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Rio Bianco County Area, Colorado 47
<br />Smaller amounts of serviceberry, rabbitbrush, and
<br />greasewood commonly are also present in the potential
<br />plant community. The production of forage is limited by
<br />low precipitation and slow permeability. The average
<br />annual production of air-dry vegetation is about 1,500
<br />pounds per acre.
<br />If the range is overgrazed, the proportion of preferred
<br />forage plants decreases and the proportion of less
<br />preferred forage plants increases. Therefore, livestock
<br />grazing should be managed so that the desired balance
<br />of preferred species is maintained in the plant
<br />community.
<br />Management practices suitable for use on this unit are
<br />proper range use, deferred grazing, rotation grazing, and
<br />brush management. Grazing should be delayed until the
<br />soil in this unit has drained sufficiently and is firm enough
<br />to withstand trampling by livestock. Brush management
<br />improves deteriorated areas of range that are producing
<br />more woody shrubs than were present in the potential
<br />plant community.
<br />Range seeding is also suitable if the range is in poor
<br />condition. The main limitations for seeding are slow
<br />permeability, low precipitation, slope, and the hazard of
<br />erosion. For successful seeding, prepare a seedbed and
<br />drill in the seed. Compaction and excessive cloddiness
<br />occur if the soil is cultivated when it is too moist. The
<br />plants selected for seeding should meet the seasonal
<br />requirements of livestock or wildlife, or both.
<br />Areas of nonirrigated cropland are highly susceptible
<br />to water erosion and soil blowing and generally should
<br />be reseeded to grass.
<br />This unit is poorly suited to urban development. The
<br />main limitations are the potential for shrinking and
<br />swelling, slow permeability, slope, and the hazard of
<br />erosion.
<br />This map unit is in capability subclass IVe, irrigated
<br />and nonirrigated. It is in Deep Clay Loam range site.
<br />50—Lamphier-Tampico-Kamack loams, 5 to 60
<br />percent slopes. This map unit is on mountainsides,
<br />valley sides, and uplands. Areas are irregular in shape
<br />and are 20 to 850 acres in size. The native vegetation is
<br />mainly aspen, shrubs, and grasses on the Lamphier and
<br />Kamack soils and is mainly sparse stands of aspen,
<br />brush, and grasses on the Tampico soil. Elevation is
<br />7,200 to 9,800 feet. The average annual precipitation is
<br />20 to 25 inches, the average annual air temperature is
<br />36 to 39 degrees F, and the average frost -free period is
<br />45 to 75 days.
<br />This unit is 35 percent Lamphier loam that has slopes
<br />of 5 to 35 percent, 25 percent Tampico loam that has
<br />slopes of 15 to 50 percent, and 25 percent Kamack
<br />loam that has slopes of 15 to 60 percent. The Lamphier
<br />soil is mainly in the more gently sloping areas, the
<br />Tampico soil is mainly on uplands and side slopes, and
<br />the Kamack soil is mainly on the steeper mountainsides
<br />and valley sides. The components of this unit are so
<br />intricately intermingled that it was not practical to map
<br />them separately at the scale used.
<br />Included in this unit are small areas of Cochetopa,
<br />Cowdrey, Rhone, Silas, and Winnemucca loams and
<br />Miracle fine sandy loam. Also included are small areas of
<br />soils that are similar to the Lamphier, Tampico, and
<br />Kamack soils but are shallow and moderately deep to
<br />sandstone and small areas of Rock outcrop in the
<br />steeper areas. Included areas make up about 15 percent
<br />of the total acreage. The percentage varies from one
<br />area to another.
<br />The Lamphier soil is deep and well drained. It formed
<br />in alluvium and colluvium derived dominantly from red -
<br />bed sandstone. Typically, the surface is covered with a
<br />mat of decomposing leaves and twigs 2 inches thick.
<br />The surface layer is brown loam 26 inches thick. The
<br />underlying material to a depth of 60 inches or more is
<br />reddish brown loam.
<br />Permeability of the Lamphier soil is moderate.
<br />Available water capacity is high. Effective rooting depth
<br />is 60 inches or more. Runoff is medium, and the hazard
<br />of water erosion is high.
<br />The Tampico soil is deep and well drained. It formed
<br />in colluvium and alluvium derived dominantly from red -
<br />bed sandstone and shale. Typically, the surface is
<br />covered with a mat of partially decomposed leaves and
<br />twigs 2 inches thick. The upper part of the surface layer
<br />is dark reddish gray loam about 11 inches thick, and the
<br />lower part is reddish gray loam about 4 inches thick. The
<br />upper 15 inches of the subsoil is reddish brown loam,
<br />and the lower 12 inches is reddish brown clay loam. The
<br />substratum to a depth of 60 inches or more is reddish
<br />brown cobbly clay loam. The rock fragments are angular.
<br />In some areas the surface layer is fine sandy loam.
<br />Permeability of the Tampico soil is moderate. Available
<br />water capacity is moderate to high. Effective rooting
<br />depth is 60 inches or more. Runoff is medium, and the
<br />hazard of water erosion is high to very high.
<br />The Kamack soil is deep and well drained. It formed in
<br />residuum and colluvium derived dominantly from red -bed
<br />sandstone. Typically, the surface is covered with a mat
<br />of partially decomposed leaves 1/2 inch thick. The
<br />surface layer is reddish brown loam 14 inches thick. The
<br />upper 8 inches of the subsoil is light reddish brown very
<br />gravelly loam, and the lower 10 inches is light reddish
<br />brown very cobbly loam. The substratum to a depth of
<br />55 inches is reddish brown very cobbly light loam. The
<br />rock fragments are angular. Hard sandstone is at a
<br />depth of 55 inches. Depth to fractured and weathered
<br />bedrock ranges from 40 to 60 inches.
<br />Permeability of the Kamack soil is moderate. Available
<br />water capacity is moderate to low. Effective rooting
<br />depth is 60 inches or more. Runoff is medium, and the
<br />hazard of water erosion is very high.
<br />Most areas of this unit are used for livestock grazing in
<br />summer and for wildlife habitat. A few areas are used as
<br />woodland.
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