WSP08184

• File Number: 8200.765
• Description: White River General
• State: CO
• Basin: Yampa/White
• Water Division: 6
• Date: 11/1/1966
• Author: USFS
• Title: Water and Related Land Resources - White River Basin in Colorado
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

I

Slope gradients usually range between 10 and 60 percent over most of
the unit. Those of less than 10 percent are confined to alluvial
valleys, mesas and upland divides.

I

Elevations within this unit are, for the most part, between 6,000 and
7,000 feet. Climate here is more favorable for plant growth than in
the deserts of units 1 and 2. Annual precipitation is l2 to 15 inches
and mean annual temperature is a little less than 47" F. The frost-
free period is about 100 days.

I

I

Soil parent materials are mainly limy sandstones and shales along with
reworked valley fill derived from sandstone and shale. Much of the
fill material is stony or gravelly. Eolian deposits mantle portions
of the rolling upland divides between creeks. Recent alluvium is of
minor extent. Alluvial valleys have been markedly influenced at many
places by sediments and colluvium from nearby slopes.

I

I

Composition of map unit 3 by Great Soil Groups, except for Regosols
included within the Brown soils and land types, is estimated as
follows:

I

Percent

1949 Great Soil Group

1965 Great Group, Subgroup
or Family

Hap10rthents (Lithic and Thin)

I

60

Lithosols

I

25

Brown soils

Haplargids and Camborthids

I

5

Alluvial soils

Haplorthents

2

Solonetz soils

Natrargids

I

8

Land types
(Rock outcrop 3%)
(Rough gullied land 3%)
(Shale badlands 2%)

Land types
(Rock outcrop 3%)
(Rough gullied land 3%)
(Shale badlands 2%)

I

One of the most extensive components of unit 3 is the light colored,
shallow, stony soils that are intermingled with large sandstone boulders
and rock outcrops. They overlie sandstone or shale at depths of less
than 20 inches, and are usually calcareous. Stony soils are extensive
near narrow valleys and canyons that dissect the unit. At many locations
soft sandstone is penetrated by tree roots. Closely associated with
rocky soils are deeper soils with weak horizonation that have high
proportions of coarse fragments in the subsoil. Deeper soils are in
foots10pe positions below and within the complex patterns of shallow soils.

I

I

I

I

I

- l8 -

I