LOCATION MONTE CO+WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Typic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Monte loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 7 inches; light brownish gray (7.5YR 6/2) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; moderate fine platy in lower part; slightly hard, very friable; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
AC--7 to 16 inches; light brownish gray (7.5YR 6/2) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
C1ca--16 to 27 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; calcareous; some visible calcium carbonate in fine seams; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 40 inches thick)
C2--27 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (7.5 6/2) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Rio Grande County, Colorado; 1,400 feet east and 100 feet south of the NW corner of Sec. 14, T. 40 N., R. 5 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 43 to 46 degrees F.; mean summer soil temperature ranges from 60 to 64 degrees F. Depth to calcareous material ranges from 0 to 10 inches. The soils range from neutral to strongly alkaline. The control section averages 0 to 5 percent gypsum. Exchangeable sodium ranges from 0 to 15 percent and conductivity ranges from 0 to 14 millimhos above a depth of 24 inches except that thin subhorizons totaling less than 4 inches in thickness and containing more than 15 percent exchangeable sodium or with conductivity exceeding 14 millimhos occur inconsistently in some pedons. The particle-size control section averages 15 to 35 percent fine or coarser sand and 0 to 15 percent rock fragments that range mainly in diameter from 1 to 10 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3.
The C horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the (T) Garsid series. Garsid soils have a paralithic contact of loamstone and shale between depths of 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Monte soils are on fans and flood plains. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. They formed in medium textured alluvium from rhyolite and latite rocks. The average annual precipitation is 7 to 9 inches, with peak periods of precipitation in the summer months. Average annual temperature is 41 to 44 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Garita and the Luhon soils. Garita soils have calcic horizons. Luhon soils have a mollic epipedon and calcic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for irrigated cropland and for native rangeland. The native vegetation is blue grama, Indian ricegrass, western wheatgrass, and rabbitbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: High intermountain valleys of southern Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rio Grande County Area, Colorado, 1972.
REMARKS: Last updated by the state 5/81.
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Lakewood MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.