LOCATION PAYTER COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Cumulic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Payter sandy loam, on a west southwest facing, simple, 8 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 6,650 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) Described on June 18, 1984.
A1--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure that parts to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and few medium roots; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; carbonates are disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary.
A2--3 to 6 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and few medium roots; strongly effervescent; carbonates are disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary.
A3--6 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and few medium roots; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; carbonates are disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the A horizons is 5 to 40 inches)
C1--11 to 17 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; violently effervescent; carbonates are disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 30 inches thick)
C2--17 to 39 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure that parts to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; violently effervescent; carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 24 inches thick)
C3--39 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure that parts to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; violently effervescent; carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Montezuma County, Colorado; about 11 miles southeast of Cahone; about 3,100 feet east and 3,800 feet south of the northwest corner of section 34, T.39N., R.16W.; Trimble Point USGS Quad.; lat. 37 degrees, 35 minutes, 36 seconds N.; and long. 108 degrees, 36 minutes, 01 seconds W. NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: ustic bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 49 to 53 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 60 to 66 degrees F.
Depth to carbonates: 0 to 20 inches
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 20 to 60 inches
Organic carbon content: 2 to 4 percent in the surface and decreases irregularly with depth below 10 inches.
Particle-size control section (weighted averages):
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Gravel content: 0 to 10 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Texture: SL, FSL
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent sandstone gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 2 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: SL, FSL
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent sandstone gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 4 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: Current competitors are the Haozous and Maseeya series. Probable additional competitors are the Janude and Paymaster series.
Haozous and Masseeya: have more than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section and formed in parent material derived from granite, gneiss, and schist.
Janude soils have an ustic moisture regime bordering on udic
Paymaster: have sandy or sandy-skeletal substratum below 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium derived from sandstone.
Landform: alluvial fans
Slopes: 3 to 15 percent
Elevation: 6,000 to 7,000 feet
Mean annual air temperature: 47 to 50 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 13 to 15 inches
Wettest months: July and August receive slightly more precipitation than other months.
Driest months: May and June receive the least precipitation.
Frost-free period: 110 to 145 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Apmay, Dalmatian, Schrader, and Umbarg series.
Apmay soils have finer textured upper particle-size control sections, are somewhat poorly drained, and are on river terraces and valley floors.
Dalmatian soils are fine-loamy, are moderately well drained, and are on river terraces and valley floors.
Schrader soils are poorly drained and are on river terraces and valley floors.
Umbarg soils are fine-loamy, are moderately well drained and are on low stream terraces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained, low to medium runoff, moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and recreation. The native vegetation consists of basin big sagebrush, western wheatgrass, prairie Junegrass, blue grama, needleandthread, skunkbush sumac, Gambel oakbrush, pinyon and juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Colorado. LRR D, MLRA 39. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dolores County, Animas-Dolores area. Colorado. 1997. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 39 inches. (A1, A2, A3, C1, and C2 horizons)
Cumulic feature: The mollic epipedon is 39 inches thick and organic carbon decreases irregularly with depth.
Keys to Soil Taxonomy: Series classified according to Eighth Edition, 1998.