LOCATION MOENTO                  CO

Established Series
Rev. JPP/CRP/JCK
06/2018

MOENTO SERIES

The Moento series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium, colluvium and landslide deposits over residuum derived from sandstone. These soils are on dip slopes, structural benches, mountain slopes and landslides. Slopes are 0 to 35 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 533 mm, and mean annual air temperature is about 5.5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Moento loam, on a northeast facing, simple 2 percent slope in grassland at an elevation of 2,536 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted). Described on August 21, 1980.

A1--0 to 5 cm; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; few fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 23 cm)

A2--5 to 15 cm; dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; few fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 20 cm thick)

BA--15 to 30 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; few fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 51 cm thick)

Bt1--30 to 53 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few large pores; common prominent clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual smooth boundary.

Bt2--53 to 76 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common prominent clay films on faces of peds; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons is 38 to 76 cm)

C--76 to 91 cm; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) sandy clay loam; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (20 to 30 cm thick)

R--91 cm; sandstone bedrock that is fractured and weathered in the top 5 to 8 cm.

TYPE LOCATION: Dolores County, Colorado; about 29 kilometers north of Dolores; located about 670 meters west and 137 meters south of the northeast corner of Sec. 35, T. 40 N., R. 16 W.; Narraguinnep Mountain USGS quad; lat. 37 degrees, 41 minutes, 22 seconds N. and long. 108 degrees, 34 minutes, 56 seconds W., NAD 27

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 5 to 8 degrees C
Depth to lithic contact - 50 to 100 cm
Mollic epipedon thickness - 18 to 40 cm
Particle-size control section:
Clay content - 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 30 percent sandstone gravel or channers, cobbles or flagstones, and stones

A horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3, 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 14 to 32 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent; 0 to 35 percent gravel or channers, 0 to 20 percent cobbles or flagstones, 0 to 10 percent stones
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3

BA horizon (where present)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3, 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture: clay loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent; 0 to 35 percent gravel or channers, 0 to 20 percent cobbles or flagstones, 0 to 10 percent stones
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3

Bt horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4, 5, or 6 dry; 3, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3, 4, 6, or 8 dry or moist
Texture: clay loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent; 0 to 35 percent gravel or channers, 0 to 20 percent cobbles or flagstones, 0 to 10 percent stones
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3

C horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry or moist
Chroma: 4, 6, or 8 dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent; 0 to 35 percent gravel or channers, 0 to 20 percent cobbles or flagstones, 0 to 10 percent stones
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3

COMPETING SERIES:
Absarook (MT) - have a calcic horizon
Archmesa (CO) - have angular extrusive igneous rock fragments; formed in andesite
Beartooth (MT) - are very deep; have a calcic horizon
Beeno (WY) - have a paralithic contact; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Bielenberg (MT) - have a paralithic contact above a lithic contact; formed in granite
Bitterroot MT) - have a paralithic contact; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Bookcliff (UT) - are deep; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Bullflat (SD) - are very deep; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Burtoner (MT) - have a paralithic contact above a lithic contact; formed in granite
Clancy (MT) - have a paralithic contact above a lithic contact; formed in granite
Clasoil (MT) - are very deep
Dooley (MT) - are very deep; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Doughty (MT) - are very deep; have a calcic horizon
Empedrado (CO) - are deep; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Fairfield (MT) - are very deep; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Farnuf (MT) - are very deep; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Farside (MT) - are very deep
Felor (SD) - are very deep; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Floak (UT) - have a calcic horizon
Greenway (SD) - are very deep; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Gurney (SD) - have calcium carbonate accumulation
Hangdo (UT) - are very deep
Hoppers (MT) - have a paralithic contact above a lithic contact
Hyalite (MT) - are very deep; have a skeletal substratum
Jeffcity - have a paralithic contact; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Kokoruda (MT) - are very deep
Livona (ND) - are very deep
Martinsdale (MT) - are very deep; have a calcic horizon
Maudlin (CO) - is dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 45 consecutive days immediately after July 15
Meagher (MT) - are very deep; have a calcic horizon
Moen (CO) - have granitic rock fragments; formed in granite
Perrypark (CO) - are very deep; have hue redder than 7.5YR
Pianohill (MT) - have angular lahar breccia rock fragments; formed in volcanic mudflow breccia
Placerton (MT) - have a paralithic contact above a lithic contact; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Reeder (ND) - have a paralithic contact; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Reedwest (MT) - have a paralithic contact; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Sipple (MT) - are very deep; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Snakejohn (UT) - are deep; have a calcic horizon
Sponseller (AZ) - are deep; have hue redder than 7.5YR
Trag (CO) - are very deep
Tragmon (CO) - are very deep
Trazuni (NM) - are very deep
Trujillo (CO) - are very deep
Ulrant (WY) - are deep; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Vida (MT) - are very deep; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Watne (MT) - are very deep; have a calcic horizon
Watrous (ND) - have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation; formed in calcareous sedimentary rock
Wemple (MT) - are deep; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Williams (ND) - are very deep; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Yegen (MT) - are very deep; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - dip slopes, structural benches, mountain slopes and landslides
Elevation- 2,378 to 2,743 m
Slope - 0 to 35 percent
Parent material - slope alluvium, colluvium and landslide deposits over residuum derived from sandstone
Mean annual air temperature - 4 to 7 degrees
Mean annual precipitation - 457 to 609 mm
Precipitation pattern - evenly distributed throughout the year with peak periods in summer (July and August).
Frost-free period - 75 to 100 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Detra, Jemco, and Fughes series.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Moento soils are used mainly for rangeland, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Native vegetation is mainly Arizona fescue, prairie Junegrass, mountain muhly, needle and thread, elk sedge, Gambel oak and ponderosa pine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Moento soils are of moderate extent in southwestern Colorado. MLRA 48A.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Animas-Dolores Area, Colorado, Parts of Archuleta, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Montezuma, San Juan, and San Miguel Counties, 2002.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 30 cm (A1, A2, and BA horizons)
Argillic horizon - from 30 to 76 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Lithic contact - at 76 cm
Particle-size control section - from 30 to 76 cm. (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)

Moento soils have a frigid soil temperature regime and an ustic soil moisture regime.

Note: In this pedon it is assumed the A1 horizon displays the greatest amount of eluviation and that the clay increase, required for a diagnostic argillic horizon, is measured from the A1 horizon to the Bt1 horizon.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.