LOCATION VASQUEZ CO+MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, acid Humic Cryaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Vasquez stony loam - mountain meadow. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; dark gray (10R 4/1) stony loam, black (10YR 2/1 moist); weak coarse granular structure; soft, very friable; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 15 inches thick)
A3--4 to 11 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) stony sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist) common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) mottles; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak coarse granules; slightly hard, friable; approximately 15 percent stones; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
C1--11 to 21 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) stony sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist); common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and gray (5Y 5/1) mottles; weak to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; many sand and silt sized dark pellets; 20 percent stones; very strongly acid.
(9 to 24 inches thick)
C2--21 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very stony sandy loam stratified with thin layers of coarse sand; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and gray (5Y 5/1) mottles; massive; slightly hard, very friable; 30 percent stones; a free water table at 30 inches; strongly acid. (Several feet thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Clearcreek County, Colorado; approximately .5 miles above timber line on the Jones Pass Road; approximately the SW 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of Sec. 22, T. 3 S., R. 76 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The umbric epipedon is 7 to 20 inches thick. The control section is typically sandy loam with clay ranging from 4 to 18 percent. Rock fragments range from 5 to 35 percent by volume, typically more than 15 percent, most of which are stones and boulders. The control section is strongly to extremely acid.
The A1 horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, chroma of 2 or less, and value of 3 through 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist. Usually this horizon has granular or crumb structure but it has weak subangular blocky structure in some pedons. It is soft or slightly hard.
The C1 horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, chroma of 4 through 6, and value of 5 through 7 dry and 4 through 6 moist. There are distinct to prominent mottles throughout.
The C2 horizon has hue of 5Y through 10YR. Some pedons are gleyed.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Sunetha series. Sunetha soils have mean annual soil temperature warmer than 0 degrees C.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Vasquez soils are in concave positions or depressions such as drain heads, shallow basins, and cirque basins above timber line, or in seepage areas on steep slopes. Slope gradients range from 0 to 30 percent. These soils formed in locally transported strongly acid glacial till, alluvium, or valley fill materials derived principally from gneiss and schist bedrock. At the type location the average annual precipitation is 30 inches, 15 inches of which falls during the months of April through August. A fluctuating water table occur in these soils at most seasons.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Naverly, Nystrom, and Ptarmigan soils. Naverly soils lack an aquic moisture regime. Nystrom soils are Nistisols. Ptarmigan soils lack an aquic moisture regime.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; very slow runoff or ponded; moderate permeability. These soils have a fluctuating high water table.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used as native pastureland, and for recreational purposes. They have considerable importance for wildlife, and they are very influential in controlling the late summer stream flow from the mountainous areas. Principal native vegetation is water tolerant alpine grasses, sedges, and willows.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; very slow runoff or ponded; moderate permeability. These soils have a fluctuating high water table.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used as native pastureland, and for recreational purposes. They have considerable importance for wildlife, and they are very influential in controlling the late summer stream flow for the mountainous areas. Principal native vegetation is water tolerant alpine grasses, sedges, and willows.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: High mountain areas of central Colorado. me series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: The Frazer Experimental Forest and Alpine Area Survey, Colorado, 1957.
REMARKS: OSED scanned by NSSQA and cleaned up by Colorado. Last revised by state 5/74.