LOCATION REDCLOUD COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Ustic Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Redcloud channery loam, grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--O to 12 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) channery loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure that parts to very fine granules; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 15 percent rock fragments; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
B2--12 to 22 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) channery loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; peds are hard, very friable; 20 percent rock fragments; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (7 to 20 inches thick)
C1ca--22 to 36 inches; very pale brown (1OYR 7/3) channery loam, brown (1OYR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 25 percent rock fragments; visible calcium carbonate occurring as nodules and as coatings on rock fragments; calcareous; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
C2cs--36 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) channery loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 20 percent rock fragments; visible secondary calcium carbonate occurring as nodules and as coatings on coarse fragments; calcareous; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Saguache County, Colorado; SW1/4 of Sec. 10, T. 46 N., R. 2 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The Redcloud soils have cambic horizons that are noncalcareous in at least some part, or have characteristics of the mollic epipedon in horizons that are equivalent to cambic horizons. Depth to uniformly calcareous material ranges from 10 to 30 inches but should be less than one-half the thickness of the mollic epipedon. Exchangeable sodium ranges from less than 1 to 14 percent in the A and B2 horizons but exceeds 15 percent in the Cca horizon below depth of 20 inches in some pedons. Depth to continuous subhorizons of genetically concentrated visible secondary calcium carbonate and/or sulfate ranges from 12 to 30 inches. The control section is usually channery loam or channery clay loam, and the fine earth fraction has 18 to 35 percent clay, 20 to 55 percent silt, and 20 to 55 percent sand, with less than 35 percent being fine or coarser sand. Rock fragments range from 15 to 35 percent in a major part of the control section, and are mainly less than 3 inches in diameter but range from 1/8 to 10 inches in diameter. The mean annual soil temperature is 38 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature is 54 degrees F.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3. It ranges from slightly acid to mildly alkaline.
The B2 horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 6. It ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR. It is moderately or strongly alkaline. Calcium carbonate equivalent of the fine earth ranges from 3 to 14 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Auzqui, Babb, Bynum, Dewville, Emerald, Promontory, Tampico, Teton, Thayne, Tilton, and Wrenman series. Bynum, Promontory, Teton, and Wrenman soils have bedrock at depths of less than 40 inches. Emerald and Tampico soils are noncalcareous throughout, and lack continuous subhorizons of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation. Auzqui soils have no cambic horizon or mollic epipedons having properties equivalent to cambic horizons and are calcareous at or near the surface. Babb soils have calcic horizons. Dewville soils have more than 35 percent fine or coarser sand in the upper part of the control section and have sandy loam C horizons with less than 18 percent clay. Thayne soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the control section and have a bulk calcium carbonate equivalent including coarse fragments of more than 8 percent in most subhorizons of the control section. Tilton soils are similar but have less than 15 percent coarse fragments in a major part of the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Redcloud soils are on terraces, till plains, alluvial fans, and valley side slopes. Slope gradients range from 5 to more than 40 percent. The soils formed in transported sediments derived primarily from rhyolite, rhyolitic tuff, or similar rocks. At the type location the average annual precipitation is 12 inches, with peak periods of precipitation during the spring and summer. The mean annual temperature is 34 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature is 55 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gateview and Cebolia soils. Gateview soils have mollic epipedons more than 16 inches thick, and have more than 35 percent coarse fragments. Cebolia soils have fine textured argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally as native pastureland. Native vegetation is mainly big sagebrush, dryland sedge, and slim stem muhly.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of central Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Saguache County, Colorado, 1974.
REMARKS: Last updated by the state 2/75.