LOCATION UTE CO+UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic Argic Cryaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ute loam, on a west facing, simple, 1 percent slope in native range at an elevation of 10,200 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oe--0 to 2 inches; partially decomposed organic material. (1 to 4 inches thick)
A--2 to 7 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; medium and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; common discontinuous pores; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
BAt--7 to 13 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; common faint clay films on faces of peds; common very fine roots; common fine discontinuous pores; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) redox concentrations; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Btg--13 to 28 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; common very fine roots; common fine discontinuous pores; 10 percent gravel; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redox concentrations; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual smooth boundary. (7 to 30 inches thick)
BCg--28 to 45 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; 10 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redox concentrations; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 25 inches thick)
Cg--45 to 62 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; 10 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; few medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) redox concentrations; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Dolores County, Colorado; about 3.5 miles northeast of Dunton near County Road 535; in an unsectionized area, about 2,300 feet south and 100 feet west of the projected northeast corner of sec. 25, T. 41 N., R. 11 W.; Dolores Peak USGS Quad; lat. 37 degrees, 47 minutes, 17 seconds N.; and long. 108 degrees, 01 minute, 22 seconds W., NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: (depths given are measured from the mineral soil surface)
Soil moisture regime: aquic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 34 to 38 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 40 to 43 degrees F. with an 0 horizon
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 10 to 25 inches
Depth to redox concentrations: 7 to 18 inches
Depth to redox depletions: 7 to 18 inches
Depth to endosaturation: 6 to 18 inches
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 24 to more than 60 inches
Particle-size control section:
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Silt content: 10 to 55 percent
Sand conent: 10 to 45 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 25 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 5Y
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 0 to 2, dry and moist
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
Btg horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 5Y
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 2 to 5 moist
Chroma: 0 to 2, dry and moist
Texture, fine earth fraction: CL or C
Rock fragment content: 0 to 25 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline
Cg horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 0 to 2, dry and moist
Texture, fine earth fraction: L or CL
Rock fragment content: 0 to 35 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: Currently there are no other series in this family. A similar soil is the Big Blue series. Big Blue has a frigid temperature regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium derived from shale and sandstone.
Landform: alluvial fans, drainageways of narrow mountain valleys, and depressions on mesas.
Slopes: 0 to 6 percent
Elevation: 8,300 to 11,500 feet
Mean annual air temperature: 32 to 40 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 23 to 45 inches.
Wettest months: July and August receive slightly less
precipitation than other months.
Driest months: May and June.
Frost-free period: 30 to 60 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Frisco, Nordicol, and Bucklon series.
Frisco and Nordicol soils have less than 35 percent clay in the argillic horizon and more than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section, and are well drained. They are on mountain slopes.
Bucklon soils are shallow over shale. They are on mountain slopes and footslopes.
Ute soils sometimes occur in a complex pattern with Histosols.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; low runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation consists mainly of sedges, rushes, bluejoint reedgrass, tufted hairgrass, meadow barley, and scattered willows.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Colorado. LRR E, MLRA 48A. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rio Blanco County, Flat Tops Soil Survey Area, Colorado, 1983. Series proposed: Montezuma County Colorado, 1939; Western Colorado Reconnaisance Soil Survey. The name is taken from a mountain.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 2 to 13 inches. (A and BAt horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 7 to 28 inches. (BAt and Btg horizons)
Redoximorphic concentrations: Redox features in all horizons from 7 to 62 inches.
Redoxomorphic reductions: A reduced matrix in all horizons from 7 to 62 inches.
Endosaturation: The zone of saturation from 6 to 62 inches.
Keys to Soil Taxonomy: Classified according to the Eighth Edition, 1998