LOCATION VILLAREAL CO
Established Series
Rev. JPP/TWH/KLS
04/2018
VILLAREAL SERIES
The Villareal series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium or colluvium derived from andesite. Villareal soils are on mesas and scarp slopes on sides of mesas. Slopes range from 3 to 40 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 559 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 4.4 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Villareal very channery loam, on a southwest facing, simple, 12 percent slope in woodland at an elevation of 2,728 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on August 10, 1998 the soil was moist from 0 to 13 cm and dry from 13 to 48 cm. The surface is covered by 15 percent andesite channers.
A--0 to 13 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very channery loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine and common medium roots; few fine tubular pores; 30 percent channers and 15 percent flagstones; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)
Bw1--13 to 36 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very flaggy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; common medium and many very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 10 percent channers and 40 percent flagstones; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--36 to 48 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very flaggy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 10 percent channers and 40 percent flagstones; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 15 to 43 cm)
R--48 to 58 cm; indurated andesite.
TYPE LOCATION: Archuleta County, Colorado; about 8 kilometers west of Edith; located about 30 meters south and 427 meters east of the northwest corner of Sec. 17, T. 32 N., R. 1 W.; USGS Edith quad; Lat. 37 degrees 0 minutes 56 seconds N. and Long. 106 degrees 58 minutes 43 seconds W., NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 5.0 to 6.7 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 15.0 to 16.1 degrees C.
Thickness of cambic horizon: 15 to 43 cm
Depth to lithic contact: 25 to 50 cm to andesite bedrock
Lithology of rock fragments: andesite
Particle-size control section:
Clay content: 20 to 27 percent
Rock fragment content: 35 to 65 percent
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: very channery loam
Clay content: 15 to 23 percent
Rock fragment content: 35 to 60 percent total; 20 to 40 percent andesite channers; 10 to 20 percent andesite flagstones
Reaction (pH): 6.1 to 7.3
Bw horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: very flaggy loam
Clay content: 20 to 27 percent
Rock fragment content: 35 to 60 percent total; 10 to 40 percent andesite channers; 25 to 50 percent andesite flagstones
Reaction (pH): 6.1 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES:
Cinnadale (NM) - have greater than 50 percent silt in the Bw horizon
Cypher (NM) - have hues yellower than 7.5YR
Devilfence (MT) - have horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation
Deville (MT) - have rock fragments of shale
Kounter (MT) - have horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation; have paralithic contact above the lithic contact
Quaint (MT) - have horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation and hues redder than 7.5YR
Roegulch (MT) - have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact
Shamoom (MT) - have hues yellower than 7.5YR
Sharrott (MT) - have rock fragments of argillite or quartzite
Valto (CO) - have rock fragments of sandstone
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - mesas and scarp slopes on sides of mesas
Elevation - 2,650 to 2,800 meters
Slopes - 3 to 40 percent
Parent material - slope alluvium derived from andesite
Mean annual air temperature - 3.9 to 5.6 degrees C.
Mean annual precipitation - 510 to 610 mm
Precipitation pattern - July and August are the wettest months; May and June are the driest months; however the soils are still moist from snowmelt until mid-June
Frost-free period - 70 to 80 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, high runoff, moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing, timber production, and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is white fir, quaking aspen, very few ponderosa pine, Arizona fescue, Parrys danthonia, mountain brome, mountain muhly, mountain snowberry, needlegrass, western wheatgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and sedge.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Colorado; LRR D, MLRA 36; small extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES PROPOSED: Archuleta County, Colorado, Archuleta soil survey area, 2004. The name taken from a creek in the area.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Cambic horizon - 13 to 48 cm (Bw horizons)
Lithic contact - 48 cm to andesite bedrock (R layer)
Particle size control section - 25 to 48 cm (part of the Bw1 and the Bw2 horizons)
Villareal soils have a frigid temperature regime and are in an ustic soil moisture regime bordering udic.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.