LOCATION GRENADIER CO
Established Series
Rev. RFB/GB
01/2023
GRENADIER SERIES
The Grenadier series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in mixed material. Grenadier soils are on ridges, valley side slopes, and glacial troughs and have slopes of 2 to 65 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 25 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 38 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic Entic Haplocryods
TYPICAL PEDON: Grenadier loam - forest. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
0i--0 to 3 inches; undecomposed organic material principally needles, bark, twigs, and leaves.
0e--3 to 4 inches; partially decomposed organic material like that of the horizon above.
E--4 to 7 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 5 percent stones; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
Bw--7 to 22 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very stony loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few dark colored pellets in the lower part of horizon; 35 percent stones; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 34 inches thick)
C--22 to 60 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) extremely stony loam, brown (7.5YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 75 percent stones; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Mineral County, Colorado; NE1/4 of Sec. 2, T. 37 N., R. 1 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 42 degrees F. Mean summer soil temperature is 54 degrees F. without an 0 horizon and less than 47 degrees F. with an 0 horizon at least 4 inches thick. Thin A horizons may overlie the E horizon in some pedons. The particle-size control section is normally loam, sandy clay loam, or light clay loam modified with rock fragments, but in the matrix material clay ranges from 18 to 35 percent. Rock fragments range from 35 to 85 percent in the major part of the particle-size control section. The solum is slightly acid through very strongly acid. The moisture control section is dry in some part for 15 to 30 days when the temperature at 20 inches is greater than 41 degrees.
The E horizon, if present, has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist, and chroma of 1 through 4.
The Bw horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 6.
The BC or C horizon, if present, has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 through 7 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4. The fine earth fraction is loam, sandy clay loam, or sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bensley (OR),
Endlich (CO),
Henson (CO),
Heterwa (CO),
Ivywild (CO),
Jeru (ID),
Klutch (ID),
Koffgo (ID),
Leighcan (WY),
Marsell (UT),
Oatman (OR), and the
Snotown (NV) series. Bensley soils are usually moist with precipitation dominantly in the winter and early spring. The Endlich, Heterwa, Klutch, and Snotown soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. The Henson soils have mean annual soil temperatures less than 42 degrees F and mean summer soil temperatures less than 44 degrees F. The Ivywild soils have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. The Jeru, Klutch, Koffgo, and Leighcan soils have less than 18 percent clay in their particle-size control section. The Marsell soils have hues of 5YR and redder in the Bw horizon. Oatman soils lack continuous E horizons and have a precipitation pattern that is dominant in the winter and early spring.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Grenadier soils are on ridges, valley side slopes, or glacial troughs. Slopes typically range from about 2 to 65 percent. The soil formed in thick, strongly acid, medium to moderately fine textured material derived from mixed crystalline rocks or slates and partly metamorphosed shale. At the type location the mean annual precipitation is 22 to 32 inches with nearly equal amounts of precipitation in all months. Mean annual temperature is 38 degrees F., mean summer temperature is 54 degrees F. Elevation ranges from 9,500 to 11,200 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Merino and
Leal soils. Merino soils have bedrock above depth 20 inches and are less acid. Leal soils are coarser textured and have fewer then 35 percent rock fragments in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for forestry, grazing, and recreation. Native vegetation is mainly spruce, fir, brush, and scattered grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central, south-western, and north-central Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Piedra Area, Colorado, 1974.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features include a Cambic horizon from 7 to 22 inches, an Ochric epipedon from 0 to 7 inches, and low base saturation in the particle-size control section.
Last updated by the state 12/92.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.