LOCATION NEES COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Lithic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Nees very cobbly loam, on a south east facing, in pinyon woodland at an elevation of 8050 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on August 25, 2003 the soil was dry. The surface is covered by 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones.
A1--0 to 1 inch; brown (7.5YR 5/3) very cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common medium, and many very fine roots throughout; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral, pH 6.8; clear smooth boundary.
A2--1 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely cobbly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine, and common medium roots throughout; 40 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral, pH 6.8; clear irregular boundary.
Bt--3 to 11 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) extremely cobbly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; 19 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine, and common medium roots throughout; common very fine dendritic tubular pores; 40 percent faint clay films on faces of peds; 40 percent gravel, 40 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; slightly acid, pH 6.6; abrupt irregular boundary.
R--11 inches; hard fractured diorite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Montezuma County, Colorado; about 6 miles west of Towaoc; located about 200 feet west and 800 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 33, T. 35 N., R. 18 W.; Mariano Wash East USGS quad; lat. 37 degrees 14 minutes 32.7 seconds N. and long. 108 degrees 49 minutes 42.3 seconds W., NAD 83
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is aridic ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 48 to 52 degrees F
Depth to lithic contact: 6 to 20 inches to diorite or similar bedrock
Depth to argillic horizon: 2 to 15 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 90 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture, fine earth fraction: loam
Clay content: 10 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 90 percent
Reaction: Slightly acid to neutral
Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 90 percent
Reaction: Slightly acid to neutral
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Chunkmonk,
Longburn,
Obeknob, and
Timpoweap series.
Chunkmonk soils have a calcic horizon with 15 to 38 percent calcium carbonate equivalent.
Longburn soils are developed from and are over sandstone.
Obeknob soils have more clay (25 to 35 percent) in the particle size control section.
Timpoweap soils are over limestone, have frost-free days of less than 120, and have secondary carbonates described in the typical pedon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: Residuum derived from diorite and similar igneous rocks
Landform: Mountain slopes, and ridges.
Slopes: 35 to 90 percent
Elevation: 6,800 to 8,800 feet, higher elevations on south aspects
Mean annual temperature: 46 to 50 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 13 to 16 inches
Precipitation pattern: Uniform with slight dip in May and June and slight increase in July and August.
Frost-free period: 100 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Wetoe, Katzine and Rock Outcrop series. The Wetoe and Katzine soils very deep and are on mountain slopes and colluvial area. The Rock Outcrop is on ridges and cliff faces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, rapid runoff, slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The area is used for watersheds and wildlife habit with pinyon pine and sparse Utah juniper. With increasing elevation, the juniper is replaced with a shrub community of serviceberry, mountain mahogany and thin stands of Gambel Oak
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sleeping Ute Mountain, southwest Colorado; MLRA 36; small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Montezuma County, Colorado, 2005; Ute Mountain soil survey area, parts of Colorado and New Mexico. The name is coined from the location near the knees of Sleeping Ute Mountain.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Series control section: The zone from 0 to 11 inches.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 0 to 11 inches. (A1, A2, Bt horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 3 inches. (A horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 3 to 11 inches. (Bt horizon)
Lithic contact: The contact with Diorite at 11 inches. (R horizons)
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.
This series extends to higher elevations than is typical for this moisture class on steep south facing slopes of Sleeping Ute Mountain with high winter solar radiation.
Keys to Soil Taxonomy Ninth Edition, 2003.