LOCATION NINOT COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, carbonatic, frigid Aridic Calciustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ninot very gravelly loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; 40 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; 1.3 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
A2--3 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate coarse granular structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 25 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; 14 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bw--7 to 10 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 25 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; 25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bk1--10 to 13 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 25 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; 45 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; calcium carbonate disseminated; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bk2--13 to 26 inches; white (10YR 8/2) gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 25 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; 55 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; calcium carbonate disseminated; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
Bk3--26 to 32 inches; white (10YR 8/2) gravelly loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 25 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; 45 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; calcium carbonate disseminated; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bk4--32 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 25 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; 40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; calcium carbonate disseminated; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Moffat County, Colorado; about 6 miles southeast of Elk Springs; about 2,500 feet west and 500 feet south of northeast corner of section 27, T. 5 N., R. 98 W.; longitude 108 degrees, 23 minutes, 18 seconds west; latitude 40 degrees, 21 minutes, 39 seconds north.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 44 to 46 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature is 59 to 65 degrees F. The soil moisture control section is dry 60 percent or more of the time when the temperature at 20 inches is greater than 41 degrees F. The mollic epipedon is 7 to 10 inches thick. Secondary calcium carbonate (calcic) is at a depth of 10 to 20 inches. The particle-size control section averages 40 to 55 percent calcium carbonate equivalent. Hue is 2.5YR or 10YR. The particle-size control section averages 15 to 35 percent rock fragments.
The A horizon has a value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3.
The Bw and Bk horizons have value of 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4, and textures of gravelly loam or gravelly clay loam. Clay content ranges from 18 to 30 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Niart(T)(MT) series. Niart soils have a loamy-skeletal 2C horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Ninot soils are on foot slopes. These soils formed in colluvium derived from sandstone and basal conglomerate. Slopes range from 15 to 45 percent. Elevation is 6,800 to 8,100 feet. Mean annual precipitation is 13 to 15 inches, and mean annual temperature is 42 to 45 degrees F. Frost-free season is 75 to 95 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Evanot, Forelle, Grapit, Kemmerer, Morapos, Moyerson, Pinelli, and Rentsac soils. Evanot, Forelle, Kemmerer, Morapos, and Pinelli soils lacks carbonatic mineralogy. Grapit and Rentsac soils are in loamy-skeletal particle-size control sections. Moyerson soils have a fine textured control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability; medium runoff.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Vegetation consists of needleandthread grass, Letterman needlegrass, streambank wheatgrass, prairie junegrass, Nevada bluegrass,and mountain big sage.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Foot slopes of northwest Colorado. The soil is of moderate extent. Total area is about 23,000 acres.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Moffat County (Moffat County Area), Colorado, 1991.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from 0 to 7 inches; calcic horizon - the zone from 10 to 60 inches; carbonatic mineralogy that is about 40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent from 10 to 60 inches; aridic feature - soil is dry for 0.6 or more of the time. Last updated by the state 3/91.