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

material to a depth of 60 inches ,Or more is sandy loam.
The soil is calcareous throughout
Permeabilily of the Otero soil is moderately rapid.
Available water capacily is moderate. Effective rooting
depth is 60 inches ,Or more. Runoff is slow, and the
hazard of water erosion is high to very high. The hazard
of soil blowing is moderate.
The Tassel soil is shallow and well drained. It formed
in calcareous loamy residuum derived dominantly from
sandstone. Typically, the surface layer is light yellowish
brown laamy fine sand 7 inches thick. The underlying
material is fine sandy ioam 12 inches thick. Sandstone is
at a depth of 19 inches. Depth ta sandstone ranges from
10 to 20 inches. The soil is calcareaus throughout.
permeabilily of the Tassel soil is moderately rapid.
Available water capacily is low. Effective rooting depth is
10 to 20 inches. Runoff is medium, and the hazard of
water erosion is high to very high. The hazard ,Of soil
blowing is moderate. .
This unit is used as rangeland.
The patential plant communily on the Otero soil is
mainly blue grama, prairie sandreed, and
needleandthread. The average annual production of air-
dry vegetation ranges from 700 to 2,000 pounds. The
potential plant cammunily on the Tassel soil is mainly
blue grama, sideoats grama, little b1uestem, and
threadleaf sedge. The average annual production of air-
dry vegetation ranges from 300 ta 1,000 pounds.
If the range is overgrazed, the praportion of preferred
forage plants decreases and the proportion of less
preferred forage plants increases. Therefore, livestock
grazing should be managed so that the desired balance
of preferred species is maintained in the plant
communily.
Areas that are heavily infested with undesirable plants
can be improved by praper grazing management
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
erasion is needed. Loss of the surface layer results in a
severe decrease in pro.ductivily and in the potential of
the unit ta produce plants suitable for grazing. Slope
limits access by rlVestock and results in overgrazing of
the less sloping areas.
The Otero soil is well suited to windbreaks and
enviranmental plantings. It is limited mainly by the hazard
of soil blowing where the surface layer is barren of
vegetation. Soil blowing can be 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.
The Tassel soil is poorly suited to windbreaks and
environmental plantings. The main limitations are shallow
rooting depth, law available water capacily, and
steepness of slopes.
This map unit is in capabilily subclass Vie,
nonirrigated. The Otera soil is in Sandy Plains range site,
and the Tassel soil is in Sandstone Breaks range site.

35

49-Paoli tine sandy loam, 0 to 6 percent slopes.
This deep, well drained sail is on slightly dissected ta
moderateiy dissected alluviai fans. It formed in
calcareous loamy alluvium. Slopes are concave.
Typically, the upper 15 inches of the surface layer is
brown fine sandy loam and the lower 12 inches is brown
coarse sandy loam. The underiying material to a depth of
60 inches or more is coarse sandy Icam and sandy loam.
The soil is calcareous below a depth ,Of 8 inches.
Included in this unit are small areas of sails that have
a surface layer of loamy sand, soils that are
noncalcareous, and soils that have restricted drainage.
Included areas make up about 15 percent of the total
acreage. \.
Permeabilily of this Paoli soil is moderately rapid to a
depth of 15 inches and rapid below this depth. Available
water capacity is high. Effective rooting depth is 60
inches or more. Runoff is slow ta very slaw, and the
hazard ,Of water erasion is slight to moderate. The
hazard of soil blawing is moderate.
Most areas ,Of this unit are used as rangeland. A few
areas are used as nonirrigated cropland. Winter wheat is
the main crop.
The potential piant community on this unit is mainly
blue grama, needleandthread, and prairie sandreed. The
average annual production of air-dry vegetatian ranges
from 800 to 2,000 pounds.
If the range is overgrazed, the proportion ,Of preferred
forage plants decreases and the proportion of less
preferred farage plants increases. Therefore, livestock
grazing should be managed so that the desired balance
of preferred species is maintained in the plant
communily.
Range seeding is suitable if the range is in paor
condition. The plants selected for seeding should meet
the seasonal requirements of livestock or wildlife, ,Or
both. Other management practices that are suitable for
use on this unit are proper range use, deferred grazing,
and rotation grazing. Livestock grazing should be
managed to protect the soil in this unit from erosion.
This unit is suited to winter wheat, barley, oats, and
sorghum. Because precipitatian is not sufficient far
annual cropping, a cropping system that includes small
grain and summer fallcw is most suitable. Precipitaticn
usually is too low for crops on this unit to make efficient
use of fertilizer.
Maintaining crop residue on or near the surface
reduces runoff, reduces soil blowing, and helps to
maintain soil tjjth and organic matter content. Stubble-
mulch farming, stripcrapping, and minimum tillage help ta
control erasion and canserve maisture. Terraces reduce
runoff and the risk of erasion and help to conserve
moisture.
If the plant cover is disturbed, protection from erasian
is needed. Lass ,Of the surface layer results in a severe
decrease in productivily and in the potentiai of the sojj to
produce plants suitable for grazing.
This unit is well suited to windbreaks and
envlranmental plantings. It has few limitations.

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