LOCATION NIMERICK COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Typic Haplocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Nimerick loam - Subalpine grass park. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 5 percent pebbles and few cobbles; medium acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
Bw--6 to 15 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 10 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobble; medium acid; clear wavy boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
BC--15 to 27 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) channery loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 15 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles; medium acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (9 to 15 inches thick)
R--27 inches; hard bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Garfield County, Colorado; (Flat Tops Soil Survey Area), approximately 2,000 feet west and 1,650 feet north of the southeast corner of Sec. 14, T. 3 S., R. 90 W. in an unsectionized area of the Flat Tops Wilderness Area. U.S.G.S. Blair Mountain quad.; Lat. 39 degrees, 47 minutes, 21 seconds N.; Long. 107 degrees, 27 minutes, 25 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is about 39 to 44 degrees F. Mean summer soil temperature ranges from 43 to 47 degrees F. The particle-size control section is loam, clay loam or sandy clay loam with clay ranging from 18 to 30 percent. Coarse fragments range from 5 to 25 percent in the particle-size control section with pebbles dominant. The solum is medium acid or slightly acid. Depth to bedrock is 20 to 40 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 through 6, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4.
The B and BC horizons have hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, values of 4 through 6, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 through 6.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chetaslina (AK), Knep (ID), Pineisle (CO), and Ripple (CO) series. Chetaslina, Pineisle, and Ripple soils lack bedrock above depths of 40 inches. Knep soils have a paralithic contact above a depth of 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nimerick soils are on high plateaus and flat mountain tops. Slopes range from 1 to 25 percent. The soils formed in mixed medium to moderately fine textured materials from basalt, limestone and sandstone. Elevation ranges from 10,000 to 11,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 28 to 35 inches, the majority of which is received as snow. Mean annual temperature is 36 to 40 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Causewa, Clinetop, Heterwa, the competing Pineisle soil, and Packtrail soils. The Causewa and Packtrail soils have umbric epipedons. The Clinetop soils have lithic contacts at 10 to 20 inch depths. Heterwa soils have Dystric reactions in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Nimerick soils are used for wildlife habitat, recreation and limited late summer grazing. Native vegetation include open areas of subalpine to alpine grasses with some small areas of encroaching spruce and fir trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous subalpine and alpine areas of western Colorado. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Flat Tops Soil Survey Area of the Flat Tops Wilderness, Garfield County, Colorado, 1984.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features include a cambic horizon from 6 to 15 inches, and hard bedrock at 27 inches but ranging from 20 to 40 inches. Last updated by the state 5/94.