes 06 seconds N. and long. 108 degrees 32 minutes 42 seconds W., NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: ustic; (typic ustic subclass)
Mean annual soil temperature: 42 to 46 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 60 to 67 degrees F.
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 10 to 18 inches
Depth to cambic horizon: 3 to 6 inches
Depth to gypsiferous material: 20 to 40 inches
Particle-size control section:
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: 1 to 5 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry and moist
Texture: silty clay loam or clay loam
Rock fragment content: 1 to 5 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bw horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry and moist
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Rock fragment content: 1 to 5 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Bk horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry and moist
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Rock fragment content: 1 to 5 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Bky horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry and moist
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Rock fragment content: 1 to 5 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
Gypsum content: 1 to 5 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4, dry and moist
Texture: silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Rock fragment content: 1 to 15 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Gypsum content: 0 to 2 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no competitors. Similar soils are the Sagedale and Widen series.
Sagedale: have moist spring months with peak periods of precipitation in May and June.
Widen: has a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium and colluvium derived predominantly from shale
Landform: mountain slopes and mesas
Slopes: 3 to 30 percent
Elevation: 7,400 to 8,500 feet
Mean annual temperature: 40 to 45 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 18 to 20 inches.
Precipitation pattern:
Wettest months: July and August receive slightly more precipitation than other months
Driest months: May and June receive the least precipitation, however the soils are still moist from snowmelt.
Frost-free period: 70 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Dolores,
Narraguinnep,
and
Ruko series. The Dolores soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in
the particle size control section. Narraguinnep soils have a thick
mollic epipedon. Ruko soils have a paralithic contact at 10 to 20
inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Gladlow soils are used mainly for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is western wheatgrass, needlegrass, Arizona fescue, mountain muhly, Gambel's oak, and mountain snowberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Colorado. LRR E, MLRA 48A. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES PROPOSED: Dolores County, Colorado, Animas-Dolores soil survey area, 1999.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 5 inches. (A horizon)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 5 to 31 inches. (Bw, Bk, and Bky horizons)
Horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation (Bk, Bky horizons);
Horizon of gypsum accumulation (Bky horizon)
Particle size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (part of the Bw, the Bk, Bky, and part of the C horizon)
Keys to Soil Taxonomy: Series classified according to Eighth Edition, 1998.