LOCATION CHRIS COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, mixed, superactive Eutric Glossocryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Chris gravelly loam, on a west facing, simple, 35 percent slope in spruce-fir woodland at an elevation of 9,800 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) Described on July 16, 1990.
Oi--0 to 1 inch; organic layer of partly decomposed needles and leaves.
E--1 to 13 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, non sticky and non plastic; 15 percent gravel, 3 percent cobble and 1 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)
E/B--13 to 23 inches; 60 percent E, pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) gravelly sandy clay loam, reddish gray (5YR 5/2) moist, and 40 percent B, light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) gravelly clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; 20 percent gravel, 10 percent cobble and 2 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. This horizon consists of tongues of albic materials extending into the underlying material. (3 to 12 inches thick)
B/E--23 to 31 inches; 80 percent B, light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) very cobbly clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist, and 20 percent E, pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) very cobbly loam, reddish gray (5YR 5/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common distinct clay films on faces of peds of the B part; 20 percent gravel, 30 percent cobble and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bt--31 to 42 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) very cobbly clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium angular and subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common prominent clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent gravel, 30 percent cobble and 5 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 40 inches thick)
C--42 to 61 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) very cobbly sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; 20 percent gravel, 30 percent cobble and 10 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 6.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Archuleta County, Colorado; about 15 miles northeast of Bayfield, Colorado; located about 3,200 feet W and 800 feet S of the northeast corner of sec. 25, T. 36 N., R. 6 W.; Baldy Mountain USGS quad; lat. 37 degrees 21 minutes 47 seconds N. and long. 107 degrees 28 minutes 53 seconds W., NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: (depths given are measured from the mineral soil surface)
Soil moisture regime: udic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 36 to 40 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 50 to 54 degrees F. without an O horizon
Base saturation: 60 to 80 percent (estimated)
Particle-size control section:
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragment content: 35 to 60 percent consisting mostly of sandstone fragments
E horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3, dry and moist
Rock fragment content: 15 to 65 percent
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral
The E/B horizon:
E part:
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3, dry and moist
Texture, fine earth fraction: L, SCL
B part:
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry and moist
Texture, fine earth fraction: CL, SCL
Rock fragment content: 35 to 60 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
The B/E horizon:
B part:
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry and moist
Texture, fine earth fraction: CL, C
E part:
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3, dry and moist
Texture, fine earth fraction: L, SCL
Rock fragment content: 35 to 60 percent
Reaction: moderately acid or slightly acid
Bt horizon:
Hue: 10R to 5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6, dry and moist
Texture, fine earth fraction: CL or C
Rock fragment content: 35 to 60 percent
Reaction: moderately acid or slightly acid
C horizon:
Hue: 10R to 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, and moist
Texture, fine earth fraction: SCL, CL, or L
Rock fragment content: 35 to 60 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Relyea series. Relyea soils have horizons of secondary carbonates.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium derived from sedimentary rocks, mainly sandstone.
Landform: mountain slopes, valley sideslopes, and canyon sideslopes.
Slopes: 9 to 70 percent
Elevation: 8,500 to 10,000 feet
Mean annual air temperature: 34 to 40 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 25 to 40 inches.
Wettest months: July and August receives slightly more precipitatiom than other months.
Driest months: May and June receive the least precipitation, however the soils are still moist from snowmelt.
Frost-free period: 60 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the
Dunton series.
Dunton soils have less than 35 percent coarse fragments and have a lithic contact between depths of 20 to 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or high runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Native vegetation is mainly white fir, Engelmann's spruce, subalpine fir, ponderosa pine, Myrtle whortelberry, Arizona fescue, Gambel's oak, and mountain brome.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Colorado. LRR E, MLRA 48A. This series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Lakewood, Colorado.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hinsdale County (Piedra area) Colorado, 1974.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 1 to 13 inches (E horizon)
Albic horizon: The zone from 1 to 13 inches (E horizon)
Glossic horizon: The zone from 13 to 31 inches (E/B and B/E horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 23 to 42 inches. (B/E and Bt horizons)
Particle-size control section: The zone from 23 to 42 inches. (B/E and Bt horizons)
Keys to Soil Taxonomy: Classified according to the Eighth Edition, 1998.
The 11/1999 revision moves the type location from the Piedra Area soil survey in Hinsdale County to the Animas-Dolores soil survey area in Archuleta County.
The 6/2006 revision changes the mineralogy from smectitic to mixed.