LOCATION HANDRAN COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Ustic Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Handran extremely stony sandy loam, grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely stony sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 60 percent stones, mostly rounded; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick).
AC--10 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very stony coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 40 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
C--14 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very stony coarse sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; very hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 45 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Jackson County, Colorado; approximately 500 feet east and 200 feet north of the SW corner of Sec. 24, T. 11 N., R. 81 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 38 to 42 degrees F., and mean summer soil temperature is 55 to 58 degrees F. These soils have mollic epipedons ranging in thickness from 8 to 15 inches. Organic carbon in the surface horizon ranges from .8 to 2.5 percent and decreases uniformly with increasing depth. Base saturation ranges from 60 to 80 percent. The control section is usually coarse sandy loam, but averages 5 to 18 percent clay, 5 to 40 percent silt, and 48 to 82 percent sand with more than 35 percent fine or coarser sand and with a large proportion of medium, coarse, and very coarse angular sand. Rock fragments range from 35 to 80 percent and are mainly more than 10 inches in diameter. Horizons of low organic matter content have a differential between dry and moist consistence that is 1 to 3 times greater than that of soils of similar texture that have finer and more rounded sand grains. These soils are dry in some part of the moisture control section at some time in most years. Bedrock is below 60 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR, value of 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3. It ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline.
The AC and C horizons have hues of 5Y through 7.5YR; subhorizons redder than 7.5YR occur in some pedons. It ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline. Textures are loam, or sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Antrobus (CO), Basinpeak (T)(NV), Broad Canyon (UT), Decram (NV), Fairydell (NV), Farlow (WY), Foxmount (NV), Gaia (T)(NV), Grafen (CO), Greyback (WY), Kamack (UT), Klug (T)(ID), Krackle (T)(OR), Lag (T)(ID), Maurice (MT), McCort (T)(WY), Middlehill (ID), Midelight (WY), Midfork (WY), Parachute (CO), Rockabin (NV), Sebud (MT), Silvercliff, (CO), Sup (NV), Supervisor (NM), Teemat (T)(WY), Thornburgh (CO), Tiban (MT), Timmercrek (T)(NV), Tineman (WY), and the Wareagle (T)(ID) series. Decram, Krackle, Middlehill, Parachute, and Supervisor soils have lithic bedrock at 20 to 40 inches. Foxmount, Grafen, and Rockabin soils have paralithic bedrock at 20 to 40 inches. Antrobus, Greyback, Farlow, Midelight, Midfork, and Silvercliff soils have free calcium carbonates or consistent K horizons. Broad Canyon, Fairydell, Kamack, Maurice, Sup, Tineman, and Wareagle soils lack rock fragments that are dominantly larger than 10 inches. The Basinpeak soils have particle-size control sections with less that 18% clay and are dominated by pebbles. The Klug, Lag, McCort, Sebud, Thornburg, Tiban, and Timmercrek soils have a cambic horizon. In addition, the McCort and Timmercrek soils have pebbles as the dominant rock fragment size. The Gaia soils have lamellae in the C horizon and have gravel and cobble dominant in the particle-size control section. The Teemat soils have a consistent K horizon at 10 to 60 inches and is calcareous ranging from 0 to 13 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on alluvial fans and valley filling side slopes. Slopes typically range from 0 to 75 percent. The soils formed in thick very stony deposits of glacial material and materials weathered from granite bedrock. At their type location the average annual precipitation is 18 to 26 inches with peak periods of precipitation during the spring and early summer. The average annual temperature is 36 to 40 degrees F., and the average summer temperature is 54 to 56 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Parkview and Sawcreek soils. Parkview soils have an argillic horizon and are underlain by bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Sawcreek soils have fewer rock fragments and are underlain by bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately rapid to rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly as native pastureland. Principal native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, flowery flocks, and herbaceous cinquefoil.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: High mountain valleys of north-central and western Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jackson County, Colorado, 1973.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features include a mollic epipedon from 0 to 10 inches and a ustic moisture regime. Last updated by the state 5/93.