LOCATION WRAYHA COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, calcareous, frigid Ustic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Wrayha stony clay loam - pinyon-juniper woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 7 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) stony clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; 5 percent pebbles and 15 percent stones; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
C--7 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Montrose County, Colorado; 1,200 feet east and 2,300 feet north of the southwest corner, Sec. 9, T. 48 N., R. 19 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 44 to 46 degrees F, and mean summer soil temperature ranges from 60 to 64 degrees F. The moisture control section is dry for 15 consecutive days from May 15 to June 30 when the soil temperature at 20 inches is greater than 41 degrees F. It is not dry in all parts of the moisture control section for as long as 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice to October 20 and for as long as 90 cumulative days during the period. Clay percentage in the particle-size control section ranges from 36 to 50 percent. Depth to calcareous material is usually 3 to 8 inches but some pedons may be calcareous to the surface. Calcium carbonate equivalent is less than 12 percent. Some pedons have visible secondary lime occurring as soft masses. Rock fragments are mainly pebbles and range from 0 to 20 percent in the A horizon. Stones are largely on the surface. Rock fragments in the C horizon range from 0 to 10 percent and are mainly pebble size and shale channers.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR through 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Stony and gravelly modifiers are common.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3. Some pedons in the lower C horizon have variegated colors to 10YR hue. Some pedons have a paralithic contact at a depth of 40 to 60 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Colsavage, Dollard, Gunsone(T), Nobe, Orinoco(T), Rhoamett(T), Sunburst, and Vanda series. Nobe, Sunburst, and Vanda soils have a consistent horizon of secondary gypsum accumulation. Colsavage, Dollard, and Orinoco soils have a paralithic contact above 40 inches. Gunsone soils have hue of 5YR or redder throughout. Rhoamett soils are moist in the soil moisture control section in the period May 15 through June 30.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wrayha series are on ridges, side slopes, mesas, and benches. Slopes are 3 to 65 percent. At the type location the mean annual precipitation ranges from 14 to 16 inches. Mean annual temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F, and the mean annual summer temperature is 58 to 62 degrees F. Elevations range from 5,800 to 7,800 feet. The frost-free period is 90 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Acree, Beje, Burnac, Dapoin, Delson, Evanston, Narraguinnep, Nunemaker, and Sagedale soils. Acree soils have an argillic horizon and an mollic epipedon. Beje soils have a lithic contact. Burnac soils have an argillic horizon. Dapoin soils have a mollic epipedon. Delson soils have an argillic horizon and a mollic epipedon. Evanston soils have an argillic horizon and a mollic epipedon. Narraguinnep soils have a pachic mollic epipedon. Nunemaker and Sagedale soils have a cambic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid or very rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used as rangeland and recreation. Native vegetation is mainly pinon pine and Utah juniper with an understory of Gambel oak, true mountainmahogany, bottlebrush squirreltail, and prairie junegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Colorado. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Montrose County (San Miguel Area), Colorado, 1987.