LOCATION TROUT CREEK COInactive Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic Typic Argicryolls
TYPIFYING PEDON: Trout Creek clay loam - open timber and grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; noncalcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
B1--4 to 7 inches; variegated grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) and reddish gray (5Y 5/2) heavy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) and dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; strong fine angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky plastic; peds are very hard, firm; thin glossy patches on some faces of peds and discontinuous glossy coatings on the inside of root channels and pores; 5 percent flat rock fragments and gravel; noncalcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
B2t--7 to 20 inches; variegated light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) and reddish brown (2.5YR 5/3) light clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) and reddish brown (2.5YR 4/3) moist; strong fine angular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm; thin continuous wax-like coatings on some faces of peds and discontinuous wax-like coatings and fillings on the inside of root channels and pores; noncalcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 41 inches thick)
B3ca--20 to 24 variegated grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) and reddish brown (5YR 5/3) light clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) and reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular and angular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky, plastic; peds are extremely hard, very firm; few thin glossy patches on some faces of peds and discontinuous glossy coatings on the inside of root channels and pores; visible secondary calcium carbonate occurring as concretions and in thin seams and streaks; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
C1ca--24 to 30 inches; variegated light gray (2.5Y 7/1) and reddish brown (5YR 5/3) clay loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) and reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; massive; very hard, firm, sticky, plastic; visible secondary calcium carbonate occurring as soft concretions and in thin seams and streaks; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 33 inches thick)
C2--30 to 50 inches; variegated red, yellow, and gray calcareous Pennsylvanian shales.
TYPE LOCATION: Chaffee County, Colorado; SW1/4 Sec. 21 T. 15 S., R. 77 B.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to uniformly calcareous material normally ranges from 8 to 30 inches and is not shallower than the upper 3 inches of the B2t horizon. Depth to the paralithic contact ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 15 to 40 inches. Depth to continuous subhorizons of visible secondary calcium carbonate and/or sulfate ranges from 12 to 37 inches. Rock fragments range from 0 to about 5 percent by volume in a major part of the solum and C horizon above the bedrock. These are mainly 1/2 to 5 inches in diameter. Hue is extremely variable, ranging from 5Y through 10R between subhorizons, between portions of subhorizons, and between pedons. The colors are inherited from the parent rocks and the variability of the coloration within and between adjacent pedons is considered to be typical and definitive for the series. These soils are dry in some part of the moisture control section for some time in most years.
The A horizon has hue of 5Y through 10R, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3. It is neutral or mildly alkaline (1:5 dilution unbuffered organic dye).
The B2t horizon has hue of 5Y through 10R, value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 6. It is typically heavy clay loam or light clay but clay ranges from 35 to 50 percent, silt from 20 to 55 percent, and sand from 5 to 40 percent with less than 15 percent being fine or coarser sand. This horizon is neutral to moderately alkaline (1:5 dilution unbuffered organic dye).
The Clca horizon, if present, has hue of 5Y through 10R. It is moderately or strongly alkaline (1:5 dilution unbuffered organic dye) and has 3 to 14 percent calcium carbonate in the fine earth fraction.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arling, Brinkert, Brolliar, Buckskin, Florrissant, Getta, Gothic, Gurney, Heath, Jerry, Judy, Little Horn, Mayoworth, Needleton, Owen Creek, Segal, Sessions, Waters, and Youman series. Arling, Brinkert, Buckskin, Heath, Gothic, of less than 40 inches. Brolliar, Getta, Judy, Little Horn, and Youman soils have lithic contacts at depths of less than 40 inches. Florissant, Mayoworth, and Owen Creek soils lack highly variable colors. Also, Mayoworth soils are noncalcareous throughout and Owen Creek soils have more than 15 percent fine or coarser sand in the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Trout Creek soils are on gently to moderately steeply sloping hills, ridges, and mountainsides. Slopes typically range from about 2 to 40 percent or more. The soil formed in moderately thin, calcareous multicolored parent materials derived from reddish brown, gray, and yellow Pennsylvanian and similar sedimentary beds. At the type location the mean annual precipitation is about 20 inches with peak periods of precipitation in the spring and early summer months. Mean annual temperature is 36 degrees F. and mean summer temperature is 58 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Buena Vista and Garo soils. Buena Vista soils have a lithic contact at depths of less than 40 inches, have uniform coloration, and have more than 35 percent rock fragments. Garo soils have bedrock of depths of less than 20 inches and have uniform coloration 7.5YR or yellower.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-grained; medium to rapid runoff; slow to very slow runoff permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for grazing land, recreation, and limited timber production. Native vegetation is spruce, aspen, and ponderosa pine with understory of grasses and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Colorado. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Trout Creek Area, Colorado, 1957.
REMARKS: OSED scanned by and cleaned up by Colorado. Last revised by state on 4/73.