LOCATION PARLIN CO+WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic Ustic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Parlin gravelly loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--O to 7 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 30 percent pebbles; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
B1--7 to 11 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure that parts to fine granules; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; peds are hard, friable; thin clay films on some peds and on coarse fragments; 30 percent pebbles; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
B2t--11 to 25 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly heavy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium angular and subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; peds are extremely hard, firm; thin nearly continuous clay films on peds and in root channels and pores; 30 percent pebbles and some stones; mildly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (7 to 18 inches thick)
B3--25 to 31 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly light clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; peds are extremely hard, friable; thin clay films on peds and in some root channels and pores; 30 percent pebbles and some stones; mildly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
IICca--31 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (1OYR 6/2) very stony loam, grayish brown (lOYR 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 70 percent stones; visible secondary calcium carbonate occurring as nodules and as coatings on the rock fragments; calcareous; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Gunnison County, Colorado; NW1/4 of the SE1/4 of Sec. 22, T. 49 N., R. 2 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Base saturation ranges from 60 to 100 percent. Depth to calcareous material normally ranges from 10 to 40 inches. Depth to the loamy-skeletal material ranges from 15 to 40 inches. Depth to continuous subhorizons of visible secondary calcium carbonate ranges from 12 to 40 inches. Rock fragments range from 0 to 35 percent by volume in a major part of the solum and from 35 to 80 percent in the lower part of the solum or the IIC horizon. They are mainly 1/8 to 10 inches in diameter in the solum and are mainly 10 to 24 inches in diameter in the IIC horizon but are channery or flaggy in some pedons. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 42 to 46 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature ranges 56 to 59 degrees F.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It ranges from slightly acid to mildly alkaline.
The B2t horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 6. It is typically gravelly heavy clay loam or gravelly clay and the fine earth fraction has 35 to 50 percent clay, 5 to 40 percent silt and 15 to 55 percent sand, with more than 15 percent being fine or coarser sand. This horizon ranges from slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 6 or 7, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam in the fine earth fraction and has less than 35 percent clay. This horizon is moderately or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no known competing series in this family. A closely related soil is the Valleono series. Valleono soils have sandy-skeletal material in the substratum or IIC horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Parlin soils are on hills and ridges. Slope gradients range from 2 to 40 percent. The soils formed in locally transported sediments from rhyolite or similar rock. The average annual precipitation is 15 to 17 inches, with peak periods of precipitation is 15 to 17 inches, with peak periods of precipitation during the spring and summer. The mean annual temperature is 36 to 42 degrees F., mean summer temperature is 55 to 60 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Curencanti and Passar soils. Curecanti soils have argillic horizons with less than 35 percent clay and more than 35 percent coarse fragments. Passer soils have very stony clay B2t horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally as native pastureland. Native vegetation is mainly big sagebrush, needleandthread grass, Arizona fescue, and Indian ricegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountain areas of central Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gunnison County, Colorado, 1974.
REMARKS: Last updated by the state 5/81.