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<br />BACA COUNTY, COLORADO
<br />on it, and surface ruuolf is slog'. \Vhere this soil is irri-
<br />hatcrl, crntset•vatiou of moisture and control of soil Ulow-
<br />ntg arc the major proUlems.
<br />:\hout i0 percenc of the acreage is cultivated, }Vheat
<br />and Sorghum arc the main crops. In irrigated at•eas,
<br />prolror tenter management is necessnty. StuUUle mulching
<br />and strtpcropping help control soil Ulowing, but during
<br />periods of rltrought, deep listing and chiseling arc needed.
<br />On rangq pCOpeL' lminagCnlellt pP6etlCCS, such as dc-
<br />fm'rod grazinr~, :uv neccss:try for controllin~* soil blowing
<br />and improving the vegetative covert (Capability unit
<br />I-1, trtt,+atcd, and r-apnbility unit IVe-1, nonirrigated;
<br />Lo;,nn• Plains range site; Loamy windbreak suitability
<br />grrl tth)
<br />1Vilcy loam, 1 to 3 percent slopes (WIBI•-This soil
<br />occurs throughout the comity. This soil has a profilo
<br />]ihe that described as typical for the series except that
<br />it is gently sloping and permits more runoff'.
<br />Included itt ntappntg )were small nrcas of Baca clay
<br />loam, IlarUm'rl loam, and Colby silt loam.
<br />1Vbcre this soil is irrig;ttcd, ]and ]cycling anri careful
<br />u•aler management arc necessary for producing high crop
<br />yicltls nnrl crnttrolling soil Ulotving. Because of the slope,
<br />stnUUle mulching and stripcropping arc ncccssary to help
<br />control soil blmvmg, but daring pm•tods of drought, deep
<br />listing nnrl rhiscling are ;1150 1100055al'y. On 1'a11gC, proper
<br />manngen)ent pctctices aro nrcess:u;y. (Capability unit
<br />7Te-I, irrigated, and cnp:il>ility twit IVe-I, nnnirri-
<br />gnfcrl; Loamy Plains t,•tnge site; Loamy tvinrlbrcal. suit-
<br />abilit.y group)
<br />\Viley loam, to 5 percent slopes ICL-This soil
<br />Decors mainly n the northern half of the county. It
<br />has a profilr . imilar to that descri d as typical for the
<br />sm•irs cxc t that the subsoil is ;*ht clay loam that is
<br />abort S aches thick. The suU 1 is slightly calcareous.
<br />Inc ded in mopping n•cr small areas of Colby silt
<br />]c:n ITarbord loon), anri :uvey loam.
<br />'hm•r, this soil is rnlt ated, soil blotting and loss f
<br />tt•ater thronn~h rmiofl• •e severe hararrls,
<br />.!lust rtf the ncrca~ is used as range, but a nut, per-
<br />cmttnge is culkivate ]ne gr:tma and butl'alogra are the
<br />m;l)Ol' g!';1FRPS. CRltll':)ted al'L•a3, tcrracin , contour
<br />fin•ming, and 'atUble-mulch tillage are t essatry for
<br />controlling c lion anri conserving moist. e. On range,
<br />proper mat Bement pt.2ctices, such as !erred gt;~zin~
<br />WWII coat n• furrowin_, help contro ,oil blowing and
<br />tvaler onion. (Capabilityy unit I ~2, irri~atcrl, anri
<br />ca pa ' it;}' unit IVe-~, nonirrigate , Lrtamy Plains noun
<br />situ Lwmy tvindbrcal: suitab• ty ;coup)
<br />'ilcy loam, 5 to 9 pence slopes fwlDl.-The. soil
<br />nrrurs in small al'Ca5 thr ghoul the couni.y, nt is
<br />mainly in t.hr nort.hrrn h: Thr. total arrengc •. small.
<br />'1'br. profilo dillcrs from .tat described as t.yp nl fur the
<br />sa•irs in having n. t. nncr sur4tcc layct• nd subsoil,
<br />and in having a sul nil Lhat is atlcnrcons .hrnnghrntL.
<br />Included in uta ,ing tvcrr. sm;tll ;urn of Cnll)y, TTnr-
<br />vct•, and IIarb •d looms. Runoff is norlet,ately rapid
<br />tvhcrc the rnv , • vcgct,~tion is adcgt • q and rapid tvli o
<br />tho ctn•cr i inadegnat.c.
