LOCATION HAPPLE COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Ustic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Happle very channery sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 7 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) very channery sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; weak very fine granular structure parting to single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 40 percent channers; violently effervescent, moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 9 inches thick)
C1--7 to 14 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very channery sandy loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 45 percent channers; violently effervescent, moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary.
C2--14 to 32 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) very channery sandy,clay loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; 55 percent channers; violently effervescent, moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary.
C3--32 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) extremely channery sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 60 percent channers; strongly effervescent, moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Garfield County, Colorado; two miles south of junction of Clear Creek and Roan Creek, near trail paralleling Happle Gulch; approximately 1,600 feet south and 1,000 feet west of northeast corner of Sec. 16, T. 7 S., R. 98 W. U.S.G.S. Long Point quad.; Lat. 39 degrees, 26 minutes, 55 seconds N., and Long. 108 degrees, 19 minutes, 42 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 48 to 54 degrees F. In some pedons bedrock occurs at depths of 40 to 60 inches. Soil reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. The soils are calcareous throughout, with 5 to 14 percent calcium carbonate equivalent. The surface ranges from less than 1 percent to 15 percent stone mantle. Rock fragments range from 35 to 80 percent in the particle-size control section and are mostly channers. Up to 10 percent consist of flags and stones. Clay content ranges between 15 and 30 percent. A minor portion of the clay may be carbonate. Happle soils are usually dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 15 consecutive days during the months of May and June.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma 2 through 4. Color value of 5 does not extend below 4 inches depth.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is broadly stratified, with fine-earth fraction of discrete layers ranging from coarse loamy sand to clay loam. A weighted average for clay ranges from 15 to 30 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chilton (NM), and Nihill (WY) series. Chilton soils have hues of 7.5YR and 5YR. Nihill soils have moisture control sections that are usually moist in some part of May and June.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Happle soils are below near-vertical cliffs where they occupy foot slopes, toe slopes, alluvial fans and back slopes. Slopes are 3 to 80 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and localized alluvium from weathered materials which are comprised of interbedded shale, siltstone, fine grain sandstone, and marlstone. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 16 inches and the mean annual air temperature is 46 to 52 degrees F. Elevation ranges from 5,200 to 7,200 feet and frost-free period is 100 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Biedsaw, Dominguez, Sunup, and Utso series. Biedsaw, Dominguez, and Sunup soils have formed in material which primarily was derived from the Wasatch shales. Utso soils are on cooler north facing slopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally for native rangeland. Shrubs and grasses are chiefly Wyoming big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, needleandthread, and Indian ricegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Areas of Western Colorado. The series is of moderate extent with about 25,000 acres mapped.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Garfield County (Douglas-Plateau Soil Survey Area), Colorado, 1988.
REMARKS: The name is taken from a gulch in the area. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized are: an ochric epipedon; more than 35 percent rock fragments in the texture control section; an ustic aridic moisture regime; and a mesic temperature regime. Last updated by the state 6/95.
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Lakewood MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.