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<br />• nahcolite by weight. The TI Bed is a honeycomb disseminated nahcolitic bed similar <br />in appearance to the Greeno Bed. <br />7.2.4 Soils <br />The soils in the American Soda project area are typically poorly developed due to <br />conditions that are not conducive to good soil development, including low <br />available moisture, cool temperatures, and slow vegetative growth (BLM 1994). <br />Significant erosion has also suppressed soil development in the Piceance Creek <br />Basin. <br />Piceance Site <br />The U.S. Soil Conservation Service (SCS) described and mapped seven soil series on <br />the Piceance Site. These soil types include Hagga loam (0-5 percent slopes), Havre <br />loam (0-4 percent slopes), Rentsac channery loam (5-50 percent slopes), Redcreek- <br />Rentsac complex (5-30 percent slopes), Yamac loam (2-15 percent slopes), Barcus <br />channery loamy sand (2-8 percent slopes), and Torriorthents-Rockoutcrop complex <br />(15-90 percent slopes). A map showing the location of these soil types is presented in <br />Figure 7-11. Prevalent soil types at the Piceance Site are Rentsac channery loam, <br />Torriorthents-Rockoutcrop complex, and Yamac loam, with Redcreek-Rentsac <br />complex and Barcus channery loamy sand occurring as minor components. <br />• Rentsac channery loams are the dominant soils at the Piceance Site (Figure 7-11). <br />This soil series consists of shallow, well-drained soils, with a high percentage of rock <br />fragments within the various soil horizons. These soils have rapid permeability, <br />very low available water-holding capacity, and a moderate erosion hazard (SCS <br />1982). Rentsac channery loamy have poor potential for development due to rock, <br />stoniness, and slopes. These soils also have severe limitations for reservoirs or <br />impoundments due to high seepage potential (SCS 1982). <br />Torriorthents-Rockoutcrop complex soils are generally associated with intermittent <br />stream channels (Figure 7-11). This complex is composed of 40 percent rock <br />outcrops and 60 percent soils. The rock outcrops are vertical sandstone and shale <br />cliffs or uplifted and tilted dike-like outcrops. The associated soils are very shallow <br />to moderately deep, with occasional deep soils on lower slopes, and are excessively <br />drained, gravelly cobble (SCS 1982). The Torriorthents-Rockoutcrop complex has <br />severe limitations for development due to shallow soils and high rock content. <br />Two experimental test phase cooling/retention ponds are currently located in this <br />series. Because the texture of the soils is not conducive to retention of water, the <br />ponds have been lined with impermeable material to prevent seepage. The <br />Torriorthents-Rockoutcrop complex is also known to have poor reclamation <br />potential due to shallow soil depth, inherent low fertility, and slope (SCS 1982). <br />• Yamac loam soils are located on the western and northwestern portions of the <br />Piceance Site (Figure 7-11). These soils are deep and well drained, with moderate <br />American Soda. L.L.P. 7-12 <br />Commeraal Mine Plan <br />August I8, 1998 <br />