LOCATION PEAGRE COTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Calcigypsids
TYPICAL PEDON: Peagre channery loam - range. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) channery sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 20 percent channers; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
Bk1--3 to 6 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) channery sandy clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 15 percent channers; visible calcium carbonate occurs in seams and as pendants on rock fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary.
Bk2--6 to 14 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) channery sandy clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 25 percent channers; visible calcium carbonate occurs in seams and on pendants on rock fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness 10 to 15 inches)
By1--14 to 20 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 5 percent channers; visible gypsum crystals throughout; top inch is slightly effervescent, the lower 5 inches is noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary.
By2--20 to 25 inches; white (10YR 8/2) channery fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 20 percent channers; visible gypsum crystals throughout; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary.
By3--25 to 28 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very channery fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 30 percent channers, 10 percent flagstones; visible gypsum crystals throughout; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4). (Combined thickness 8 to 16 inches)
R--28 inches; hard sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Montrose County, Colorado; about 1,700 feet south and 200 feet east of the northwest corner of Sec. 8, T. 50 N., R. 11 W. Latitude 38 degrees, 37 minutes, 14 seconds N.; longitude 108 degrees, 07 minutes, 36 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 52 to 54 degrees F. Depth to bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to calcareous material ranges from 0 to 6 inches. Rock fragments in the particle size control section range from 5 to 30 percent. Clay ranges from 6 to 18 percent in the particle size control section. Some pedons may have a soft shale layer above the hard sandstone.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7, 3 through 6 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6.
The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 6 through 8, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 4. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 20 to 35 percent. Gypsum content ranges from 0 to 5 percent.
The By horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 6 through 8, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Gypsum content ranges from 35 to 55 percent. Calcium carbonate equivalent is typically below 5 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: There are the Brimhall and Jornaham soils. Brimhall and Jornaham soils have bedrock deeper than 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Peagre soils are on mesa tops. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. The soils formed in residuum weathered from interbedded sandstone and shale. Average annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches. About one-half the precipitation falls between April and September, with May and June being the driest months. The average annual temperature ranges from 50 to 52 degrees F. Elevation ranges from 5,200 to 5,700 feet. Frost free period ranges 140 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hoovers and Roatcap soils. Hoovers soils have a lithic contact above 20 inches. Roatcap soils have a skeletal particle size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally for winter rangeland. The dominant native vegetation consists of galleta, saline wildrye, Indian ricegrass, and shadscale.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Peagre soils occur in western Colorado. The series is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Montrose County, Colorado, 1986, Ridgway Soil Survey Area. The name is coined from a nearby community.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include a calcic horizon from 3 to 14 inches; a gypsic horizon from 14 to 28 inches; and a lithic contact at 28 inches. Last updated by the state 5/94.