LOCATION HEATH CO+MT SD UT WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic Calcic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Heath loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
BA--5 to 9 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granules; hard, very friable; few thin glossy patches on faces of peds and in root channels; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bt--9 to 18 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocks; very hard, friable, very plastic; thin wax-like coatings on faces of peds and in root channels; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6) gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 24 inches thick)
Bk1--18 to 22 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) heavy clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak fine prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocks; very hard, firm, moderately plastic; thin glossy patches on some faces of peds; glossy coatings in some root channels; some visible secondary carbonate as soft concretions and in thin seams and streaks; strongly effervescent moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bk2--22 to 36 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) gravelly light clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; very hard, friable; a large amount of visible secondary carbonate in soft concretions and in finely divided marl-like forms; 20 percent gravel; violently effervescent, moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); diffuse smooth boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
Bk3--36 to 60 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) gravelly light clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable; 15 percent gravel; some visible accumulation of secondary carbonate as soft concretions but less than in the horizon above; strongly effervescent, moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Chaffee County, Colorado; SE1/4 Sec. 17, T. 13 S., R. 77 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 32 to 47 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature ranges from 47 to 58 degrees F. The mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 15 inches thick, depth to calcareous material ranges from 10 to 40 inches, and the solum to the base of the Bt ranges from 15 to 40 inches thick. The content of organic carbon ranges from .8 to 6 percent in the mollic epipedon and decreases uniformly with depth. Cation exchange capacity ranges from 60 to 90 millequivalents per hundred grams of clay. Content of coarse fragments ranges from 0 to 35 percent. Typically, the upper part of the solum contains less than 15 percent coarse fragments, but the number of coarse fragments usually increases with depth.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3. It is slightly acid through slightly alkaline. Usually this horizon has granular or crumb structure, but primary structure is subangular blocky in some pedons. The horizon is soft or slightly hard.
The Bt horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is slightly acid through slightly alkaline. This horizon is typically light clay, but clay ranges from 35 to 50 percent, silt from 15 to 50 percent, and sand from 10 to 40 percent with less than 35 percent fine or coarser sand. Some lime carbonate in the lower parts.
The Bk horizons have hue of 5Y through 7.5YR. They are moderately or strongly alkaline and calcium carbonate equivalent of the strongest part of the Bk horizon ranges from 15 to 30 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Heath soils are on alluvial fans, hills, valley side slopes, and lower plateaus. Slopes range from 2 to 45 percent. The soil formed in thick deposits of moderately fine textured calcalcareous alluvial fan sediments derived from shales, limestones, conglomerates, and sandstones. Elevation ranges from 8,400 to 9,600 feet. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 14 to 20 inches with peak periods of precipitation during the spring and early summer months. The average annual temperature ranges from 36 to 42 degrees F. The average annual summer temperature is 55 degrees F. The average frost-free period is less than 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Leaps and the Wellsville soils. Wellsville soils have finer textured argillic horizons and lack a calcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally as native pastureland or for recreational purposes. Native vegetation consists of ring muhly, native bluegrass, and mountainmahogany.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of central Colorado, southwest South Dakota, and Montana. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Chaffee County (Trout Creek Area), Colorado, 1957.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the surface to 9 inches (A, BA horizons); an argillic horizon from 9 to 18 inches (Bt1, Bt2 horizons); a calcic horizon from 18 to 60 inches (Bk1, Bk2, Bk3 horizons); a particle-size control section from 9 to 18 inches (Bt horizon);. Heath soils have a cryic temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.