LOCATION NEIBERGER COTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Calciargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Neiberger loam, on a northwest facing, summit, 6 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 4880 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine to coarse roots throughout; 2.0 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; strongly effervescent throughout; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
A2--2 to 5 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium platy parting to weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine to coarse roots throughout; 5.0 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; strongly effervescent throughout; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bt--5 to 12 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky, plastic; common fine to medium roots throughout; thin continuous clay films on ped faces; 2.0 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; strongly effervescent throughout; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Btk--12 to 20 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) silty clay loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky, plastic; common fine to medium roots throughout; thin patchy clay films on ped faces; 20.0 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; carbonates consist of soft masses; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Bk--20 to 24 inches; pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) silty clay loam, pink (7.5YR 8/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky, plastic; few fine to medium roots throughout; 45.0 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; matrix is engulfed by calcium carbonate masses; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
C--24 to 30 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) clay loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) moist; massive structure; hard, friable, very sticky, plastic; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Cr--30 inches; shale
TYPE LOCATION: Mesa County, Colorado; about 10 miles west of Mack, Colorado; located about 750 feet north and 2300 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 7, T. 10 S., R. 104 W.; Bitter Creek Well, Utah-Colo USGS quad; lat. 39 degrees 11 minutes 48 seconds N. and long. 109 degrees 2 minutes 31 seconds W., NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is affected by precipitation that falls evenly throughout the year with a slight increase in late summer and early fall. Typic aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 52 to 56 degrees F
Depth to argillic horizon: 3 to 8 inches
Depth to calcic horizon: 8 to 16 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: fine sandy loam and loam
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Btk and Bk horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 8 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: silty clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 35 percent; a thin layer directly above the contact may be as high as 45 percent.
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
C horizon: (when present)
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 8 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 40 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cataract, Chattin, Mack, Mesa, and Nannyton series. Chattin, Mack, Mesa, and Nannyton soils are very deep. Cataract soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact with hard sandstone and have hues redder than 7.5YR.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: Eolian deposits over residuum derived from shale
Landform: Summits, shoulders, sideslopes, and footslopes of hills
Slopes: 3 to 25 percent
Elevation: 4500 to 5000 feet
Mean annual temperature: 50 to 54 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 7 to 10 inches
Frost-free period: 150 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Killpack, Kompace, and Norkiki series. The Killpack soils lack a calcic horizon and are on the steeper sideslopes. The Kompace soils are shallow to a petrocalcic horizon. The Norkiki soils lack a calcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium to rapid runoff, moderately slow and slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are rangeland, wildlife habitat, and recreation. The native vegetation consists of needleandthread, Indian ricegrass, galleta, and shadscale.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West Central, Colorado; LRR D, MLRA 34; This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Mesa County, Colorado, Mesa County soil survey area, Colorado. The name coined .
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 5 to 20 inches. (Bt and Btk horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 5 inches. (A1 and A2 horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 5 to 20 inches. (Bt and Btk horizons)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 12 to 24 inches. (Btk and Bk horizons)
Paralithic contact: The contact with shale at 30 inches. (Cr layer)
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.
Taxonomic Version: Eighth Edition 1998