LOCATION HERBMAN                 CO+WY

Established Series
Rev. AEA/GB/TWH
01/2023

HERBMAN SERIES

The Herbman series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in material derived from granitic rock, schist, or gneiss. These soils are on mountain slopes and ridges with most commonly south and west aspect. Slopes range from 5 to 70 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 19 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, micaceous, shallow Ustic Haplocryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Herbman very stony sandy loam, with 0.1 to 3.0 percent surface stones - woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very stony sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 10 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, 25 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)

AC--4 to 13 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 10 percent cobbles, 35 percent gravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 17 inches thick)

Cr--13 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) partially weathered schist, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist.

TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Colorado; about 2 miles northwest of Bergen Park; 1,045 feet west and 2,125 feet south of northeast corner of Sec. 13, T. 4 S., R. 71 W.; lat. 39 degrees 42 minutes 11 seconds N. and long. 105 degrees 23 minutes 28 seconds W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: ustic moisture regime bordering udic
Mean annual soil temperature: 39 to 45 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 51 to 59 degrees F.
Depth to paralithic contact: 7 to 20 inches
Lithology of rock fragments: gneiss, schist, and granitics; commonly angular

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3
Texture: sandy loam and loam, with very stony, stony, gravelly, and very gravelly modifiers
Rock fragment content: 25 to 60 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

AC horizon (a Bw horizon in some pedons):
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6
Texture: very gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly loam, or extremely gravelly sandy loam
Rock fragment content: 35 to 80 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

C horizon (present in some pedons):
Texture: sandy loam, loamy sand, or coarse sand, modified by rock fragments
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Raleigh series. Raleigh soils are not well separated, but appear to have cooler soil temperatures and are more influenced by granitic rock and less influenced by gneiss and schist. This separation needs further study.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: granitic rock, soft schist, or gneiss
Landform: mountain slopes and ridges commonly with south and west aspects
Slopes: 5 to 70 percent
Elevation: 7,600 to 11,600 feet
Mean annual temperature: 37 to 43 degrees
Mean annual precipitation: 14 to 25 inches
Precipitation pattern: wettest months: March, April, May, June
Driest months: September and October
Frost-free period: less than 80 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Rogert, Troutdale, Sprucedale, and Kittredge soils. Rogert soils have a lithic contact within a depth of 20 inches. Troutdale and Kittredge soils lack bedrock within depths of 20 inches. Sprucedale soils have Bt horizons and have less than 35 percent coarse fragments in the control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low through very high runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are used for grazing, wildlife habitat, recreation, and limited urban development. Native vegetation is mainly Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, Arizona fescue, mountain muhly, Parry oatgrass, blue grama, fringed sagebrush, mountain mahogany, Idaho fescue, pine dropseed, and common juniper. These soils are estimated to be in a Douglas-fir/Arizona fescue or ponderosa pine-Douglas-fir/mountain muhly plant association. A nonforested grassland plant community is no longer considered part of the series concept.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of north central Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Colorado, 1980, Golden Area Soil Survey. The name is coined.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 13 inches (A and AC horizons).
Paralithic contact: 13 inches (Cr layer).

The assignment of paramicaceous mineralogy class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area and the high observable mica particles in the fine and medium sand fraction.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Sampled by the NSSL in 1982 in Teller County, Colorado (not the type location). S82 CO-119-003.


The mineralogy class was changed from paramicaceous to micaceous in 07/2010 by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the responsible MLRA regional office. The change was necessary based on the eleventh edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 2010.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.