LOCATION HOMELAKE COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Fluvaquentic Hapludolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Homelake loam, grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 12 inches; grayish-brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) when moist; weak, coarse, subangular blocky structure that parts to fine granules; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; noncalcareous; mildly alkaline; clear, smooth boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
C1g--12 to 30 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam stratified with thin lenses of very fine sandy loam and sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) when moist; many, large, distinct, yellowish-brown (10YR 5/6) moist mottles; massive; hard, very friable, slightly plastic; noncalcareous; mildly alkaline; clear, smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
C2g--30 to 60 inches; pale-brown (10YR 6/3) stratified loam, very fine sandy loam, and clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) when moist; many large, distinct, gray (2.5Y 5/1) and yellowish-brown (10YR 5/6) moist mottles; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; noncalcareous; mildly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Alamosa County, Colorado; .4 mile east of north quarter corner, Sec. 23, T. 38 N., R. 9 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The Homelake soils usually are noncalcareous to depths of more than 60 inches but depth to uniformly calcareous material ranges from 40 to more than 60 inches. Base saturation ranges from 80 to 100 percent but usually the soils are base saturated. The control section is typically very stratified loam or light clay loam, but clay averages 18 to 35 percent. Rock fragments range from 0 to 15 percent in a major part of the control section and are usually less than 3 inches in diameter. Mottling with chroma of 2 or less occurs in the lower part of the control section, but is too deep to make these soils Aquolls. The soil ranges from neutral to mildly alkaline.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3.
The Cg horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Hamilton and Osote series, both of which are well drained.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on low flood plains of the Rio Grande River. They are overflowed in some localities and have high water tables at some season of most years. Slope gradients range from 0 to about 2 percent. The soils formed in mixed alluvial deposits. At the type location the average annual precipitation is 7 inches, with peak periods of precipitation in the spring and early summer. The mean annual temperature is 43 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature is 60 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This are the Alamosa and Vastine soils. Alamosa soils have argillic horizons and are poorly drained. Vastine soils have sandy-skeletal substratums and have mottling with chroma of 2 or less in or immediately below the mollic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability. Typically they have fluctuating water tables but the free water does not rise high enough or is not of sufficient duration to cause the mottling and low chroma necessary for the Aquoll groups.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used as native pastureland, for irrigated meadows, and in some areas for irrigated cropland including alfalfa and some small grain. Native vegetation is mainly western wheatgrass, sedges, and other water-tolerant grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Alamosa County, Colorado, 1974.
REMARKS: Last updated by the state 8/74.