LOCATION HODDEN COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Calcic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Hodden gravelly loam - on a 3 percent southwest-facing slope in an area of rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 20 percent pebbles, 1 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bt1--4 to 10 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) very gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common prominent clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 40 percent pebbles, 1 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary.
Bt2--10 to 13 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common prominent clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 45 percent pebbles, 1 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (Bt is 6 to 13 inches thick)
Bk1--13 to 16 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown to dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many medium soft masses of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; 45 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bk2--16 to 32 inches; pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) very gravelly sandy loam, pink (7.5YR 7/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; calcium carbonates disseminated and in many large soft masses; violent effervescence; 45 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Bk3--32 to 44 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; disseminated and few medium soft masses of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; 45 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk2 and Bk3 is 10 to 45 inches thick.)
2C--44 to 60 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) extremely gravelly loamy sand, brown (7.5YR 5/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; coatings of calcium carbonate on undersides of rock fragments; slight effervescent; 65 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0). (0 to 24 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Fremont County, Colorado; about 1,350 feet east and 1,580 feet north of the southwest corner of Sec. 6, T. 51 N., R. 11 E. U.S.G.S. Gribbles Park quad.; Lat. 38 degrees, 41 minutes, 33 seconds N., and Long. 105 degrees, 48 minutes, 29 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 39 to 45 degrees F., and mean summer soil temperature ranges from 51 to 58 degrees F. Thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 8 to 14 inches. Depth to secondary calcium carbonate and depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 10 to 18 inches. Rock fragments in the Bt, Bk, C, and 2C horizons are mainly pebbles, cobbles, and channers. These horizons have 30 to 65 percent pebbles, 0 to 45 percent cobbles, and 0 to 10 percent stones.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 through 6 dry, 2 through 4 moist, and chroma of 2 through 6. Rock fragment content ranges from 35 to 65 percent. The fine-earth fraction is loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam, and averages 18 to 35 percent clay, 15 to 40 percent silt, and 30 to 60 percent sand. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bk horizon has hue of 7.5YR through 2.5Y, value of 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Rock fragment content ranges from 40 to 90 percent. The fine-earth fraction is most commonly sandy loam, but may be fine sandy loam, loam, or sandy clay loam. Content of calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 15 to 30 percent in the part qualifying as a diagnostic calcic horizon. Reaction is moderately alkaline.
The 2C, 2Bk, or C horizon, if present, has hue of 7.5YR through 2.5Y. The 2C or 2Bk horizon is commonly extremely gravelly sand or extremely gravelly loamy sand, or very gravelly sandy loam. Common textures of C horizons are very gravelly sandy loam and very gravelly sandy clay loam. Reaction is moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blaine (MT), Bowen (CO), Buena Vista (CO), Chamberlain (ID), Elwood (UT), Ess (AZ), Ezbin (ID), Fornor (WY), Forsey (UT), Fourme (ID), Fourmile (CO), Geertsen (UT), Hoodle (UT), Latigo (ID), Libeg (MT), Maciver (MT), Nathale (WY), Nathrop (CO), Norriston (CO), Nurkey (ID), Packer (NV), Parkview (CO), Quander (CO), Ratiopeak (MT), Sawfork (CO), Scuffe (NV), Stopatoe (NV), Tahquats (ID), Teeler (WY), Thiel (MT), Winada (NV), Woodhall (CO), and Zeebar (ID) series.
The moisture control section of Hodden soils is drier than that of all of the above soils, with the exception of Sawfork soils.
Blaine, Bowen, Buena Vista, Elwood, Nathale, Nathrop, Scuffe, and Woodhall soils have a lithic contact at depths of less than 40 inches.
Ess, Libeg, Packer, and Tahquats soils do not have horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Fourmile and Quander soils lack uniformly calcareous material at depths above 40 inches.
Maciver soils have mean annual precipitation of 15 to 22 inches and have moist spring months.
Norriston and Thiel soils have a sandy-skeletal substratum with its upper boundary within a depth of 10 to 20 inches.
Parkview, Stopatoe, and Winada soils have a paralithic contact at depths of less than 40 inches.
Ratiopeak soils have Bt horizons more than 13 inches thick and depth to the Bk is 25 to 40 inches.
Sawfork soils lack skeletal substratums below the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hodden soils are on fan terraces, fans, and foot slopes. Slopes range from 1 to 40 percent. The soils formed in alluvium and glacial outwash. Elevation is 8,800 to 10,000 feet. Mean annual precipitation is about 10 to 16 inches, and most delineations are in areas with mean annual precipitation of 14 inches or less. This is less than the prevalent precipitation of competing series except the geographically associated Sawfork series. Mean annual temperature is about 36 to 44 degrees F. The frost-free season is about 50 to 85 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gebson and Morset soils and the competing Sawfork and Thiel soils. Gebson and Morset soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments throughout.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland. Principal native vegetation is western wheatgrass, Arizona fescue, mountain muhly, prairie junegrass, slimstem muhly, and fringed sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Intermontane basins of Central Colorado in areas of relatively low precipitation. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Lakewood, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fremont County (Fremont County Area), Colorado, 1988.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features include: a mollic epipedon; and argillic horizon from 4 to 13 inches; a Bk horizon from 13 to 44 inches; an ustic moisture regime; and a cryic temperature regime. Last updated by the state 8/95.