LOCATION HERAKLE COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Lithic Haplocryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Herakle very channery loam on a 20 percent slope in woodland at an elevation of 9,500 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted) Described on September 30, 1981.
Oi--0 to 1 inch; partially decomposed needles and twigs.
E--1 to 4 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very channery loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; 40 percent limestone channers: neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bt--4 to 8 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very channery clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common prominent clay films on faces of peds; 8 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in 20 mm and less fraction; 45 percent limestone channers; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Btk--8 to 12 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very channery clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common prominent clay films on faces of peds; 36 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in 20 mm and less fraction; 45 percent limestone channers; common medium carbonate concretions on bottom of rock fragments; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bk--12 to 17 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) very channery loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; 50 percent limestone channers, 5 percent flagstones; 58 percent calcium carbonate equivalent, many coarse carbonate masses in the matrix; many coarse carbonate concretions on bottom of rock fragments; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt irregular boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
R--17 to 60 inches; indurated limestone.
TYPE LOCATION: Park County, Colorado; about 7 miles southeast of Buena Vista; about 1 mile north and 3.75 miles east of Bassam Guard Station; 1,400 feet south and 1,800 feet east of the northwest corner of Sec. 11, T. 15 S., R. 76 W. USGS Agate Mountain quad.; Lat. 38 degrees, 45 minutes, 44 seconds N., and Long. 105 degrees, 51 minutes, 54 seconds W.; NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 37 to 46 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 43 to 46 degrees F.
Soil Moisture: The soil moisture control section is usually moist in some part during late spring to early fall, and intermittently dry in late fall. Typic ustic moisture regime.
Thickness of albic horizon: 2 to 6 inches
Depth to argillic horizon: 3 to 7 inches
Depth to calcic horizon: 6 to 15 inches
Depth to lithic contact: 10 to 20 inches
Some pedons have mainly pebbles rather than channers.
Some pedons are calcareous throughout.
A thin A horizon is present in some pedons.
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Noncarbonate clay content: 27 to 34 percent
Rock fragment content: 40 to 50 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent, less than 20mm fraction: 15 to 30 percent
E horizon
Hue: 2.5Y through 7.5YR
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Rock fragment content: 35 to 80 percent, mainly channers with some flagstones
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5Y through 7.5YR
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist
Texture: very channery clay loam, extremely gravelly clay loam, or extremely channery clay loam
Rock fragment content: 35 to 80 percent, mainly channers with some flagstones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 10 percent
Reaction: neutral through moderately alkaline.
Btk horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry; 2 to 4 moist
Texture: very channery loam, very channery clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Carbonate clay content: 6 to 10 percent
Fragment content, total: 35 to 50 percent
Fragment size and content: 35 to 50 percent indurated limestone channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Bk horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist
Texture: very channery loam, very channery fine sandy loam, extremely channery loam, extremely gravelly loam, very flaggy fine sandy loam, or very flaggy loam. Rock fragment content: 35 to 80 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 60 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Hapjack,
Redfern,
Snowdon,
Whiteman series.
The Hapjack, Redfern, Snowdon, and Whiteman soils do not have calcic horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium derived from limestone and/or sandstone, commonly Mississippian or Pennsylvanian age
Landform: mountain slopes and hogbacks
Slopes: 5 to 70 percent
Elevation: 8,500 to 10,000 feet
Mean annual temperature: 35 to 44 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 14 to 18 inches and about 10 to 12 inches falls during April through August
Precipitation pattern: Monthly precipitation is lowest in winter and greatest in July and August.
Frost-free season: 50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Ula soil. Ula soils have bedrock at 20 to 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are used for woodland, recreation, wildlife habitat, and limited homesite development. Native vegetation is mainly Douglas fir and ponderosa pine with some limber pine and bristlecone pine. The understory includes Arizona fescue, mountain muhly, and common juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of central Colorado; MLRA 48A. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fremont County Area, Colorado, 1988. The typical pedon is in the Pike and San Isabel NF, Northern Part soil survey. The name is from a nearby summer homesite.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this pedon are:
Series control section: The zone from 0 to 17 inches.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 4 to 12 inches. (Bt, Btk horizons)
Calcic horizon: from 8 to 17 inches. (Btk, Bk horizons)
Ochric epipedon: from 1 to 4 inches. (E horizon)
Albic horizon: from 1 to 4 inches. (E horizon)
Argillic horizon: from 4 to 12 inches. (Bt, Btk horizons)
Lithic contact: 17 inches (R horizon)
When established the classification was loamy-skeletal, mixed Lithic Cryoboralfs.