LOCATION WALDEN CO+WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Typic Cryaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Walden sandy loam - native meadow. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1g--0 to 10 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; many large prominent mottles, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong fine crumb structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 19 inches thick)
B2g--10 to 22 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; many large prominent mottles, very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) and olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 27 inches thick)
Clca--22 to 35 inches; pale yellow (5Y 8/2) sandy clay loam, light gray (5Y 7/2) moist; many large prominent mottles, pale olive (5Y 6/3) and dark gray (5Y 4/1) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; much visible secondary calcium carbonate occurring principally in finely divided marl-like forms; calcium carbonate equivalent is 29 percent; 10 percent gravel; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 26 inches thick)
IIC2--35 to 50 inches; very gravelly loamy sand, calcareous, containing some visible secondary calcium carbonate but much less than in the horizon above.
TYPE LOCATION: Jackson County, Colorado; approximately 960 feet north and 575 feet west of SE corner Sec. 2, T. 8 N., R. 79 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is about 40 degrees F., and mean summer soil temperature is about 51 degrees F. Depth to uniformly calcareous material ranges from 11 to 36 inches. Exchangeable sodium ranges from 0 to 15 percent in most of the control section and there are no subhorizons more than 4 inches thick above 20 inches that exceed 15 percent. Depth to the calcic horizon ranges from 15 to 36 inches. Depth to the sandy-skeletal substratum ranges from 20 to 36 inches. The control section is typically sandy clay loam, loam or clay loam but averages 18 to 35 percent clay, 5 to 55 percent silt, and 15 to 75 percent sand with more than 15 percent fine or coarser sand. Rock fragments range from 0 to 35 percent in a major part of the control section and are mainly 0 to 10 inches in diameter.
The A horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3. It has none to many large prominent mottles but is usually distinctly mottled in some part. This horizon is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The B2 horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of neutral through 2. It has few distinct to many prominent mottles This horizon ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
The Cca horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR. It is moderately or strongly alkaline and has 15 to 40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Dilman and Foxcreek series. Dilman soils are noncalcareous throughout and lack a calcic horizon. Foxcreek soils lack a calcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Walden soils are on nearly level to strongly sloping terraces, flood plains, outwash plains, and alluvial fans. Slopes typically range from about 0 to 12 percent. These soils formed in moderately thin medium to moderately fine textured mixed alluvium overlying beds of sand and gravel. At the type location the mean annual precipitation is about 9 inches with peak periods of precipitation in the spring and summer. Mean annual temperature is 38 degrees F. and mean summer temperature is 57 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Fleer and Girardot soils. Fleer soils have a mollic epipedon more than 20 inches thick, lack a calcic horizon, and have sandy loam in the upper part of the control section. Giradot soils lack a mollic epipedon, calcic horizon, and sandy-skeletal substratum.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly to somewhat poorly drained; slow to very low runofflow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally as grazing land or as native hay meadow. Native vegetation is timothy, redtop, sedges, and bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: High mountain valleys of Colorado. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jackson County, Colorado, 1973.
REMARKS: OSED scanned by NSSQA and cleaned up by Colorado. Last revised by state on 10/73.
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Lakewood MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.