LOCATION WELLSVILLE CO+NM UT WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Ustic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Wellsville loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 5 percent pebbles, mostly limestone; noncalcareous; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
BA--4 to 7 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) light clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granules; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few thin glossy patches on faces of peds and discontinuous glossy coatings on the inside of some root channels and pores; 10 percent fine limestone pebbles; noncalcareous; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
Bt--7 to 15 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocks; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; peds are very hard; nearly continuous wax-like coatings on faces of peds and wax-like coatings on the inside of root channels; wax-like rims around the entrance to some soil pores; 25 percent fine limestone pebbles; the soil matrix is noncalcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 41 inches thick)
Bk1--15 to 20 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly heavy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; peds are hard; few thin glossy patches on faces of peds and discontinuous glossy coatings on the inside of root channels; 25 percent fine limestone pebbles and flat fragments; some visible secondary calcium carbonate as concretions and in thin seams and streaks; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bk2--20 to 36 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) channery loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 25 percent fine limestone pebbles; visible secondary calcium carbonate as concretions and in thin seams and streaks, and as coatings on the rock fragments; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
Bk3--36 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) gravelly loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 25 percent fine limestone pebbles and flat fragments; visible secondary calcium carbonate as concretions and in thin seams and streaks or as coatings on the pebble fragments, but there is less calcium carbonate in this horizon than in the horizon above; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2)
TYPE LOCATION: Chaffee County, Colorado; NE1/4 of Sec. 34, T. 13 S., R. 77 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to uniformly calcareous material normally ranges from 8 to 50 inches, but is shallower than the upper 2 inches of the Bt horizon. Depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 15 to 50 inches. Continuous subhorizons of visible secondary calcium carbonate or sulfate, or both, range in depth from 10 to 50 inches, but are in or immediately below the solum if the solum is thicker than 40 inches. A majority of the subhorizons above 50 inches have hue of 7.5YR or yellower. Rock fragments range from 0 to 35 percent by volume in a major part of the solum and Bk horizon above a depth of 50 inches. Rock fragments range mostly from 1/2 to 5 inches in diameter. The solum and Bk horizons should be uniform with only minor stratification. A majority of subhorizons above a depth of 50 inches have a calcium carbonate equivalent of the whole soil including rock fragments of less than 3 inches in diameter that range from 10 to 39 percent and remain constant or increase as depth increases, or most subhorizons of the solum have at least 5 percent rock fragments less than 5 inches in diameter that effervesce readily in acid. These soils are dry in some part of the moisture control section for some time in most years and peak periods of precipitation and in spring and early summer, or have nearly equal precipitation in all months.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, and 2 or 3 moist, with chroma of 1 through 3. It is slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
The Bt horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, and 3 to 6 moist, with chroma of 1 through 6. It is typically gravelly loam or clay loam, but clay ranges from 18 to 35 percent, silt from 15 to 55 percent, and sand from 20 to 60 percent with less than 35 percent being fine or coarser sand. This horizon is acid to moderately alkaline.
The Bk horizon has hue of 5Y through 7.5YR. It is typically gravelly loam or clay loam, but clay ranges from 18 to 35 percent, silt from 5 to 55 percent, and sand from 20 to 70 percent. This horizon is moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline. Calcium carbonate of the fine earth ranges from 3 to 14 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Amsden, Buffork, Cific, Croydon, Dra, (T)Gebson, Gelkie, Hourglass, Inchau, Kezar, Kittredge, Leavitt, Lucky, Lymanson, Lyonman, Michelson, Miracle, Monad, (T)Monida, Morset, Mult, Newlands, Oro Fino, Passcreek, Philipsburg, Primeaux, Rammel, Sponseller, Swede, Tingey, Tripit, Troutdale, Woosley, and Youga series. Amsden and Sponseller soils have a hue of 5YR or redder in a majority of subhorizons. Croydon, Kittredge, Lyonman, Newlands, Swede, and Youga are noncalcareous. Cryodon and Monad soils lack secondary carbonates above 40 inches. Dra, Kezar, Lucky, Miracle, Mult, Newlands, Passcreek, Primeaux, Rammel, Troutdale, and Woosley soils have a lithic contact above 40 inches. Gelkie and Oro Fino soils have more than 35 percent fine or coarser sand in the argillic horizon. Hourglass soils are calcareous above a depth of 40 inches or in the lower solum and a C horizon. Buffork, Cific, Inchau, Lymandon, and Tripit soils have a paralithic contact above a depth of 40 inches. Leavitt soils formed in mixed alluvial fan sediments that have only a small component of limestone. Michelson, (T)Monida, and Philipsburg soils have calcic horizons immediately below the solum. Tingey soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the solum and C horizon above 40 inches. (T)Gebson and Morset soils have more than 35 percent fine sand or coarser in the argillic and C horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wellsville soils are on alluvial fans and valley side slopes. Slopes typically range from about 2 to 20 percent or more. The soil formed in thick, calcareous, gravelly locally transported materials derived principally from limestone and other sedimentary rocks. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 16 to 25 inches with peak periods of precipitation in the spring and early summer. Mean annual temperature is 37 degrees F, and mean summer temperature is 53 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chubbs and Nathrob soils. Chubbs soils have E horizons, are fine textured, and have bedrock above a depth of 40 inches. Nathrop soils have bedrock above a depth of 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate to slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally as grazing land. Native vegetation consists of ring muhly, mountain fescue, native bluegrass, and open stands of conifers.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Colorado and Wyoming. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Trout Creek Area, Chaffee County, Colorado, 1959.