LOCATION TEASPOON COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, micaceous, frigid Lithic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Teaspoon very gravelly sandy loam - grassland and open stand of ponderosa pine. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 50 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, 2 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
BA--3 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 45 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, 2 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bt--6 to 13 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common prominent clay films on ped faces; 45 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
R--13 to 60 inches; indurated gneiss.
TYPE LOCATION: Teller County, Colorado; about 5 miles west of Cripple Creek; 4 miles south of Wrights Reservoir; 2,300 feet south and 1,800 feet west of the northeast corner of Sec. 19, T. 15 S., R. 70 W.; USGS High Park quad.; Lat. 38 degrees, 44 minutes, 04 seconds N.; and Long. 105 degrees, 15 minutes, 53 seconds; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is usually moist in some part during late spring to early fall, and intermittently dry in late fall. Typic ustic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 44 to 47 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 59 to 65 degrees F.
Depth to lithic contact: 10 to 20 inches
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 7 to 12 inches and, in extremely thin pedons, commonly includes the upper 2 to 3 inches of the argillic horizon
Depth to the argillic horizon: 6 to 11 inches
Lithology of rock fragments: gneiss, granitic rocks
Surface of some pedons is covered by a thin O horizon.
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Sand content, fine sand and coarser: 30 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 85 percent
Mica content: 45 to 55 percent (estimated)
A and BA horizons (a BA is not in all pedons):
Hue of 5YR through 10YR
Value of 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma of 2 or 3.
Rock fragment content: 35 to 85 percent
Reaction: slightly acid through slightly alkaline
Bt horizon:
Hue of 5YR through 10YR
Value of 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma of 2 through 6
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Silt content: 15 to 40 percent
Sand content: 50 to 75 percent; 30 to 50 percent fine or coarser sand
Textures: commonly very gravelly sandy clay loam, very gravelly clay loam, or extremely gravelly sandy clay loam and less commonly very channery sandy loam.
Rock fragment content: 35 to 85 percent, dominantly fine and medium gravel; 0 to 10 percent cobble, 0 to 20 percent stones
Reaction: slightly acid through slightly alkaline
In some pedons a C horizon is present.
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series recognized in this family. The Cathedral series, in a closely related family, does not have an argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium derived from gneiss, granitic rocks
Landform: pediments, hogbacks, and mountain slopes
Slopes: 5 to 55 percent
Elevation: 7,000 to 9,200 feet
Mean annual temperature: 42 to 46 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 13 to 16 inches
Precipitation pattern: Monthly precipitation is lowest in winter and greatest in July and August
Frost-free period: 80 to 100 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Casvare and
Redcameron series.
The Redcameron soils do not have an argillic horizon.
The Casvare soils do not have bedrock above 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing. Wood products are sometimes harvested from these areas. Principal native vegetation is scattered to moderately dense stands of ponderosa pine with an understory of mountain muhly, Arizona fescue, needleandthread, Parry's oatgrass, blue grama, prairie Junegrass, slimstem muhly, and pine dropseed. In some areas the vegetation is pinyon and juniper, with Scribner needlegrass, blue grama, Indian ricegrass, and true mountainmahogany. This pinyon-juniper community is now considered outside the concept of the series.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: "East slope" parts of mountainous, Central Colorado; LRR E, MLRA 48A; moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fremont County (Fremont County Area), Colorado, 1988. The type location is in the adjoining Teller-Park soil survey area. The name is from a ranch near the type location.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this soil include:
Series control section: The zone from 0 to 13 inches.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 6 to 13 inches. (entire argillic horizon)
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 7 inches. (A, BA, and Bt horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 6 to 13 inches. (Bt horizon)
Lithic contact: contact with gneiss at 13 inches
Temperature regime: frigid
The 01/2010 revision changes the mineralogy class from mixed to paramicaceous, and removes sandstone parent material from the series concept.
Taxonomy version: Eleventh edition, 2010
The mineralogy class was changed from paramicaceous to micaceous in 07/2010 by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the responsible MLRA regional office. The change was necessary based on the eleventh edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 2010.