LOCATION MACFARLANE CO+MT WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Ustic Glossocryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: MacFarlane extremely stony sandy loam - forest. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
0i--0 to 3 inches; undecomposed organic material, principally bark, twigs, and needles.
0e--3 to 4 inches; decomposed organic material like that of the horizon above.
A--4 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) extremely stony loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; strong fine crumb structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 40 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
E--6 to 16 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very stony sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium platy structure that parts to fine granules; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; 25 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
E/B--16 to 22 inches; mixed colors including very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very stony sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure that parts to fine granules; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; this horizon consists of seams and nodules of more clayey material like that of the underlying horizon embedded in a light-colored matrix like that of the overlying horizon; few faint clay films on some faces of peds; 25 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bt--22 to 40 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely stony sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; faint clay films on some faces of peds, on sand grains and bridges between sand grains, and on the inside of root channels and pores; 60 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 37 inches thick)
BC--40 to 44 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely stony sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few faint clay films on rock fragments and clay bridges between sand grains; 60 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.8); diffuse wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
C--44 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely stony sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; 65 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Jackson County, Colorado; approximately SW1/4 NE1/4, Sec. 5, T. 7 N., R. 76 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is about 34 degrees F. and mean summer soil temperature is about 43 degrees F. Base saturation ranges from 60 to 100 percent in all subhorizons of the argillic horizon. Depth to the top of the argillic horizon is less than 24 inches and depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 17 to 55 inches. Rock fragments range from 35 to 80 percent in a major part of the solum and any C and are mainly 10 to 24 inches in diameter.
The A horizon, if present, has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 4. It ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline.
The E horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist, and chroma of 1 through 6. It ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline.
The Bt 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 extremely stony sandy loam with 5 to 18 percent clay, 5 to 40 percent silt, and 5 to 75 percent sand with more than 35 percent fine or coarser sand. This horizon ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR; subhorizons redder than 7.5YR occur in some pedons. This horizon ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Gambler, Granile, Kebler, Kurrie, Larand, Leadville, and Tuckerville series. Gambler and Kebler soils have a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Granile, Larand, and Tuckerville soils have argillic horizons with more than 18 percent clay in the fine earth fraction. Kurrie soils have a paralithic contact at depths of 40 to 60 inches. Leadville soils have lithochromic hue of 5YR or redder and have more than 18 percent clay in the fine earth fraction of the Bt and C horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: MacFarlane soils are on moderately to steeply sloping alluvial fans and hillsides. Slopes typically range from 4 percent to about 50 percent. The soil formed in thick, noncalcareous, extremely stony moderately coarse textured materials derived principally from gneiss, schist, and quartizite. At the type location the average annual precipitation is 18 inches with peak periods of precipitation in the spring and early summer. Mean annual temperature is 30 degrees F. and mean summer temperature is 42 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Larand soils and the Peeler soils. Peeler soils have a fine-loamy control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally for native pastureland, forestry, and recreation. Native vegetation is spruce and fir with a moderate understory of shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: High mountain valleys of central and northern Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jackson County, Colorado, 1973.