LOCATION TRAVELERS CO+NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Ustic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Travelers very stony loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very stony loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable; 30 to 50 percent stones and 20 percent angular gravel, mostly basalt; many dark mineral grains in sand and silt fractions; calcareous; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--4 to 12 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very stony loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure that parts to weak fine granular; slightly hard, friable; 55 percent stones and 20 percent angular gravel, mostly basalt; many dark mineral grains in the sand and silt fractions; calcareous; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bk--12 to 16 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very stony loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive hard, friable; 50 percent stones and 30 percent angular gravel, mostly basalt; many dark mineral grains in the sand and silt fractions; visible secondary calcium carbonate occurring in thin seams and streaks, as coatings on gravel fragments, and as nodules of free lime; calcareous; strongly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
R--16 to 20 inches; basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Conejos County, Colorado; 1,450 feet north and 1,650 feet east of the southwest corner of Sec. 16, T. 32 N., R. 9 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: ustic bordering aridic
Mean annual soil temperature: 41 to 46 degrees F. (5.0 to 7.8 degrees C.)
Mean summer soil temperature: 63 to 66 degrees F. (17.2 to 18.9 degrees C.)
Depth to uniformly calcareous material: 0 to 4 inches (0 to 10 centimeters)
Depth to visible secondary calcium carbonate: 3 to 20 inches (8 to 51 centimeters)
Reaction upper part control section: neutral to moderately alkaline
Reaction lower part control section: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
Depth to the lithic contact: 10 to 20 inches (25 to 51 centimeters)
Particle control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 6 to 35 percent
Rock fragment content: 35 to 85 percent by volume and are mainly 10 to 24 inches (25 to 61 centimeters) in diameter
A horizon:
Hue: 5Y through 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma of 3 or 4
Texture: very stony loam and gravelly sandy loam
Bw or Bk horizon(s):
Hue: 5Y through 7.5YR
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: very stony loam, very cobbly sandy loam, very cobbly loam, and extremely stony sandy loam
COMPETING SERIES: There is one competing series and it is the
Pilotpeak series.
Pilotpeak soils have limestone and redbed sandstone fragments.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: formed in thin calcareous, medium to moderately fine textured material weathered from basalt andesite and/or rhyolite over residuum weathered from basalt, andesite and/or rhyolite.
Landform: basalt flows, mesas and hillslopes capped by basalt
Slope: 1 to 65 percent
Elevation: 7,500 to 8,500 feet (2,286 to 2,591 meters)
Mean annual air temperature: 39 to 43 degrees F. (4.0 to 6.0 degrees C)
Mean annual precipitation: 8 to 12 inches (203 to 305 millimeters)
Precipitation pattern: The soil moisture control section is affected by peak precipitation in late summer and early fall. The soil is driest from November to March. The soil has the potential to be moist from April to October.
Frost free period: 85 to 100 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Stunner,
Tolman,
Potrio,
Durreo and
Cososa soils.
Stunner soils are very deep.
Tolman soils have a mollic epipedon and an argillic horizon.
Potrio soils have an argillic horizon.
Durreo soils are very deep.
Cososa soils are very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well to somewhat excessively drained; rapid runoff; moderate to moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally as rangeland. Principal native plants are snakeweed, rabbitbrush, blue grama, winterfat, and cactus.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: San Luis Valley Area of south-central Colorado; LLR E, MLRA 51. The series is extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rio Grande County Area, Colorado, 1972.
REMARKS: OSED scanned by and cleaned up by Colorado.
Last revised by state on 8/03.
Taxonomic Version: Tenth edition, 2006