LOCATION SKYUTE                  CO+NM

Established Series
Rev. JJP/TWH/KLS
03/2018

SKYUTE SERIES

The Skyute series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium over residuum derived from andesite. Skyute soils are on mesas. Slopes range from 1 to 20 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 483 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6.1 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Skyute loam, on a southwest facing, planar, 8 percent slope in ponderosa pine woodland at an elevation of 2,560 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on October 5, 1999, the soil was moist from 0 to 43 cm.

A1--0 to 5 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 5 percent angular gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary.

A2--5 to 23 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 5 percent angular gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of A1, A2 horizons - 10 to 30 cm)

Bt1--23 to 33 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; many fine, few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 10 percent angular gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

Bt2--33 to 43 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 14 percent angular gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary.

R--43 to 69 cm; andesite bedrock

TYPE LOCATION: Archuleta County, Colorado, about 13 km west of Edith, located 305 meters north and 640 meters east of the southwest corner of Section 19, T. 32 N., R. 1 1/2 W.; Trujillo USGS Quad; Lat. 37 degrees, 00 minutes, 24 seconds, N. and Long. 107 degrees, 00 minutes, 12 seconds W., NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Mean annual soil temperature: 4.4 to 7.2 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 15.0 to 16.7 degrees C.
Depth to lithic contact: 25 to 50 cm
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 20 to 36 cm

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Sand content: 25 to 50 percent
Rock fragments:
Content: 0 to 15 percent
Size: flags
Kind: angular andesite
Content: 0 to 15 percent
Size: gravel
Kind: angular andesite

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry, 1 to 3 moist
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
Reaction (pH): 6.6 to 7.3

Bt horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5, dry or moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
Reaction (pH): 6.6 to 7.3

COMPETING SERIES:
Beje (UT) - have sandstone rock fragments
Berland (NM) - have sandstone rock fragments and are very shallow to bedrock
Bonjea (WY) - have granite rock fragments
Cedric (MT) - have granite rock fragments and accumulations of secondary calcium carbonate
Coni (CO) - have granitic rock fragments
Connieo (MT) - have granitic rock fragments
Kiln (NM) - have limestone rock fragments
Viewpoint (NM) - have basalt-breccia rock fragments

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - mesas
Elevation - 2,450 to 2,625 meters
Slopes - 1 to 20 percent
Parent material - slope alluvium over residuum derived from andesite
Mean annual air temperature - 5.5 to 7.2 degrees C.
Mean annual precipitation - 400 to 510 mm
Precipitation pattern: Precipitation falls mostly during the months of November through March and July through October. June is the driest month. Total snowfall averages about 1.2 to 1.5 meters (4 to 5 feet) with snowmelt lasting into April.
Frost-free period - 80 to 100 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium runoff, moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are commercial woodlands and wildlife habitat. The native plant community is ponderosa pine, Gambel's oak, snowberry, nodding brome, Arizona fescue, and mountain muhly. Some quaking aspen occurs at higher elevations and in drainageways.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico; LRR D, E; MLRA 36, 48A; minor extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jicarilla Apache Area, New Mexico, 2000. The series was proposed in Archuleta County, Colorado, Archuleta County Area Soil Survey.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 23 cm (A1, A2 horizons)
Argillic horizon: 23 to 43 cm (Bt1, Bt2 horizons)
Lithic contact: 43 cm to andesite bedrock (R layer)
Particle-size control section: 23 to 43 cm (Bt1, Bt2 horizons)

Skyute soils have a frigid temperature regime and are in an ustic soil moisture regime with a typic subclass.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.