FLOOD07893

• County: Weld
• Basin: South Platte
• Title: Soil Survey of Weld County, Northern Part
• Date: 4/14/1999
• Prepared For: Weld County
• Prepared By: USDA Soil Conservation Service
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Data

Weld County, Colorado, Northern Part

This map unit is in capability subclass IVe,
nonirrigated. The Kim soil is in Loamy Plains range site,
and the Mitchell soil is in Sillstone Plains range site.

32-Kim-Mitchell complex, 6 to 9 percent slopes.
This map unit is on moderately dissected to highly
dissected plains and alluvial and colluvial fans.
This unit is about 45 percent Kim loam and 35 percent
Mitchell silt loam. The componenls of this unit are so
intricately intermingled that it was not practical to map
them separately at the scale used.
Included in this unit are small areas of Haverson loam,
Thedalund loam, Keata loam, and soils that have slopes
of less than 6 percent Included areas make up 20
percent of the total acreage. The percentage varies from
one area to another.
The Kim soil is deep and well drained. It formed in
calcareous loamy alluvium and colluvium. Typically, the
surface layer is light brownish gray loam 3 inches thick.
The subsurface layer is light brownish gray clay loam 4
inches thick. The underlying material to a depth of 60
inches or more is light gray loam. The soil is calcareous
throughout
Permeability of the Kim soil is moderate..Available
water capacity is high. Effective rooting depth is 60
inches or more. Runoff is medium to rapid, and the
hazard of water erosion is high. The hazard of soil
blowing is moderate.
The Mitchell soil is deep and well drained. It formed in
calcareaus loamy alluvium and colluvium. Typically, the
surface layer is brown silt loam 7 inches thick. The
subsurface iayer is very pale brown silt loam 5 inches
thick. The underlying material to a depth of 60 inches cr
more is very pale brown silt loam. The soil is calcareaus
throughout.
Permeability of the Mitchell soil is moderate. Available
water capacity is high. Effective rooting depth is 60
inches or more. Runoff is medium to rapid, and the
hazard of water erosion is high. The hazard of soil
blowing is moderate.
This unit is used as rangeland.
The potential plant community on the Kim soil is
mainly blue grama, western wheatgrass, sedges, and
buffalograss. The average annual production of air-dry
vegetation ranges from 400 to 1,300 pounds. The
potential plant community on the Mitchell soil is mainly
blue grama, western wheatgrass, and fourwing saltbush.
The average annual production of air-dry vegetation
ranges from 400 to 1,500 pounds.
If the range is overgrazed, the proportion of preferred
forage plants decreases and the proportion of less
preferred forage planls increases. Therefcre, livestock
grazing should be managed so that the desired balance
of preferred species is maintained in the plant
community.
Range seeding is suitable if the range is in poor
condition. The plants selected for seeding should meet
the seasonal requirements of livestock or wildlife, or

27

both. Other .management practices that are suitable for
use on this unit are proper range use, deferred grazing,
and rotation grazing. If the plant cover is disturbed,
protection from erosion is needed. Loss of the surface
layer resulls in a severe decrease in productivity and in
the potential of the unit to produce plants suitable for
grazing.
This unit is well suited to windbreaks and
environmental plantings. It is limited mainly by the hazard
of soil blcwing where the surface layer is barren of
vegetation. Only small areas or strips should be cleared
for tree planting. Soil blowing can ~ reduced by
cultivating only in the tree rows and by leaving a strip of
vegetation between the rows. Supplemental irrigation
may be needed when planting and during dry periods.
This map unit is in capability subclass Vie,
nonirrigated. The Kim soil is in Loamy Plains range site,
and the Mitchell soil is in Sillstone Plains range site.

33-Klm-Shingle complex, 6 to 30 percent slopes.
This map unit is on plains, breaks, and alluvial and
colluvial fans.
This unit is about 60 percent Kim loam and 20 percent
Shingle clay loam. The Kim soil is on moderately
diss89ted to highly dissected plains, alluvial fans, and
colluvial fans. The Shingle soil is on moderately
dissected to highly dissected breaks. The individual
components of this unit are in areas so narrow that it
was not practical tc map them separately at the scale
used.
Included in this unit are small areas of Cascajo soils.
Also included are small areas of Rock outcrop and soils
that are moderately deep to shale. Included areas make
up about 20 percent of the total acreage. The
percentage varies from one area to another.
The Kim soil is deep and well drained. It fcrmed in
calcareous loamy alluvium and colluvium. Typically, the
surface layer is light brownish gray loam 3 inches thick.
The subsurface layer is clay loam 4 inches thick. The
underlying material to a depth of 60 inches or more is
loam. The soli is calcareous throughout
Permeability of the Kim soil is moderate. Available
water capacity is high. Effective rooting depth is 60
inches or more. Runoff is medium to rapid, and the
hazard of water ercsion is high to very high. The hazard
of soil blowing is moderate.
The Shingle soil is shallow and well drained. It formed
in calcareous loamy or clayey residuum derived from
shale. Typically, the surface layer is yellowish brown clay
loam 4 inches thick. The underlying material is clay loam
7 inches thick. Shale is at a depth of 11 inches. Depth to
shale ranges from 10 to 20 inches. The soil is
calcareous throughcut
Permeability of the Shingle soil is moderate. Available
water capacity is low. Effective rooting depth is 10 to 20
inches. Runoff is medium to rapid, and the hazard of
water erosion is high to very high. The hazard of soli
blowing is slight