Laserfiche WebLink
3.5 SOILS <br />Information on soils in the subject area was obtained <br />from the Soil Conservation Service, Soil Survey of Paonia <br />Area, Colorado, 19II1. Plate 5 shows the distribution of soils <br />in the valley areas potentially influenced by the Orchard Val- <br />ley Mine, both in the North Fork valley and in Stevens Gulch. <br />The primary soil groups found in these areas are described <br />below. <br />Agua Fria stoney loam - deep, well drained soil, <br />formed in cobbly and stoney outwash alluvium derived from <br />basalt, covers old mesas, terraces and fans. Permeability is <br />moderately slow, available water capacity is high, surface <br />runoff is medium. Most areas of this soil are used for graz- <br />ing, recreation, or are in noncommercial forest. A small portion <br />is irrigated for pasture, hay and orchard crops. The soil is un- <br />suited to crops requiring a long growing season. This soil on <br />steeper slopes (greater than 12 %) is unsuited to farming. <br />Flooded fluvaquent soils - poorly drained to somewhat <br />poorly drained soils found in floodplain areas, subject to rare <br />to occasional flooding. Depth to water table is approximately <br />2 to 4 feet and is near the surface during part of the year. <br />Where drained, the soil may be suited to hay, small grains, <br />pasture,orchard, and some row crops. <br />Delson stoney and very stoney loam - deep, well drained <br />soil, formed in stoney alluvium and colluvium,covers fans, <br />mesas and mountain side slopes. Permeability is slow, available <br />water capacity is high, surface runoff is medium to rapid. Most <br />areas of these soils are rangeland used for grazing or rec- <br />• (I - 12 - <br />cco*roao corrw~nr~c, wc. <br />