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• Soils Report, Bowie Area <br />GENERAL <br />A site proposed to become disturbed as a result of coal mining in an area near Bowie, Colorado <br />was examined for the quality and quantity of recoverable soils of that area. The site is <br />characterized by steep, rocky slopes interspersed with sloping alluvial zones. The predominate <br />rock exposure is sandstone with small amounts of granite and gneiss outcrops. Occasionally, <br />some Mancos type shale has been uncovered as a result of erosion. The soil has been formed <br />from the sandstone and granitic parent materials and has been deposited in its present place as <br />a result of erosion over the millennia. <br />METHODS <br />Access to the site was gained on October 6, 1995 and again on October 18, 1995. Exposed <br />roadside cuts were utilized to examine several of the profiles and for sampling purposes. The <br />bulk of the samples were obtained with a 3" bucket auger and a 1 1/4" hand auger. The profiles <br />were examined for field color, horizon characterization and depth to either parent material or <br />severe rocky conditions. The accompanying map shows sample locations and examination <br />locations as well. Since the A horizons were relatively shallow and the C horizons were very <br />• rocky and unusable, the A and B horizons were combined from several sites to form 6 distinct <br />samples from the area. The samples were air-dried and sieved to determine the amount of rocks <br />per sample. The textures of the samples were determined by the hydrometer method, and are <br />presented in Table 3. Salinity characteristics (T'able 1) were determined from saturated pastes <br />and the extracts of the saturations, and fertility characteristics (Table 2) were determined from <br />an ammonium bicarbonate-DTPA extract. Organic matter was determined by a modified <br />Walkley-Black procedure. <br />SOILS CHARACTERIZATION <br />The soils are quantitatively described in Tables 1 through 4 with respect to their physical, <br />fertility, salinity and color characteristics. Tables 5 and 6 present the depths of the profiles and <br />the total soils of each examined area. Please refer to them for detailed information. All soils <br />had relatively low salinity and fertility levels, and low sodium adsorption ratios (SAR). <br />Sandstone rocks and rock fragments play an important role in the overall quality of the soils are <br />quite prevalent in all of the soils of the area. General descriptions are as follows: <br />The area of the map represented by the number 1 is a Woodlands silt loam, a typic Tomorthent. <br />It is relatively deep and well-drained. It supports a very vigorous upland pine and scrub oak <br />population, some of which were exceedingly large for the species. There is a shallow, dark Ao <br />in all locations with a typical A and deep B horizon. It has little salt and is low in nitrogen and <br />1 <br />