LOCATION GOOSEPEAK COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Ustic Haplocryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Goosepeak extremely gravelly sandy loam, on a northwest facing 15 percent mountain slope, under a Rocky Mountain Douglas fir woodland at an elevation of 9,760 feet. (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; mat of slightly decomposed needles, twigs, and leaves (0 to 2 inches thick)
E--1 to 6 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 60 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--6 to 16 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common faint clay films on faces of peds; 65 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--16 to 23 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common faint clay films as bridges; 65 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 14 to 24 inches)
BC--23 to 31 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; 75 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
C--31 to 66 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 65 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8). (20 to 40 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Saguache County, Colorado; about 22 miles south of Doyleville, Colorado; within an unsectionized area of Gunnison National Forest, estimated to be in Section 26, T. 46 N., R. 3 E.; USGS North Pass topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees, 12 minutes, 45 seconds north and longitude 106 degrees, 36 minutes, 47 seconds west, NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depths in this section are measured from the top of the mineral soil surface.
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section (smcs) is affected by precipitation that falls evenly throughout the year with the exception of a significant increase in July and August. The smcs is driest during the fall. The smcs is too dry for Udic and is considered to have an Ustic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 41 to 46 degrees F.
Depth to argillic horizon: 4 to 10 inches.
Particle-size control section: 20 to 30 percent clay, 50 to 80 percent rock fragments.
E (albic) horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry and 2 moist
Reaction: slightly acid (pH 6.1) to neutral (pH 7.3)
Rock fragments: andesite, rhyolite, breccia, or tuff. 10 to 65 percent total rock fragments; 10 to 65 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones.
Bt horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry or moist
Chroma: 4 to 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Texture: extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, extremely stony sandy clay loam, very gravelly clay loam, extremely gravelly clay loam, very gravelly sandy clay loam
Rock fragments: andesite, rhyolite, breccia, or tuff. 50 to 80 percent total rock fragments; 20 to 65 percent gravel, 0 to 25 percent cobbles, 0 to 25 percent stones.
BC and C horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry or moist
Chroma: 3 to 5 dry or moist
Texture: extremely gravelly clay loam, extremely gravelly sandy loam, extremely gravelly loamy sand, extremely stony sandy clay loam
Reaction: slightly acid (pH 6.1) to neutral (pH 7.3)
Rock fragments: andesite, rhyolite, breccia, or tuff. 60 to 80 percent total rock fragments; 20 to 65 percent gravel, 0 to 25 percent cobbles, 0 to 25 percent stones.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Cloud Peak,
Cundiyo,
Guffey,
Kimpton,
Lakehelen,
Lulude, and
Tepecreek series
Cloudpeak, Kimpton, Lakehelen, Lulude: lithic contact between 20 and 40 inches deep
Cundiyo: has less than 20 percent clay in the particle-size control section
Guffey, Tepecreek: paralithic contact between 20 and 40 inches deep
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium and colluvium from andesite, rhyolite, breccia, or tuff
Landform: mountain slopes and ridges
Slopes: 15 to 65 percent
Elevation: 8,800 to 10,800 feet
Mean annual temperature: 36 to 41 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 16 to 24 inches
Frost-free period: 55 to 70 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Perfecto and Snowdon soils. The Perfecto soils are on backslopes and summits of ridges and mountains and has less than 10 percent clay in the particle-size control section. The Snowdon soils are on backslopes and shoulders of ridges and mountains and are less than 20 inches to a lithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained; very high runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for wood products. Potential native vegetation is Rocky Mountain Douglas fir with an understory of elk sedge, common juniper, kinnikinnick, and myrtle whortleberry. It is in the Rocky Mountain Douglas Fir Woodland Site, Forest Cover Type 210.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Colorado in LRR E and MLRA 48A. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cochetopa Soil Survey Area, Gunnison National Forest, Saguache County, Colorado, 1999. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon.
Particle-size control section: the zone from 6 to 23 inches. (Bt1, Bt2 horizons)
Ochric epipedon: the zone from 0 to 6 inches. (Oi and E horizons)
Albic horizon: the zone from 1 to 6 inches. (E horizon)
Argillic horizon: the zone from 6 to 23 inches. (Bt horizon)
Taxonomic version: Eighth Edition, 1998.