|
„j ~. - . ,
<br />~"}• ~l~ ~ RIO GRANDE COUNTY AREA, COLORADO 31
<br />~. .
<br />y:,;... some of the major drainagea•a}-s in the tveste' ~Travefera very etuny randy loam, 3 Io 25 p
<br />~, part o e Area. Slopes are 0 to 3 percent. The .)ter cc~t e o .This gently sloping to moderate) cep
<br />table is at epth of 12 to 24 inches late in tog and soil occupies thins and small mesas alon a tt•est-
<br />in summer, bu cops below 24 inches i •mter. ern edge of the ca The profile of th~ oil is similar
<br />About 10 percen f this mappi trait is included
<br />- areas oC Acasco clay la: 1(I p ant :u~eas of Al:uunsa
<br />- loam, and 15 1}ercent Vast o:un and Ccrr:u~d lo:mt.
<br />Also included are sma , reas 'latoro loam.
<br />- Runoff is slow. a erosion hazat is slight.
<br />This soil ~ sad for irrigated mea w, irrigated
<br />- small gr ' :utd alfalfa, and for range. A ows are
<br />cut av or• used fm' ~n'azing. Capability not Itv-1
<br />• gated, \rn•-1 nonirrigated; \Vet \feadoa• range s'
<br />~til;gelets6eriea;:
<br />The Travelers series consists of shallow, well
<br />drained or sometahat excessively drained soils. These
<br />soils fm'med in residuum weathered from basalt on
<br />foothills :md mesas. Slopes :u'e 3 to 2v pcrt•ent. l;leva-
<br />tion is 7,800 to 8,800 feet. Natural vegetation is domi-
<br />nantly blue grama, snakeweed, low rabbitbrvslr, Indian
<br />I•icegrass, and tvinterfat. The aver:lge annual precipi-
<br />tation is about 9 inches, the mean annual air tempe7•:t-
<br />ture is about 41° F, and the frost-free season is 90
<br />to 105 days.
<br />In a representative profile the surface laver is dark
<br />brown very stony loam about 3 inches thick. The sub-
<br />soil is dark brotan very stony loam about G inches
<br />thick. The substratum is grayish brown loam about
<br />7 inches thick. Basalt is :tt a depth of about 16 inches.
<br />Permeability is moderate, and the available water
<br />capacity is lo~v. Reaction is moderately alkaline. The
<br />effective rooting depth is ]0 [0 20 inches.
<br />These soils :ue used for r:utge, wildlife, and recrea-
<br />tion.
<br />Representative profile of Travelers very stone loam
<br />in :m area of Tl;leelcrs-C:u'iht complex. 5 to ?5 pert•ent
<br />slopes, 2,140 feet east and '?,000 feet north of the
<br />southwest cm'ner sec. 34, T. 37 N., R. 7 1;.
<br />AI-0 to 3 inches; brawn (lOYR 5/3) eery ston}• loam, dark
<br />brown (]OYR 3/3) moist; moderate fine granular
<br />structure; solt, very triable; 30 percent stones,
<br />mostly basalt; calcareous; moderately alkali:te;
<br />char smooth boundary.
<br />R2-3 to 0 inches; brown (lOYR 5/3) very stony loam,
<br />dark brown (]OYR 4/3) moist; moderalr mrdium
<br />zubangular block}• structure parting to mndrratc
<br />line granular, slightly hard, ve ry friable; 40 per-
<br />cent stones end cobbles; calcareous; model atclr
<br />:d kal nie; gradual wavy b°undar}'.
<br />Cea-0 to 1!; inches; light Aroa•nish gray (IOYR f,/'?) loam,
<br />grayish Lrnw'n (lOYR 5/2) moist; massi er; hard.
<br />friablr; qtl prrcent stones and cobbles, mostly
<br />basalt; eisible secondary calcium carlwnate occw
<br />ring as amcrclions in thin seams and st rra ks and
<br />as cna Lings on gravel fragments; strongly cal-
<br />careous; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy Lound-
<br />ary.
<br />R-IG inches; basalt Ircdrock.
