LOCATION VERDE COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Verde very fine sandy loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; strong very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; noncalcareous; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
B1--4 to 8 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) heavy very fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure that parts to fine granules; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; primary peds are very hard; few thin glossy patches on faces of peds and discontinuous glossy coatings on the inside of root channels and pores; noncalcareous; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
B2t--8 to 22 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) light clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure that parts to strong fine angular and subangular blocks; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; peds are extremely hard, firm; thin wax-like patches on faces of peds and wax-like coatings and fillings on the inside of root channels and pores; noncalcareous; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 24 inches thick)
B3--22 to 27 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; peds are extremely hard, firm; few thin glossy patches on some faces of peds and discontinuous glossy coatings on the inside of some root channels and pores; noncalcareous; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Cx--27 to 36 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; noncalcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); a horizontal cross-section of this horizon when viewed from above shows the soil to be roughly divided into a polygonal pattern with the coarse aggregates separated from one another by light gray clayey material; surfaces of many of the aggregates have coatings of uncoated silt and sand; noncalcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 28 inches thick)
R--36 to 40 inches; hard sandstone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Montezuma County, Colorado; approximately 70 feet west of Archeological Site 1124 in NW1/4 Sec. 31, T. 35 N., R. 15 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are normally noncalcareous throughout but very thin discontinuous calcareous subhorizons occur just above the bedrock in some pedons. Depth to the lithic contact ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 12 to 40 inches. Subhorizons redder than 7.5YR may occur but a major part of the solum and C horizon above the bedrock has hue of 7.5YR or yellower. Rock fragments range from 0 to about 5 percent by volume in a major part of the solum and in C horizon above the bedrock. These are mainly 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter. These soils have fragipan-like horizons forming just above the bedrock that are extremely to very hard when dry and have a brittle consistence when first moistened.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 through
7 dry, 3 through 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 4. Subhorizons redder than 7.5YR occur in some pedons. This horizon is neutral or mildly alkaline (1:5 dilution unbuffered organic dye).
The B2t horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 6. Subhorizons redder than 7.5YR occur in some pedons. This horizon is typically loam, clay loam or very fine sandy clay loam but ranges in clay from 18 to 35 percent, silt from 15 to 60 percent, sand from 15 to 60 percent with less than 15 percent being fine or coarser sand. It is neutral or mildly alkaline (1:5 dilution unbuffered organic dye).
The Cx horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR. Subhorizons redder than 7.5YR occur in some pedons. Usually this horizon is divided roughly into a polygonal pattern subdivided by greyer and more clayey material between the structured peds. It is neutral or mildly alkaline (1:5 dilution unbuffered organic dye).
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blanding, Buick, Del Rio, Fernando, Keiser, Nepesta, Pulpit, Roubideau, Sharps, Tensleep, Wiley, and Witt series. Blanding, Buick, Del Rio, Fernando, Keiser, Nepesta, Sharps, Tensleep, Wiley, and Witt soils lack lithic contacts at depths of less than 40 inches. Roubideau soils have hue of 5YR or redder in a majority of horizons, have more than 35 percent clay in the argillic horizon and lack fragipan-like characteristics. Pulpit soils have hue of 5YR or redder in a majority of subhorizons, are calcareous in the lower part of the solum and C horizon and have continuous horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Verde soils are on nearly level to gently sloping mesa tops. Slopes typically range from about 0 to 6 percent or more. The soils formed in moderately thin, noncalcareous eolian materials containing a high proportion of very fine sand and deposited over hard sandstone. At the type location the mean annual precipitation is about 17 inches with nearly equal precipitation in all months. Mean annual temperature is 50 degrees F,. and mean summer temperature is 70 degrees F.
PRINCIPAL ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Mughouse soils and the competing Roubideau soils. Mughouse soils have an argillic horizon with more than 35 percent clay and lack any fragipan-like horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; slow to medium runoff; moderate to slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used principally as grazing land or for recreation. Native vegetation is pinyon, juniper, oak brush, sage, western wheatgrass, and bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Colorado. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mesa Verde Area, Montezuma County, Colorado, 1965.
REMARKS: OSED scanned by NSSQA and cleaned up by Colorado. Last revised by state on 4/73.