LOCATION SARUCHE COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, mixed, superactive, frigid, shallow Typic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Saruche channery silty clay loam, on an east-facing slope of 18 percent under grass and shrubs. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) channery silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; 30 percent sandstone and basalt channers; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches)
Bw--4 to 16 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; 30 percent shale paragravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches)
Cr1--16 to 20 inches; very weakly cemented weathered grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) shale.
Cr2--20 inches; moderately cemented fractured shale.
TYPE LOCATION: Las Animas County, Colorado, about 11.5 miles south and 8 miles west of Trinidad and 7.5 miles south of Highway 12 near the head of Colorow Canyon, about 1.5 miles north of the New Mexico State line; 1,650 feet north and 1,000 feet west of the southeast corner of Sec. 11, T. 35 S., R 65 W.; Valdez USGS quad.; Longitude 104 degrees, 38 minutes, 9 seconds west, latitude 37 degrees, 0 minutes, 29 seconds north.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: moist in some part April though August. Dry December through February. Ustic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 44 to 46 degrees.
Mean summer soil temperature is 57 to 61 degrees.
Depth to the paralithic contact ranges from 8 to 20 inches.
Rock fragment content: 0 to 35 percent in the particle-size control section and are mainly sandstone and basalt gravel.
The A horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y through 7.5YR
Value: 4 through 6, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Rock fragment content: 15 to 35 percent
Texture: silty clay loam or clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 40 percent
Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
The Bw horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y through 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Rock fragment content: 0 to 15 percent
Para rock fragment content: Shale fragments range from 15 to 60 percent.
Texture: silty clay loam, clay loam and clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Carracas (CO) series.
Carracas soils: have free carbonates in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: south and east facing mountain slopes and hills in the foothills.
Slopes: 10 to 50 percent, ranging down to 10 percent on mountain tops and toeslopes.
Parent material: slope alluvium and residuum derived dominantly from shale, commonly from the Raton formation.
Mean annual precipitation: 16 to 22 inches
Wettest period: April through August
Driest period: December through February
Mean annual air temperature is 42 to 46 degrees
Frost free period is 80 to 100 days.
Elevation is 7,000 to 8,200 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dargol, Fuera, Rombo and Vamer soils. Dargol, Fuera, and Vamer soils have albic and argillic horizons. They are on north-facing slopes under ponderosa pine vegetation. Rombo soils have paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches and have a cambic horizon. Rombo soils are on footslopes and backslopes of hills.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, rapid runoff, slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation includes bluestems, needlegrasses, mountain muhly, pinyon, juniper, Gambels oak, and mountain mahogany.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Colorado. LRR E, MLRA 49. The soils of this series are of moderate extent; about 28,000 acres.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Las Animas County, Colorado, 2007.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: the zone from 0 to 4 inches. (A horizon)
Paralithic contact: soft shale at 16 inches. (Cr horizon)
Remarks:
These soils were previously thought to be skeletal, but further investigations determined most of the coarse fragments to be residual shale fragments. Laboratory data indicates mixed mineralogy to replace smectitic mineralogy with this update. Laboratory pedon #93CO071010.
Taxonomic Version: Tenth Edition, 2006
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory sample S93CO-071-010