LOCATION MOOSED COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, frigid Lithic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Moosed loamy fine sand, on a southwest-facing convex, 3 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 7,560 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Al--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) loamy fine sand, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (l to 3 inches thick)
A2--2 to 7 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) loamy fine sand, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to ll inches thick)
Bwl--7 to ll inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) loamy fine sand, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bw2--ll to l5 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) loamy fine sand, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
C--l5 to l8 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) channery sand, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive, soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; l5 percent channers, 5 percent flagstones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
R--l8 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) hard sandstone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Moffat County, Colorado; about l0 miles northeast of Dinosaur, Colorado; located about l,000 feet north and 200 feet east of the southwest corner of Sec. 27, T. 5 N., R. 102 W.; Lat. 40 degrees, 21 minutes, 5 seconds N. Long. 108 degrees, 51 minutes, 5 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is moist in all parts for 30 to 45 consecutive days in April and May, dry in all parts from July through mid-September, and moist in some but not all parts in October through March. It is dry in all parts more than half the time (cumulative) that the soil temperature immediately above bedrock is above 4l degrees F.; Ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 42 to 45 degrees F
Mean annual summer soil temperature: 63 to 68 degrees F
Depth to lithic contact: 7 to 20 inches to sandstone
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 7 to 14 inches
A horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bw horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: LS or LFS
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
C horizon: (when present)
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: S, FS, LS, LFS
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent including 0 to 20 percent flagstones
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: residuum and colluvium derived from sandstone
Landform: plateaus
Slopes: 1 to 20 percent
Elevation: 7,200 to 8,000 feet
Mean annual temperature: 42 to 45 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 13 to 15 inches
Precipitation pattern: precipitation is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year except for a 25 percent decline in July and August
Frost-free period: 75 to 95 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Emlin, Layoint, and Maybell series. The Emlin soils are very deep and have an argillic horizon. The Layoint soils are moderately deep. The Maybell soils are very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: excessively drained, negligible to very low runoff, rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Potential native vegetation is needleandthread, Indian ricegrass, Sandburg bluegrass, antelope bitterbrush, and Wyoming big sage.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Colorado; LRR D, MLRA 34; This series is of minor extent.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Moffat county, Colorado, Moffat County soil survey area. The name is coined from Moose Head Mountain located just south of the type location.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 11 inches. (A1 and A2 horizons)
Lithic contact: The contact with hard sandstone at 18 inches. (R horizon)
Taxonomic Version: Seventh Edition, 1996.