LOCATION WATERDOG                CO

Established Series
Rev. CRP/JCK
04/2019

WATERDOG SERIES

The Waterdog series consists of very deep, very poorly to poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium. These soils are on flood plains and drainageways. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 178 mm, and mean annual air temperature is about 11 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Aeric Fluvaquents

TYPICAL PEDON: Waterdog loam, on a 1 percent slope, at an elevation of 1,586 meters. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 11 cm; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine and common medium roots; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 18 cm thick)

Cg1--11 to 36 cm; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy loam, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine, and common medium roots; few fine and very fine dendritic tubular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary.

Cg2--36 to 55 cm; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine and few medium roots; few fine and very fine dendritic tubular pores; common fine and medium brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) oxidized iron masses; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (combined thickness of Cg1 and Cg2 horizons is 38 to 72 cm thick)

Cg3--55 to 152 cm; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) very gravelly coarse sand, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; single grain; loose; common fine and very fine roots; common medium brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) oxidized iron masses; slightly effervescent; 40 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Montrose County, Colorado; located about 122 meters north and 1,200 meters west of the southeast corner of sec. 21, T. 51 N., R. 10 W.; Olathe Northwest USGS quad; lat. 38 degrees 39 minutes 55 seconds N. and long. 107 degrees 59 minutes 58 seconds W., NAD 1927.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 11 to 14 degrees C
Depth to seasonal high water table - 0 to 18 cm
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content - 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 15 percent

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 12 to 26 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent--0 to 10 percent gravels, 0 to 2 percent cobbles
Electrical conductivity: 2 to 8 mmhos/cm
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4

Cg1 and Cg2 horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1, 2 or 3
Texture: sandy loam or fine sandy loam
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent--0 to 15 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Electrical conductivity: 2 to 8 mmhos/cm
Reaction: pH 7.2 to 8.4

Cg3 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: coarse sand, loamy coarse sand or sandy loam
Clay content: 4 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent--15 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles
Electrical conductivity: 2 to 8 mmhos/cm
Reaction: pH 7.2 to 8.4

Some pedons have a C horizon in place of the Cg3.

COMPETING SERIES:
Bigwinder (WY) - have a seasonal high water table at depths greater than 18 cm
Mirada (NM) - have less than 10 percent clay in the particle-size control section
Rock Reservoir (WY) - have a mean annual soil temperature less than 11 degrees C
Tweba (NV) - have a mean annual soil temperature less than 11 degrees C

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - flood plains and drainageways
Elevation - 1,372 to 1,768 meters
Slope - 0 to 4 percent
Parent material - alluvium
Mean annual precipitation - 152 to 229 mm
Mean annual air temperature - 10.0 to 12.8 degrees C
Frost-free period - 140 to 180 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Montrose and Mesa soil series. Both Montrose and Mesa soils are on stream terraces above Waterdog soils.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; moderately rapid to very rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Waterdog soils are used primarily for wildlife habitat with some areas used for hayland and pasture. Native vegetation is mainly slender wheatgrass, Nevada bluegrass, basin big sagebrush, narrowleaf willow, rubber rabbitbrush and Fremont cottonwood.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Waterdog soils are of small extent in southwestern Colorado. MLRA 34B.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Montrose County, Colorado - Ridgway Area, Colorado, Parts of Delta, Gunnison, Montrose, and Ouray Counties, 2019.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 11 cm (A horizon)
Strong gleying - from 11 to 152 cm (Cg1, Cg2 and Cg3 horizons)
Redoximorphic concentrations - from 36 to 152 cm (Cg2 and Cg3 horizons)
Particle-size control section - from 25 to 100 cm (part of C1g, C2g and part of C3g horizon)

Waterdog soils have a mesic temperature regime and an aquic moisture regime.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.