LOCATION SALAMANDER COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, active, mesic Typic Calcigypsids
TYPICAL PEDON: Salamander very fine sandy loam, on a south facing, 2 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 5,360 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on 4/20/1998 the soil was dry.
A--0 to 3 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4), very fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium platy structure parting to moderate medium granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; 4 percent calcium carbonate; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bk--3 to 10 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, common medium, and common fine roots throughout; 18 percent calcium carbonate; 5 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
2Bk--10 to 27 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) extremely gravelly loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; moderately hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine roots throughout and common very fine throughout; many fine irregular soft masses of carbonate throughout; 45 percent calcium carbonate; 75 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 35 inches thick)
2Bky--27 to 35 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) extremely gravelly gypsiferous coarse sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; moderately hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; many coarse irregular soft masses of carbonate and gypsum throughout; violently effervescent, 10 percent calcium carbonates; 20 percent gypsum; 60 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
2By1--35 to 50 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) extremely gravelly gypsiferous fine sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; many coarse irregular nests of gypsum around stones, 5 percent calcium carbonates; 29 percent gypsum; 65 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 60 inches thick 2By horizons)
2By2--50 to 80 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly gypsiferous fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots throughout; common medium irregular gypsum threads throughout; slightly effervescent; 7 percent calcium carbonate; 24 percent gypsum; 65 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Montezuma County, Colorado; about 6 miles southwest of Towaoc; located about 2,000 feet east and 600 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 17, T. 33 N., R. 18 W.; Sentinel Peak SE USGS quad; lat. 37 degrees 5 minutes 57 seconds N. and long. 108 degrees 49 minutes 46 seconds W., NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Typic aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 54 to 58 degrees F
Depth to calcic horizon: 7 to 18 inches
Depth to gypsic horizon: 20 to 40 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent, mainly igneous gravel
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 5
Texture: very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent, mainly igneous gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Gypsum: 0 to 1 percent
SAR: 0 to 2
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline
2Bk horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 to 8, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 60 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Gypsum: 0 to 5 percent
SAR: 0 to 2
Reaction: moderately alkaline
2By horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 to 8, dry or moist
Chroma: 3 to 5
Texture: gypsiferous sandy loam, gypsiferous loamy sand, gypsiferous fine sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent, mainly igneous gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 4 to 8
Gypsum: 15 to 40 percent
SAR: 0 to 4
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: eolian material over old alluvium derived from igneous sources with shale influences
Landform: paleoterrace
Slopes: 1 to 6 percent
Elevation: 4,800 to 5,700 feet
Mean annual temperature: 52 to 56 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 7 to 10 inches
Precipitation pattern: Uniform with slight dip in May and June and slight increase in July and August.
Frost-free period: 135 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Persayo, Decorock and Chimrock series. The Persayo soils are shallow and the Decorock are moderately deep and on sideslopes below the remnant terraces. The Chimrock soils do not contain igneous coarse fragments and are in drainageways.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, low runoff, moderate permeability,
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. Native vegetation is alkali sacaton, galleta and shadscale
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwest Colorado; MLRA 35; small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Montezuma County, Colorado, Ute Mountain Area, Colorado and New Mexico, 2005.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Series control section: The zone from 0 to 79 inches.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (2Bk, 2Bky, 2By1 horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 3 inches. (A horizons)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 3 to 27 inches. (Bk, 2Bk horizons)
Gypsic horizon: The zone from 27 to 80 inches. (2Bky, 2By1, 2By2 horizons)
Lithologic discontinuity: At the upper boundary of the 2Bk horizon. Contact between eolian and alluvial material
ADDITIONAL DATA: National Soil Survey Laboratory sample S99CO-083-01
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Ninth Edition, 2003