|
. ,~...
<br />PROBBR6 CoiT~~3'Y, COLORADO - • '
<br />cliffs, gullies, and many outcrops of sandstone. The
<br />slopes generally range from 3 to 50 percent.
<br />e main sods of this association are Travessilla sandy
<br />loam and Cascajo sandy loam. The Travessilla soils are
<br />shallow and have a sandy surface layer. In most places
<br />they are underlain by sandstone at a depth of less than
<br />18 inches, and in some places sandstone >s exposed at the
<br />surface. The Cascajo soils have a sandy loam surface
<br />layer and a loamy sand subsoil that is underlain by
<br />gravelly material. The Travessi]]a and Cascajo soils
<br />make up about 80 percent of this association.
<br />Many other soils occur in this association. Renohill,
<br />Harvey, and Stoneham soils occupy the gentle slopes
<br />and are deeper to the parent material than the Traves-
<br />silla and Cascajo soils. 1,fost of the nearly level to sentlp
<br />sloping areas along rite major drainageways consist of
<br />Lincoln and Colb}• soils and Loamy alluvial land. Small
<br />areas of Potter and Viltill soils also occur in the associa-
<br />tion.
<br />\early all of this association is in native grass and is
<br />grazed. Controlling gulhq erosion is the ma+n problem
<br />of range management. Small areas of the nearly level
<br />and gently sloping soils are dry farmed. On the dry-
<br />farmed soils the main problems are consen•ing moisture
<br />and controllinh wind erosion.
<br />4. Renohill-Wiley-Travessilla Association
<br />Shallow to deep, gently sloping to steep soils
<br />The lxittet•n of veils iu this association is complex. The
<br />soils ditfcr greatly in texture, depth, and topoe~t•aphy.
<br />1'licre err, nuulcratcly fine textured soils derived from
<br />iWerbcdded sandstone and shale, deep silty soils derived
<br />front loess, and shallow sandy soils derived from sand-
<br />stone. 'The association occurs in a single, fairly small
<br />area in the southwestern part of the county. I[ is pre-
<br />dumin;nNly gently sloping to rolling, but there mr, mauy
<br />stcelt S101X'S. l>rea{CS, :md vertical clilfs iu the areas oc-
<br />cuplyd by lr;n•essilht soils.
<br />The mom soils in this association are in tho Renohill,
<br />R'ilcy, and Travessilla series. The Renohill soils have a
<br />lo:un or sandy loom surface layer and a clay loam sub-
<br />soil. Thev were derived from sandstone and rare undcr-
<br />]aiu by saiulstonc and interbedded shale at a deplJt of °_0
<br />to fio inches. The Wiley soils were derived from loess
<br />and have a silt loam surface layer and a light silty clay
<br />lo:tin subsoil. The Travessilla soils are sandy looms that
<br />are shallow over sandstone. The Renohill and Wiley
<br />soils occupy slopes of 1 to 5 percent. The Travessilla
<br />soils are on breaks t.llat have slopes of 5 to 50 percent,
<br />anti there are many otttcraps of snitdstane. The nearly
<br />le+•el Colby and Fort Collins soils occupy alluvial areas
<br />along the drnina~eways.
<br />,~bont half of this assoclntlon is dry farmed, and
<br />about half is in native grasses. The dry-farmed areas
<br />are only on rite more gentle slopes of the Wiley and
<br />Renohill soils and in some of the nearly level areas along
<br />drain~geways. Wheat, sorghum, and barley are dry
<br />farmed. Controlling wind and water erosion and con-
<br />serving moisture are the main problems of management.
<br />Crop yfields are only moderate, even when the weather is
<br />most favorable, and the risk of emp failure is high. The
<br />problems of range management s
<br />of graimg and controlling water t
<br />5. Tivoli•Vona Association
<br />=- --=~`
<br />i_ . y~,,. { ..
<br />Deep so:Ts of the s¢ndhtZZs _ ;`,-•
<br />..:,,_>:
<br />The deep sandy soils that mak up this association _.
<br />developed in sand and other sandy atenal deposited by -'~~__
<br />the wind. This association occurs uth of the Arkansas ,: ~~
<br />River in a wide belt that extends rocs the county. It"'~=': ~'_
<br />also occurs on the east side of Two utte Creek and Big ";
<br />Sandy Creek. The topography rages from gently ":; •
<br />sloping to steep. The dunes in th steep areas ocetrr in "~" '.
<br />a complex pattern and have no ea al drainage. ]+fost : • -
<br />of the soils are sand and loamy s nd, but some sandy ;' ;'•~ _
<br />loom occurs. '
<br />The Tivoli soils are predominant • this association, but ~.; _
<br />there are large areas of Vona soils. Figure 4 shows the
<br />relationship of the Tivoli and Von soils to relief.
<br />The Tivoli soils have a light-co ored sand or loamy
<br />sand surface layer and subsoil. Tl a Vona soils haves
<br />sandy loam or loamy sand surfac layer and a sandy
<br />loam subsoil. Botlt the Tivoli and Vona soils are thick :_, _
<br />over the sand substratum. The ona soils generally
<br />occur in a zone that is transitional ettveen the snnd}tills
<br />and the hardlands. Slopes of then soils range from 1
<br />to 5 percent. In some places the Ti •oli soils have slopes
<br />of 1 percent, but in other places tit y are on steep com-
<br />plex dunes. \[;uty of these dunes n e bare of vegetation
<br />and arc unstable. Because rninf~ll is hi~het• th the
<br />eastern part of the county, the Tic li smis m that part
<br />have a darker, much deeper surface aver than the Tivoli
<br />soils in the western part.
<br />Nrtrly all the acreage of Tivoli oils and about half
<br />tlutt of the Vona soils is m r:utge. he part of the Vona
<br />soils not used as ranee is dt'p farm d. Sorghum is the
<br />main rrop, but some broomcorn is own in the eastern
<br />part of the county. Sand sage is the main enrage plant in -.
<br />this association.
<br />The soils in this :LSSOCIatI0i1 arc ighly suscepptible to
<br />erosion if they are dry farmed. Tl e mom problems of
<br />management are controlling wind c osion in dry-farmed _
<br />areas and preventing ocerh razing o the range. In the ..
<br />duped areas, blowrouts are a seno s problem and rare
<br />difficult to revegetate.
<br />6. Rocky Ford-Nepesta-Noma ssociation ~ ~ ----;
<br />,ltarlerately fine te~taTed, silted, it aced soils "-
<br />lfost of this association consists o deep soils that de- ` --~
<br />velopecl in loess or similar material on uplands. These
<br />soils have had fine-textured material deposited, or silted, =
<br />on them through the use of muddy rrigation water, but -.
<br />in other respects they are similar to the soils in the
<br />- --"
<br />Wiley-Colby association. Soil ass iation 6 is in two
<br />large areas north of the Arkansas fiver. It is mostly '
<br />level to gently sloping.
<br />Most extensive to this association -
<br />re the Rocky Ford _- -
<br />but there are also areas of Nep sta and Numa soils.
<br />soils
<br />"
<br />,
<br />The surface layer of all these soils i .
<br />partly the result of
<br />silting through irrigation. The Roc Ford soils have a , -
<br />
|