LOCATION ROSEGULCH CO
Established Series
PRR-KLS-EED
03/2026
ROSEGULCH SERIES
Depth class: Very deep
Drainage class: Well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: Low (0.04 to 0.004 cm/hr)
Parent material: Thin human-transported material over clayey loess
Geomorphic location: Fills and other leveled areas on loess-mantled plains or strath terraces
Slope range: 0 to 10 percent
Mean annual temperature: 11 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation: 405 millimeters
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Torrertic Haplustepts
Typical Pedon: Rosegulch clay loam, 4 percent slope on a loess-mantled plain under cultivated grass in a park, at an elevation of 1,689 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
^A--0 to 12 centimeters; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; many very fine and common fine roots throughout; noneffervescent, neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary (5 to 20 centimeters thick)
^Bw--12 to 29 centimeters; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky parting to moderate medium granular structure; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots throughout; finely disseminated free carbonates throughout the matrix; 10 percent fine gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary (15 to 25 centimeters thick)
2Bk1--29 to 66 centimeters; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silty clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; finely disseminated free carbonates and 8 percent medium, irregular carbonate masses throughout the matrix; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary
2Bk2--66 to 106 centimeters; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; finely disseminated free carbonates and 5 percent medium irregular carbonate masses throughout the matrix; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary (Combined thickness of the 2B horizons is 80 to centimeters)
2Ck--106 to 200 centimeters; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; moderately hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; finely disseminated free carbonates and 1 percent fine threads of carbonate throughout the matrix; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6)
Type Location:
Denver County, Colorado; located in the southwestern part of Hampden Heights Park
USGS Quadrangle: Englewood
Latitude: 39.6548611
Longitude: -104.8818139
Datum: WGS84
Coordinate source: Hand-held GPS
Range in Characteristics:
Thickness of human-transported material: less than 50 centimeters
Depth to bedrock: Greater than 150 centimeters
Depth to seasonal high water table: 90 to greater than 150 centimeters
Linear extensibility: From 6.0 and 10.0 between 0 and 100 centimeters
Soil reaction: Neutral to moderately alkaline (pH 7.2 to 8.4)
Depth to free carbonates:10 to 200 centimeters
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content--40 to 50 percent
Sand content--10 to 20 percent
Rock fragment content--0 to 5 percent
^A horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--4 to 6 dry; 1 or 3 moist
Chroma--3 to 5 dry; 2 to 4 moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)-- clay loam, silty clay, silty clay loam
Clay content--28 to 40 percent
Rock fragments--0 to 15 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent--0 to 5 percent
Reaction--Neutral to moderately alkaline (pH 7.2 to 8.0)
^C horizons, when present:
Hue--10YR
Value--3 to 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma--1 to 4 dry; 2 to 4 moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)-- clay, silty clay, silty clay loam
Clay content--35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments--0 to 5 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent--0 to 5 percent
Reaction--Slightly to moderately alkaline (pH 7.6 to 8.2)
2Bw, 2Bwb horizons:
Hue--2.5Y or 10YR
Value--4 to 6 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Chroma--3 to 5 moist or dry
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--clay, clay loam, silty clay loam
Clay content--28 to 55 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--2 to 10 percent
Reaction--Slightly to moderately alkaline (pH 7.6 to 8.2)
2Bkb horizons:
Hue--2.5Y or 10YR
Value--4 to 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma--3 to 6 dry; 2 to 6 moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--clay, silty clay, silty clay loam
Clay content--35 to 50 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 14 percent
Reaction--Slightly to moderately alkaline (pH 7.6 to 8.4)
2Ck horizons:
Hue--2.5Y or 10YR
Value--4 to 6 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Chroma--4 to 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--Silty clay loam, silty clay, clay
Clay content--38 to 50 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 14 percent
Reaction--Slightly to moderately alkaline (pH 7.6 to 8.4)
Competing Series:
These are the Denby, Echeta, Gojiya, Kanorado, and Pierre series. None of these series have human-transported materials.
Denby soils have a SAR of greater than 10 within 25 centimeters of the soil surface.
Echeta soils lack a lithologic discontinuity within the profile, and have a cooler mean annual air temperature (6.7 to 10 degrees C).
Gojiya soils are saturated with water below 125 centimeters.
Kanorado and Pierre soils are deep and moderately deep to a paralithic contact with shale.
Geographic Setting:
Parent material: Thin human-transported material over clayey loess
Landform: Fills and other leveled areas on loess-mantled plains or strath terraces
Slope: 0 to 10 percent
Elevation:1,625 to 1,725 meters
Frost-free period:135 to 165 days
Mean annual air temperature: 10 to 12 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation range: 356 to 432 millimeters
Climate: Cold, dry winters and hot summers with North American monsoon precipitation from July through August. The driest months are December through February
Geographically Associated Soils:
These are the Denver and Racas soils.
Denver soils are found in similar landscape positions and have both a mollic epipedon and argillic horizon.
Racas soils are found in similar landscape positions, have thicker deposits of human-transported materials, and do not have a cambic horizon.
Drainage and Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity:
Drainage class: Well and moderately well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: Low (0.04 to 0.004 cm/hr)
Flooding: None
Ponding: None
Use and Vegetation:
Most areas are primarily used for urban development. Vegetation may include a mix of managed and unmanaged plant communities with a mix of native and non-native species. Many areas are vegetated with non-native ornamental landscaping and/or turfgrass associated with developed land uses. Some areas may exhibit weedy, invasive, and/or primary succession vegetation communities (e.g., abandoned lots and other unmanaged areas). The potential native vegetation is fourwing saltbush, winterfat, western wheatgrass, and blue grama.
Distribution and Extent:
Urban and other areas with human-modified landscapes on loess-mantled plains, primarily on the east bank of the South Platte River in the vicinity of Denver in north-central Colorado. MLRA 67B - Central High Plains, Southern Part. These soils are of small extent.
Soil Survey Region (SSR) Responsible: Raleigh, North Carolina (Special Projects Office)
Series Established: Denver County, CO 2025
Remarks:
Typical Pedon Taxonomic Features:
Ochric epipedon--The zone from 0 to 12 centimeters (^A horizon)
Human-transported materials--The zone from 0 to 12 centimeters (^A horizon)
Cambic horizon--The zone from 12 to 29 centimeters (2Bwb horizon)
Free carbonates--The zone from 12 to 200 centimeters (2Bwb, 2Bkb1, 2Bkb2, 2Ck)
Lithologic discontinuity--At a depth of 12 centimeters
Particle-size control section--The zone from 25 to 100 centimeters
Taxonomic version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 13th edition, (2022)
Other: Rosegulch name is a coined name made from combining the names of neighborhoods near the type location.
Some Rosegulch pedons have a thin surface mantle of human-transported materials and are included in this concept as it does not impact interpretations or classification.
NASIS User Pedon ID: 2020CO031636
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.