<br />Thr AI h°riznn is ? to f inchrs thick and is crrt• stony
<br />Inam nr vnry stony candy loam. Thr ir! hnri>,°n is 4 to IS
<br />inches thick and is Imtm or light clay loam. The rnntrnt of
<br />c°arsc fragnuvrts, domino ntly basalt stones and cubbl.•s,
<br />range loon ?5 to .v percent in the H end C horizon+. Depth
<br />to I„ylrnrk ru nGes from lfl br 20 inrhea. Redcork is dnmi~
<br />nantly bawl(, but andceite and Inlite occur in some pedmts. ,
<br />to the one described a. resen ve of the series,
<br />but the surface laver is very ty s:utdy loam. About
<br />15 percent of this unit mclur 1, areas of G:u'ita
<br />cobbly loam, 3 to 25 'cent slopes, an out ]0 tler-
<br />c•ent areas of Ro outcrop. _
<br />Runoff is crate. The hazard oC water crosi~t ~s
<br />'fJriSrsoil is used for range :utd wildlife. Capability
<br />ft VlIs-8 nonirrigated; Basalt FTills range site.
<br />`T~F."=Trtteltirs.GaAta .Complex. 5 to 25 percent
<br />elopes. This gently'sloping to moderately steep map-
<br />ping unit occupies foothills and small mesas along the
<br />western edge of the valley'. ii is 30 to 60 percent
<br />Travelers very stony loam and 20 to 40 percent Carita
<br />cobbly loam. The Travelers soil has the profile de-
<br />scribed as representative of the series. The Carita soil
<br />has a profile similar to the one described :IS I•epresen-
<br />tative of the series, but slo)]es are 5 to 25 percent. It
<br />occurs mostly on foot slopes near the bottom of hills.
<br />Tncluded with this unit in mapping are steep soils
<br />that have slopes of 25 to 75 percent. About ]5 Itercent
<br />of this unit is included areas of Luhon loam generally
<br />at the bottom of hills or in narrow valleys, 25 percent
<br />areas oC Rock outcrop mostly on hilltops and at the
<br />edge of mesas, and 15 percent Celeste extremely stony
<br />loam in areas at the highet• elevations.
<br />Runoff is moderate to rapid. The hazard of tsater
<br />erosion is moderate. Small gullies have formed on
<br />many of the steeper slopes. Afost of the small vallels
<br />are cut by gullies 2 to 8 feet deep and 3 to 10 feet wide.
<br />This mapping unit is used for range and wildlife.
<br />Some :u'eas are used for recreation. Cnpabilit}' unit
<br />l lls-8 nnnirrigated; Travelclx soil in Basalt Hills
<br />range site; Carita soil in Lim}' L'ench range site.
<br />•vpic Pluvayucnts
<br />'1'ypic Fluvayuenta are somett•hat poorly drain
<br />or po 'ly drained and occupy low, nearly level od
<br />ttlains a ng the Rio Grande and some of its ajor
<br />tributaries. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. FI aquents
<br />Cormed in a vium more titan 20 inches ick over
<br />sand and gray The surface layer a underh•ing
<br />layer range from Dora to clay loam. n many places
<br />the sail material is ighly strxtifie .There are m:uty
<br />old stream channels an osbotts.
<br />Salinity is low to mo 'ate. to o•ater table is at a
<br />depth of 12 to 24 inches la n spring and in summer,
<br />but drops to 3fi to 60 in es 'n winter. Flooding is a
<br />hazard in spring whe runo high from meI[iug
<br />snow in the mown ' ts. Perinea ' ity is moderate to
<br />moderately slow, d available a•ate capacity is mod•
<br />crate. Runoff is tv. The erosion bazar is slight.
<br />Typic Fluv quenfs are used for irrig ed meadow,
<br />irrigated s all grain and alfalfa, and for r. ge. Mead-
<br />ows are ut for hay or used fm- ((razing. \ etables
<br />and p aloes are not suited. ATaturnl vegetation I Ikali
<br />sac on, sedges, rushes, and western wheat ss,
<br />(}ability un(t ITI~v-2 irrigated, Vlw•-1 nonirrigate ~
<br />alt Meadow range site.
<br />
|