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<br />
<br />been delineated on the generalized soil and vegetation map, with numbers
<br />corresponding to the numbers assigned to the following names: 10 Desert-
<br />SierQzem, 20 Bxown-chestnut, 30 Mountain Prairie-Chestnut, 4, Gray
<br />WOQ'ded-Brown Podzolic-Mountain Prairie, and 50 Alpine Meadow-Alpine Bogo
<br />
<br />Within the five climatic soil grQupings are Soils that do not exhibit the
<br />influence of climate in profile characteristics 0 These are the young
<br />soils (Alluvials and Regasols), soils shallow to parent rock (Lithosals),
<br />poorly drained soils (Humic Gleys), high sodium so.ils (Solonetz) and
<br />miscellaneous land types (rockland, rock outcrops and rock slides) 0 Kinds
<br />or species of vegetation change with the major soil groupings 0 These
<br />changes may be sharp or they may be broad transitions.
<br />
<br />Soils presently irrigated are primarily Humic Gley, Alluvial, Sierozem,
<br />Brown and Chestnuto There is also an additional acreage of soils suitable
<br />for irrigation, primarily in the Bro.wn, Chestnut and Alluvial group.$o
<br />Acreage of great.soils groups, by major groupings, and distribution of
<br />this acreage by irrigated land and vegetative types for the Gunnison River
<br />Basin is given in table 1.
<br />
<br />;1.. Desert Sierozem
<br />
<br />Soils of this grouping have developed under low effective precipitation,
<br />on gently to moderately undulating floodplains and strongly to' steeply
<br />sloping, severely eroded low rolling shale hills, in alluvium and residuum
<br />from sandstone and saline shale, at elevations ranging from 5,000 to 6,000
<br />feet. They are deep, generally slowly permeable, moderately coarse ta fine
<br />te~tured soils which have an alkaline reaction, a horizon of high lime
<br />accumulation in the solum and may have some disseminated lime at or near
<br />the surface. This grouping also includes about 3 percent Solonetz (high
<br />sodium) soils; 6 percent of deep, moderately fine te~tured Regosols; 1.$
<br />percent of deep, medium to fine te~tured Alluvial soils; 22 percent mis-
<br />cellaneous land types; and 17 percent moderately, coarse to moderately fine
<br />textured Lithosols.
<br />
<br />'!here are about 94,200 acres of irrigated land in this grouping, primarily
<br />on the Sierozem and Alluvial soil grouvs. Salinity is a majar prGblem and
<br />is reflected in the spotty crop growth observed o.n these soils. '!he COlDDll)u
<br />natural vegetation consists of shadscale, mat salt bush, gardner salt bush,
<br />greasewoad, rabbit brush, winter fat, cactus, galleta, three awn and squirrel
<br />tail.
<br />
<br />2. ]JrQwn--Chesto.ut
<br />
<br />Soils of this grouping have developed under slightly higher effective pre-
<br />cipitation than the Desert-Sierozem soils, on gently sloping stream terraces,
<br />outwash fans and valley fills, and moderately to steeply sloping UfJlands,
<br />in glaCial till, alluvium and residuum from sandstone and shale, ateleva-
<br />tions ranging from 6,000 to 8,000 feeto They are deep, moderately coarse
<br />to moderately fine te~tured soils, which are nearly neutral in reacti&n and
<br />have lime leached deeper in the soil profile than grouping number 1. This
<br />
<br />- 5 -
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