LOCATION ZINZER CO+UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Calciustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Zinzer loam - cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure that parts to moderate fine granules; slightly hard, very friable; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2). (6 to 20 inches thick)
C1--7 to 15 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable; slightly plastic; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
C2ca--15 to 28 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy clay loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; massive; hard, very friable, slightly plastic; much visible secondary calcium carbonate occurring as concretions, in thin seams and streaks, and in finely divided forms; calcium carbonate equivalent about 20 percent; moderate amount of crystalline gypsum; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
C3ca--28 to 60 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6.4) sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; hard, very friable, slightly plastic; some visible secondary calcium carbonate occurring as concretions and in thin seams and streaks, but much less than horizon above; a small amount of crystalline calcium sulphate; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Alamosa County, Colorado; 600 feet north and 100 feet west of the E1/4 corner of Sec. 28, T. 37 N., R. 9 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 45 degrees F., and mean summer soil temperature is 62 degrees F. Depth to uniformly calcareous material ranges from 0 to 5 inches. Depth to the calcic horizon ranges from 10 to 40 inches. The soil above the calcic horizon ranges from neutral to strongly alkaline but subhorizons of the calcic horizon are very strongly alkaline in some pedons. Exchangeable sodium ranges from 0 to 15 percent and conductivity ranges from 0 to 14 millimhos above a depth of 20 inches except that a few discontinuous horizons totaling less than 4 inches in thickness and exceeding those limits occur in some pedons. The control section averages 35 to 60 percent fine or coarser sand and 0 to 15 percent rock fragments. The rock fragments are dominantly 1 to 10 inches in diameter. Hue ranges from 5Y through 7.5YR except that a few subhorizons having hue redder than 7.5YR occur discontinuously in some pedons and occupy less than half the thickness of the control section.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Emmons series. Emmons soils have hue of 5YR or redder.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zinzer soils are on alluvial flood plains or alluvial fans. Slope gradients range from 0 to 4 percent. The soils formed in mixed alluvium. At the type location the average annual precipitation is 7 inches, with peak periods of precipitation in the spring and early summer months. Mean annual temperature is 41 degrees F., and mean summer temperature is 61 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nortonville and McGinty soils. Nortonville soils are poorly drained. McGinty soils lack mollic epipedons and are coarse loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally for irrigated cropland. Some areas are still in native range. Principal native plants are alkali sacaton, inland saltgrass, rabbitbrush, and greasewood.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: High intermountain valleys of central Colorado. The series is of limited extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rio Grande County, Colorado, 1972.
REMARKS: OSED scanned by NSSQA and cleaned up by Colorado. Last revised by state on 7/72.