LOCATION ZYME CO+UT+AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, calcareous, mesic, shallow Ustic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Zyme clay loam, on a southeast facing, simple, 30 percent slope in pinyon and juniper woodland at an elevation of 6760 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on 7/12/79 the soil was dry from 0 to 10 inches.
A1--0 to 1 inch; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; medium fine granular structure; loose, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)
A2--1 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
C--4 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; 10 percent shale chips; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)
Cr--10 to 14 inches; gray platy calcareous shale.
TYPE LOCATION: La Plata County, Colorado; west of the cemetery on the west side of Durango; located about 2,700 feet west and 300 feet north of the southeast corner of Sec. 19, T. 35 N., R. 9 W.; Durango West USGS quad; lat. 37 degrees 16 minutes 40 seconds N. and long. 107 degrees 53 minutes 34 seconds W., NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: Ustic-aridic. The soil moisture control section is dry for 15 consecutive days from May 15 to July 15 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 at least 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice to October 20 and for at least 90 cumulative days during that period.
Soil temperature regime: mesic
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 55 degrees F
Mean annual summer soil temperature: 59 to 68 degrees F
Depth to paralithic contact: 6 to 20 inches to shale
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 0 to 3 inches
Particle-size control section:
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Silt content: 20 to 60 percent
Sand content: 5 to 45 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 15 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 5Y to 10YR
Value: 4 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: clay loam or silty clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 60 percent, mostly gravel and channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
C horizon:
Hue: 5Y to 10YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: clay, clay loam, silty clay, or silty clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Cr horizon: shale bedrock
Some pedons have accumulations of gypsum
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cannonville, Danko, Midway, Orella, and Samday, series. Cannonville soils are dry in all parts of the moisture control section 65 to 75 percent of the time when the temperature at 20 inches is greater than 41 degrees F. Danko soils have hue redder than 10YR and more than 15 percent exchangeable sodium. Epsie soils contain 50 to 60 percent clay in the C horizon. Midway soils are dry less than 15 consecutive days in all parts of the moisture control section between May 15 to July 15. Orella soils are strongly alkaline and sodic. Samday soils have consistent gypsum accumulations in the C horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: residuum derived from shale
Landform: ridges, knobs, and hills
Slopes: 3 to 80 percent
Elevation: 5,000 to 8,100 feet
Mean annual air temperature: 45 to 53 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 10 to 16 inches
Wettest months: except for May and June, monthly precipitation is about the same. About half the precipitation falls between April and September.
Driest months: May and June receive the least precipitation.
Frost-free period: 90 to 135 days
PE Index: 30 to 50 for the series
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are
Arboles,
Bayfield,
Bodot, and
Sili soils.
Arboles and Sili soils are very deep and have cambic horizons.
Bayfield soils are very deep.
Bodot soils are moderately deep to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, high or very high runoff, slow permeability
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and homesite development. Native vegetation is pinyon pine, Utah juniper, big sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, western wheatgrass, mountainmahogany, Gambel oak, serviceberry, and bitterbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Colorado and similar areas in Arizona and Utah. LRR D, MLRA 34B, 35, 36. This series is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: La Plata County Area, Colorado, 1982.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 4 inches. (A1 and A2 horizons)
Paralithic contact: Shale bedrock at 10 inches.
Particle size control section: The zone from 0 to 10 inches. (A1, A2, C)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999.