LOCATION HEFLIN COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Heflin loam grassland, at about 7100 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; common roots; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
BAt--4 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky, plastic; thin clay films on peds; common roots; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--7 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, sticky, very plastic; thin continuous clay films on faces of peds; few roots; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bt2--14 to 25 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very firm, sticky, plastic; thin discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; few roots; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 14 inches thick)
BC--25 to 36 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, very firm, sticky, plastic; very few roots; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 12 inches thick)
C--36 TO 56 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy clay loam; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (16 to 24 inches)
Cr--56 inches; sandstone and shale bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: La Plata County, Colorado; SW1/4, Sec. 4, T. 34 N., R. 6 W., Bayfield USGS quad, estimated coordinates: lat. 37 degrees 14 minutes 16 seconds W., long. 107 degrees 32 minutes 03 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 49 degrees F., and mean summer soil temperature is 64 degrees F. The moisture regime is ustic (typic ustic subclass). Depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 12 to 30 inches. Depth to uniformly calcareous material is more than 40 inches. Rock fragments range from 0 to 15 percent by volume in a major part of the solum and C horizon above 40 inches and are mainly 2mm to 3 inches in diameter. The solum ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
The A horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 4.
The B2t horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 6. It is loam or clay loam and has 27 to 35 percent clay.
The C horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR. It is typically loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam but clay ranges from 27 to 35 percent clay. In some pedons a lithic or paralithic contact is at depths of 40 to 60 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Savoia series. Savoia soils have 18 to 27 percent clay and are calcareous above depth of 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Heflin soils are on gently to moderately steeply sloping alluvial fans or valley fans or valley side slopes. Slopes typically range from about 4 to 26 percent. The soils formed in thick, noncalcareous, medium to moderately fine textured materials weathered principally from sandstone and shale. At the type location the mean annual precipitation is 20 to 25 inches; mean annual temperature is 42 degrees F., mean summer temperature is 60 degrees F. Elevation is about 7,100 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Carracas and Nunn soils. Carracas soils have bedrock at depth of 20 to 40 inches and lack an argillic horizon. Nunn soils have a mollic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium to high runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally as native pastureland and limited timber production. Native vegetation is mainly ponderosa pine, oak brush, bluegrass, fescue, and bitterbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: La Plata County (Piedra Area), Colorado, 1974.
REMARKS:
The 02/2004 revision changes the classification from Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Udic Haplustalfs.