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

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Medium depth soils occupy lower portions of many narrow mesa divides.
They have formed in local wind deposited sandy materials derived for
the most part from sandstone. Deep, moderately dark colored loamy
soils which are noncalcareous to depths of 6 to 24 inches occupy
smoother slopes on the divides. Often they have formed in calcareous
wind-blown deposits of loamy texture.

Accelerated erosion is chiefly confined to rolling upland divides and
stream valleys. Water erosion on rocky, gravelly pinyon-juniper
slopes is principally along roads and hunting trails. Trails and
roads along steep upper slopes have had a striking effect in concen-
trating runoff water. Deep gullying and destructive bank cutting is
visible along all intermittent creeks and head cutting is common on
side drains. Summer storms frequently wash out many bridges and creek
crossings within this unit. Detrimental flood deposits are left on
alluvial fans and bottom1ands which formerly supported good stands of
grass.

Soil Mapping Unit 4: Deep moderately dark colored soils of the mesas
and valleys.

Unit 4 consists of 86,000 acres and comprises about 3.5 percent of the
Basin. There are two areas of this unit as shown on the general soil
map. The most extensive embraces the valleys and mesas located west
and east of Meeker. A smaller one is located in Moffat county near
the north edge of the Basin and above Crooked Wash.

The landscape near Meeker consists of gently sloping bottom1ands and
terraces that are bordered by higher benches or mesas. Mesas and
benches merge at their upper margins with steeper slopes of unit 5
on the map. The smaller delineation in Moffat County has much less
bottomland and terrace land, since it is far from the river valley.
Gently sloping terraces and mesas are separated at successive levels
by scarp faces or steep upland slopes. The smoother bottom1ands and
terraces have gradients of less than 5 percent. Gradients on mesas
and bordering uplands are between 5 and l5 percent. Steep slopes
on scarps and those along larger drainageways dissecting the mesas
range from l5 to 60 percent.

Soil unit 4 has an elevation range of 6,000 to 7,000 feet; however, it
is mostly at an elevation of 6,100 to 6,600 feet. Climatic data for
Meeker shows a mean annual precipitation of about 17 inches, a frost-
free period of 94 days, and a mean annual temperature of 440 F.
Weather at Meeker is more favorable for crop production than at the
eastern margin~ of the unit, due to the longer frost-free season.

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