LOCATION MONTEZ                  CO+MT

Established Series
Rev. MBM-GM-KLS
03/2023

MONTEZ SERIES

The Montez series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in granite colluvium. Montez soils are on mountain slopes and have slopes of 15 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 580 mm, and the mean annual air temperature is about 4 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Ustic Palecryalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Montez sandy loam - forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 3 cm; undecomposed pine needles, twigs, and grass.

Oe--3 to 5 cm; partially decomposed pine needles, twigs, and grass.

A--5 to 23 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 23 cm thick)

E--23 to 61 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (30 to 46 cm thick)

E/B--61 to 76 cm; mixed light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) heavy sandy loam (composite texture), brown (10YR 4/3) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 60 percent of material is similar to that of the overlying horizon; the B material is in pockets surrounded by E material in the upper part of the horizon and the E material is in pockets surrounded by B material in the lower part; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)

Bt1--76 to 96 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 50 cm thick)

Bt2--96 to 109 cm; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) gravelly sandy clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; 30 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 25 cm thick)

C--109 to 134 cm; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) very gravelly loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 50 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4). (0 to 8 cm thick)

R--134 cm; granite.

TYPE LOCATION: Huerfano County, Colorado; about 770 meters west and 90 meters north of SE corner of sec. 33, T. 26 S., R. 72 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--3 to 7 degrees C
Mean summer soil temperature--7 to 8 degrees C
Depth to lithic contact--more than 100 cm
Depth to top of argillic horizon--60 to 90 cm
Rock fragment content--15 to 35 percent in the particle-size control section and increasing to 25 to 60 percent below the Bt horizon; mainly less than 75 mm in diameter.

A horizon
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--3 through 5 dry, 1 through 3 moist
Chroma--2 or 3

E horizon
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma-2 through 4

The E/B horizon has colors of both the E and Bt horizons.

Bt horizon
Hue--10YR or 7.5YR
Value--5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma--4 through 6
Clay content--18 to 35 percent
Sand content--40 to 75 percent

C horizon, when present
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Reaction--pH 6.1 to 7.8

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Fitzgerald, Hub, Loggert, and Rimton series. Fitzgerald and Loggert soils average more than 35 percent rock fragments in a major part of the solum. Hub and Rimton soils have an argillic horizon with the upper boundary within a depth of 60 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--mountain slopes
Elevation--2750 to 3050 meters
Slope--15 to 50 percent
Parent material--colluvium derived from granite
Climate--cold and dry
Mean annual precipitation--510 to 640 mm
Mean annual air temperature--2 to 6 degrees C
Frost-free period--40 to 60 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for forestry, recreation and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is mainly ponderosa pine, aspen, Engelman spruce, Douglas-fir, with an understory of common juniper, snowberry, Arizona fescue, nodding brome, and pussytoes.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Montez soils are of small extent in the mountains of southcentral Colorado and southwestern Montana; MLRAs 43B and 48A.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Huerfano County, Colorado; 1980

REMARKS: Converted to metric and O horizons were updated to start at zero. Competing series section was not updated. 02/2023

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.