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PHILLIPS COUNTY, COLORADO 23
<br /> soil, generally on knobs or in sags where the soil material Seedlings emerge quickly if the range is reseeded when the
<br /> has been reworked considerably and a thin mantle of loess soil is moist and has a good cover of litter. Then, crazing
<br /> deposited. should be deferred until the young plants are well estab-
<br /> The soils in this complex'take in water well and have lished. Capability units IVe-1 (clryland) and IIIe-5 (ir-
<br /> moderate to high available water holding capacity.Chisel- rigatecl) ; Loamy Plains range site; windbreak suitability
<br /> ing can be used to break up plowpans that form if the group 1.
<br /> sols are tilled when wet.In a few spots,flat fragments of Wages-Eckley-Dix complex, 5 to 25 percent slopes
<br /> limestone as much as 3 to 12 inches in iameter cover the (WeE) occupies areas along intermittent drainageways,
<br /> surface. principally Frenchman and Patent Creeks.These soils are
<br /> These soils are suitable for cultivation or as rangeland. so intermingled that it is not practical to map them
<br /> Nearly all of the acreage is cultivated.In clryfarmed fields separately.
<br /> winter small grains, sorghums, and similar crops grow Included with these soils in mapping were nearly level
<br /> well. Erosion can be controlled if stubble-mulch tillage is to moderately sloping soils on stream terraces and chan-
<br /> used and these soils are summer followed after crops are nel bottoms. The channel bottoms are shown on the soil
<br /> harvested. In some fields emergency tillage is needed for map by a symbol.for drainage. Also included were small
<br /> reducing soil blowing. In addition to small grains and areas where the soil is shallow over gravel and calcareous
<br /> sorghums, alfalfa, corn, and sugar beets are suited in throughout.
<br /> irrigated areas. In these areas crop residue and manure About 60 percent of this complex is Wages soils,18 per-
<br /> should be worked into the soil. Irrigated crops respond if cent is Eckley soils,and 12 percent is Dix soils.Each kind
<br /> fertilizer is applied, of soil has the profile described as typical for its series.The
<br /> On rangeland blue grama, western wheatgrass, little rest of the complex consists of areas of Plainer and Asca-
<br /> bluestem,and buff alograss grow well.These native grasses ion soils. In hardland or sandy land areas, the Ascalon
<br /> can be reseeded if the soil is moist and well covered with soils occur on the south banks of the streams and Platner
<br /> litter. Proper range use can be obtained by locating fences, soils are at the upper edges of side slopes.
<br /> water,and salt so that animals graze the entire area. Capa- These soils take water at a moderate to rapid rate.'Where
<br /> bility units IIIs-2 (dryland� and IIe-2 (irrigated) ; they are shallow, their capacity to hold water is limited.
<br /> Loamy Plains range site;wind reak suitability group 1. If rains are heavy, runoff is considerable and causes rill
<br /> Wages-Campus-Weld loans, 3 to 5 percent slopes erosion. Also, extra water from runoff frequently concen-
<br /> (WcC) occur mostly in the western part of the county.They trates and floods the Dix soils.Erosion control dams could
<br /> occupy old,high land surfaces that have been covered with be built to control this water.
<br /> windblown silt. These areas generally occupy convex The complex is not suitable for cultivation, mainly be-
<br /> ridges that trend southeastward.Some areas of Wages and cause it is erodible, shallow, and sloping to steep. The
<br /> Campus soils are on side slopes adjacent to nearly level areas should be seeded with native grasses. In the more
<br /> areas of Dawes loam, but the Weld soil does not occur accessible areas,overgrazing is prevented by placing water,
<br /> in these areas. fences,and salt so that the livestock graze the entire range.
<br /> Wages soil makes up about 50 percent of the complex; Although reseeding may be difficult in some eroded or over-
<br /> Campus soil,25 percent; and Weld soil, 15 percent.Wages grazed areas, seeds germinate quickly if the soil is moist
<br /> and Campus soils are on the slopes, and the Weld soil is on and covered with litter.Young plants should not be grazed
<br /> the narrow, convex ridgetops. These soils are so closely until the are well established. Capability unit`�VIe-3
<br /> associated that it is not practical to map them separately. (dryland ;Wages soils are in Loamy Plains range site and
<br /> Each kind of soil has a profile similar to the one described windbreaksuitability group 1; Eckley soils are in Gravel
<br /> for its series. Breaks range site and windbreak suitability group 3; and
<br /> Included in mapping were small areas of Platner soils Dix soils are in Gravel Breaks range site and windbreak
<br /> that occupy the toe slopes of the ridges.Also included were suitability group 2.
<br /> a few small spots of Canyon soils near spots where lime-
<br /> stone crops out.The limestone is a hazard to farm machin- Weld Series
<br /> cry.Also occurring were a few small areas having slopes of
<br /> 5 to 9 percent. The Weld series consists of deep, well-drained, loamy
<br /> These soils take in water moderately well. Their avail- soils that are nearly level to gently sloping.These soils are
<br /> able water holding capacity is moderate to high. Because in the western and extreme northeastern parts of the
<br /> slopes are gentle, runoff is considerable during heavy county (fig 9). They formed in loamy eolian, or loessal,
<br /> rains, which causes small rills to form. Plowpans tend to materials. In a typical profile the surface layer is about
<br /> form in the soils if they are tilled when wet. 6 inches thick. It is grayish-brown loam in the upper part
<br /> Soils in this complex are suitable for limited cultivation and dark grayish-brown loam in the lower part.
<br /> or as rangeland. Nearly all the acreage is cultivated. A The subsoil is about 10 inches thick and noncalcareous.
<br /> suitable practice in dryf armed fields is stubble-mulch till- The upper part is very hard, dark grayish-brown clay,
<br /> age for controlling erosion and maintaining tilth and fer- and the lower part is hard, dark grayish-brown very fine
<br /> tility. Tilth and fertility are also maintained by working sandy loam.
<br /> crop residue into the soil,emergency tillage,and construct- The underlying material is very pale brown loamy ma-
<br /> ing terraces on the longer slopes.These practices also con- terial that contains many fragments of limestone as much
<br /> serve moisture. In the irrigated areas, crops respond to as 1 inch in diameter.
<br /> applications of fertilizer. Because the surface layer of the Weld soils is a thin
<br /> On rangeland grasses grow well if fences,water,and salt deposit of loam overlying a very slowly permeable sub-
<br /> are properly placed so that livestock graze the entire range, soil, runoff is rapid on moderately sloping areas. Hard-
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