LOCATION SHARPS CO+NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Sharps loam, in a cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
BA--6 to 9 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few faint clay films in root channels; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bt--9 to 19 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common faint clay films on faces of peds and in root channels; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 32 inches thick)
Bk1--19 to 25 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few faint clay films on faces of peds and in root channels; common calcium carbonate threads and soft masses; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bk2--25 to 30 inches; pink (5YR 8/4) loam, pink (5YR 7/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many soft masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 28 inches thick)
2Cr--30 inches; shale and soft sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Dolores County, Colorado; about 6 miles northwest of Dove Creek; located in the northwest quarter of sec. 18, T. 41 N., R. 19 W.; Northdale USGS quad; lat. 39 degrees 49 minutes 19 seconds N. and long. 109 degrees 00 minutes 46 seconds E., NAD27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: ustic bordering on aridic
Soil temperature regime: mesic
Mean annual soil temperature: 49 to 52 degrees F
Mean summer soil temperature: 58 to 64 degrees F
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 10 to 36 inches
Depth to paralithic contact: 20 to 40 inches to soft shale or sandstone
Particle-size control section:
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Sand content: 15 to 70 percent, most being very fine sand
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent gravel
A horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: loam, silt loam, or fine sandy loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 1 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bt horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Reaction: Neutral to moderately alkaline
Bk horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 15 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Altega, Amal, Buick, Chita, Elpedro, Keiser, Klinedraw, Moncha, Oshoto, Pulpit, Roubideau, Verde, Wetherill, and Wiley series. Altega, Amal, Buick, Chita, Elpedro, Keiser, Moncha, Oshoto, Wetherill, and Wiley soils are very deep. Klinedraw soils have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y. Pulpit, Roubideau, and Verde soils are moderately deep over hard sandstone. In addition, Roubideau soils lack carbonates in the lower part of the solum, and Verde soils have a fragipan-like horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: eolian material derived from sandstone and shale.
Landform: mesas, ridges, and hills
Slopes: 2 to 12 percent
Elevation: 6,200 to 7,400 feet
Mean annual temperature: 46 to 50 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 13 to 16 inches
Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year with July and August being slightly wetter and June being slightly dryer.
Frost-free period: 100 to 120 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cahona, Pulpit, and Wetherill series. All these soils are on the same landscape position as Sharps. Cahona soils have a calcic horizon. Wetherill soils are very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained, low to high runoff, moderate and moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Sharps soils are used for grazing or as irrigated or dry cropland. Native vegetation is mainly sagebrush, cactus, pinyon, juniper, western wheatgrass, and Indian ricegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwest Colorado and New Mexico. LRR D, MLRA 35, 36 and 39. This series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, NM. 1981.
REMARKS: Classification changed due to the change in moisture regime due to the Four Corners Climate Conference of 10/92. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 6 inches. (Ap)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 9 to 19 inches. (Bt)
Particle size control section: The zone from 9 to 19 inches. (Bt)
Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999