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• <br />• <br />• <br />SOIL MAPPING UNIT - BACA LDAM <br />w~ <br />Ba - Baea loam, 1 to 3 percent slopes. This deep, well drained soil is <br />on uplands. It formed in calcareous loess. The Native vegetation is <br />mainly grass. Elevation is 5,500 to 6,300 feet. The average annual <br />precipitation is 13 to 15 lathes, the average annual air temperature is <br />49 to 54 degrees F., and the average frost-free period is 125 to 165 <br />days. <br />Typically, the surface layer is brow loam about 3 inches thick. The <br />subsoil is mainly silty clay loam about 27 inches thick. The substratum <br />to a depth of 60 inches or more is loam. The soil is neutral to a depth <br />of 6 inches, mildly alkaline to a depth of 23 inches, and moderately <br />alkaline below that depth. <br />Included in this unit is about 10 percent Wiley loam on ridges. <br />Permeability of this Baca soil is moderately slow. Available water <br />capacity is high. Effective rooting depth is 60 inches or more. Runoff <br />is moderately slow, and the hazard of vales erosion is slight. <br />Most areas of this unit are used for rangeland. A few areas are used <br />for irrigated hay and pasture and nonirrigated wheat. <br />The potential plant community on this unit is mainly blue grams. Other <br />less numerous grasses that characterize this site are western vheatgrasa <br />and sideoats grams. The average annual production of air-dry vegetation <br />is about 800 pounds per acre. If the condition of the range <br />deteriorates, threeawn, snakeveed, cholla, and pricklypear increase. <br />Range seeding is suitable if the range is is poor condition. <br />This unit is well suited to irrigated pasture and hay trope. Irrigation <br />water can be applied by corrugations or by flooding from contour <br />ditches. Because of the moderately slow permeability of this soil, the <br />length of runs should be adjusted to permit adequate infiltration of <br />water. Rotation grazing helps to maintain the quality of forage. <br />