LOCATION MASSADONA CO+UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Typic Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Massadona silty clay loam, on an east facing slope in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silty clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, very sticky and plastic; strongly effervescent, moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
BA--3 to 11 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silty clay, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate very fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, very sticky and plastic; strongly effervescent, moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--11 to 26 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silty clay, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, very sticky and plastic; strongly effervescent, moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
BCk--26 to 50 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silty clay, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, very sticky and plastic; strongly effervescent, calcium carbonate in filaments; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
Cy--50 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silty clay, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, very sticky and plastic; common nests of gypsum; strongly effervescent, moderately alkaline. (10 to 20 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Moffat County, Colorado; about 8 miles southwest of Elk Springs; located about 1,600 feet west and 2,300 feet south of the northeast corner of Sec. 30, T. 4 N., R. 99 W. Lat. 40 degrees, 17 minutes, 19 seconds N. and Long. 108 degrees, 32 minutes, 34 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 48 to 50 degrees F
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 11 to 36 inches
Depth to cambic horizon: 6 to 16 inches
Depth to gypsiferous material: 34 to 60 or more inches
Thickness of the Ochric epipedon: 2 to 6 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Sand content: 5 to 15 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Bw horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: SIC, SIC, or C
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Bk horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: SICL, SIC, or C
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: SICL, SIC, or C
Gypsum: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Degater series.
Degater: paralithic contact less than 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium derived from shale
Landform: hills, toeslopes, and alluvial fans
Slopes: 0 to 12 percent
Elevation: 4,700 to 6,300 feet
Mean annual temperature: 45 to 49 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 5 to 11 inches
Precipitation pattern: precipitation is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year with 40 percent comming as snow November through April
Frost-free period: 95 to 125 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chipeta and Deaver series. The Chipeta soils are shallow. The Deaver soils are moderately deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, high to very high runoff, very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Potential native vegetation is shadscale, Nuttal saltbush, budsage, salina wildrye, and wheatgrasses.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Colorado and northeastern Utah; LRR D, MLRA 34; This series is of minor extent.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Moffat county, Colorado, Moffat County soil survey area, 1991.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 3 inches. (A horizon)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 11 to 26 inches. (Bw horizon)
This series was previously classified as Fine, smectitic Typic Camborthids
Taxonomic Version: Seventh Edition, 1996.