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_- <br />. , ,_., <br />114 Loamy Plains MLRA 49 S 70 <br />b. Major soils associated with this site are: <br />Soil Unit Percent Slope? <br />Baca silt loam 3-5 <br />Capulin loam 3-9 <br />Torreon silt loam 1-7 <br />B. MAJOR USES AND INTERPRETATIONS FOR: <br />1. Grazing <br />This site provides excellent forage for cattle and horses at any <br />time during the year but is especially good during thc~ growing <br />season. It also provides good forage for sheep and antelope and <br />small mammals. <br />The animal forage preference changes as the growing season <br />progresses. Western wheatgrass is very nutritious during the early <br />spring. It is important that planned deferment and rotation be <br />scheduled so western wheatgrass is not grazed out and replaced by <br />less desirable plants. Other grasses that need springy; deferment are <br />the needle grasses, Indian ricegrass and bottlebrush squirreltail. <br />The warm season grasses such as blue grama and sideoats grama will <br />be benefitted by deferment from grazing during the late spring and <br />early summer months and maintain their nutritious value well after <br />maturing and therefore make excellent winter forage. <br />Vegetative palatability will influence proper use considerations. <br />The season of use, kind of grazing animal, past graziiag use and the <br />plant composition will directly influence the animal preference and <br />performance. <br />2. Wildlife <br />This site has a fair potential for wildlife habitat. It supports a <br />good population of antelope and jackrabbit. <br />3. Watershed (Hydrologic Interpretation) <br />Soils in this site are grouped into "B" and "'C" hydrologic groups, <br />as outlined in the "Soils of Colorado Loss Factors and Erodibility <br />Hydrologic Groupings 1979" handbook. Fie 1d investigations are <br />needed to determine hydrological cover conditions and hydrologic <br />curve numbers. The hydrologic curve number for group B soils are <br />about 61 and group C is about 74, when the hydrologic conditions are <br />good, as shown in "Peak Flows in Colorado" handbook. <br />Refer to SCS National Engineering Handbook, Section 4, to dete »ine <br />runoff quantities from the curves. <br />2/ Slope ranges are based on Colorado soil mapping units. <br />-4- <br />