LOCATION SALTWORKS               CO

Established Series
Rev. LC/TWH
05/2011

SALTWORKS SERIES

The Saltworks series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium. Saltworks soils are on drainageways, alluvial flats, or playas on basin floors. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 305 mm (12 inches) and the mean annual temperature is about 2.8 degrees C. (37 degrees F.).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Aeric Halaquepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Saltworks coase sandy loam, on a 0.5 percent slope in grassland at an elevation of 2724 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on September 28, 2007 the soil was moist.

Az--0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) coarse sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium granular structure; friable, moderately hard, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; common fine roots; common carbonate masses and common salt masses; 5 percent gravel; slightly effervescent (5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

Bknz--15 to 56 cm (6 to 22 inches); olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable, moderately hard, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; common fine roots; common light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; common salt masses and common carbonate masses; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (8 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary. (30 to 51 cm thick)

Bknzg--56 to 152 cm (22 to 60 inches); olive (5Y 4/3) clay, olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; massive; friable, extremely hard, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; many olive (5Y 5/4) masses of oxidized iron; common salt masses; noneffervescent (1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.1). (71 to 114 cm thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Park County, Colorado; about 6 kilometers (4 miles) southwest of Hartsel; located about 1000 feet south and 10 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 22, T. 12 S., R. 76 W.; Antero Reservoir NE USGS quad; lat. 38 degrees 59 minutes 45 seconds N. and long. 105 degrees 52 minutes 8 seconds W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Soil moisture regime class: aquic; subclass: aeric
Mean annual soil temperature: 2.8 to 5.0 degrees C (37 to 41 degrees F.)
Mean summer soil temperature: 10.6 to 14.4 degrees C (51 to 58 degrees F.), cryic regime
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches)
Depth to gypsum accumulations: 0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches)
Depth to salt accumulations: 0 to 10 cm (0 to 4 inches)
Depth to endosaturation and redox concentrations: 0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches)
Depth to reduced matrix and aquic conditions: 25 to 61 cm (10 to 24 inches)
Thickness of the ochric epipedon: 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 inches)

Particle-size control section (weighted averages):
Noncarbonate clay content: 40 to 50 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent

Az horizon
Hue: 2.5Y, 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Clay content: 15 to 20 percent
Carbonate clay content: 0 to 2 percent
Gravel content: 5 to 15 percent, indurated
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 10 percent
Gypsum content: 0 to 5 percent
Electrical conductivity: 16 to 40 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 20 to 35
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline (pH 7.9 to 9.0)
Organic matter content: 0.0 to 1.0 percent

Bknz horizon
Hue: 2.5Y, 5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Texture: clay loam, clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Carbonate clay content: 0 to 3 percent
Gravel content: 5 to 15 percent, indurated
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 10 percent
Gypsum content: 0 to 5 percent
Electrical conductivity: 16 to 32 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 20 to 35

Bknzg horizon
Hue: 2.5Y, 5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry; 2 to 4 moist
Clay content: 40 to 60 percent
Carbonate clay content: 0 to 2 percent
Gravel content: 0 to 5 percent,indurated
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Gypsum content: 0 to 5 percent
Electrical conductivity: 2 to 8 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 15 to 20
Volcanic glass content: 5 to 15 percent (when factored with oxalate values, is insufficient for the Aquandic subgroup)

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family. The Spinth series, in a closely related family, has less than 35 percent noncarbonate clay.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium derived from mixed sources, but including a significant source of tuff and breccia
Landform: drainageways, alluvial flats, or playas on basin floors
Slopes: 0 to 1 percent
Elevation: 2713 to 2896 meters (8900 to 9500 feet)
Mean annual temperature: 1.7 to 3.9 degrees C (35 to 39 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 254 to 356 mm (10 to 14 inches)
Precipitation pattern: Monthly precipitation is lowest in winter and greatest in July and August.
Frost-free period: 50 to 80 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hartsel and Gebson series. The Hartsel soils are moderately well drained, have calcic horizons, and are on rises on basin floors. The Gebson soils well drained and are on pediments.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: poorly drained, slow permeability. This soil is subject to frequent long periods of ponding from April through August.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation consists mainly of alkali cordgrass, alkali bluegrass, inland saltgrass, seablite, Baltic rush, and alkaligrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Colorado, LRR E, MLRA 48B; small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Park County, Colorado, Teller-Park soil survey area, Colorado, 2010. The name is taken from the Salt Works Ranch in Park County.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Series control section: The zone from 0 to 150 cm.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 25 to 100 cm. (Bknz, Bknzg horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 15 cm. (Az horizon)
Redoximorphic concentrations and endosaturation: In the zone from 15 to 152 cm. (Bknz, Bknzg horizons)
Aquic conditions and reduced matrix: In the zone from 56 to 152 cm. (Bknzg horizon). (Bknzg horizons)
Salt accumulations: The zone from 0 to 152 cm. (Az, Bknz, Bknzg horizons)
Secondary calcium carbonate accumulations: The zone from 15 to 152 cm. (Bknz, Bknzg horizons)
Halaquepts feature: High ESP and SAR throughout the upper 50 cm (Az, Bknz horizons), then decreasing ESP and SAR below 56 cm (Bknzg horizons).
Cryic temperature regime.

Taxonomic Version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 11th Edition, 2010.

ADDITIONAL DATA: This pedon was sampled for the NSSL, soil survey sample number 07CO093002.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.