<br />:\11 of c acreage is in nativ vege.t;ttion. Blue Drama
<br />and ht No aro the major n asses. Propet• rat ee man-
<br />agrn )t. pt•ncticcs, sprit as fenced gt:•tzing a r contour
<br />fur owing, aro nrccesary o help prevmtt oil blowing
<br />Z•7
<br />and wat erosion. Because of r, rapid surface runotT,
<br />re-earn fishing cover is dillicu (Capability unit V 1,
<br />noni tg;tterl; Loamy Plait range site; T.o:uny iud-
<br />Ur suitability group)
<br />iley soils, eroded to 5 percent slopes (ws2).-
<br />hese soils occur in all areas throughout to county.
<br />The surface layer ' loam m• silty clay an), is thin,
<br />and in places h• • peen removed throe t erosion. In
<br />some areas, ]im spots are on the surfac . In manv places
<br />surfitce soil t tcrial has blown into d covered fences.
<br />In many c ivatrd areas sut~soil t tr-real is nosed into
<br />the surf; layer. In about 'r0 p •cent of each mappc
<br />area, b I:y subsoil aggregates • `e ou the surface, and t
<br />abou .,0 percent there are h umocls 7. to 3 feet 1 '„h.
<br />eluded in mapping. we nonerorlerl Wrens of ilcy
<br />1 m that male up abo , 10 percent of each tipped
<br />Surface runoff ism rum to rapid. Becaus , m surfacr,
<br />layer'is eroded, this it does not take in tv; cr as rapidly
<br />as the soil descri d as typical for the cries. It has a
<br />moderate to sl water intalrc rate.
<br />1lfost. of the rrcege is cultivated. heat and sorghum
<br />arc the ntai crops. Stubble nntlrlt~ g and stripcrophnig
<br />help prer t erosion. (CapaUili • unit I\re-1, mm~rri-
<br />gaterl; amy Plains range sit ,Loamy windbreak suit-
<br />Use and Nlunac~E`nzezzt of the Soils /
<br />This section disc .sex the use of the soils r crops,
<br />the system of ca )ilit}' grnaping, :uul the m nngemmtt
<br />of t,hc soils in acs County by capabilil.y coops. Prc-
<br />dicterl crop y• ds under taro levels of n nagement are
<br />furnished. so discussed is manager nt of soils for
<br />r:m~r,, tri break, wildlife, recreatio ,and engiucering
<br />tvnt'Is.
<br />U~of Soils for Crops'
<br />Slightly ntot•e than half Baca County is used for
<br />crops. About S1S,000 nc s is dryfarnted, and allot
<br />?0,000 acres is irrigate .
<br />In irrigated areas, • teat and gain sm•ghtun ar the
<br />most estensivc)y gr to crops, but the ncrcagc-n sthar
<br />Deets, cm•n, mul alf;t is increasing annually. n chy-
<br />farmed areas, n• cat is tho most. extensively g • wn crap.
<br />followed inn •eage by gr:•tin sorghum, bro )corn, aril
<br />forme sore un.
<br />The ma' fitr.tor limiting nonirri~atcrl op prnrhtrtion
<br />in this ~° mttt• is the sl;m•to.g~e of arnilnl r, moisture. Prc-
<br />ripiln ~on is marginal fm• crops, nn distribtttinn and
<br />fi'cr racy ore rrratic. Severe drou;~(Ls of long rlui•ation
<br />nr,nmpanicd by hi;,rh winds air, mnxni.
<br />Lt gcnm•nl, precipitation is t "re favorable for crop
<br />prorlnctinn on t.hc eastern bra ilat;y nC the county ant
<br />drrrcuscs gcatAmlly tmvnnl tc west. The drier western
<br />parts of the crnmt,y prods ;good ct»ps in years of high
<br />prccipitnt.iat, Uut these ors are less frequent than to
<br />the eastern parts.
<br />A sununcr fallow system of ftuvting is normally user!
<br />'.Tn u,:~ Bnv~ra, agronomist, Soil Conscrvatinn Scrcirr, assisG`~1
<br />with this section.
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