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DELTA-~lOr•TR03E AREA, cOLOF,lpQ
<br />+idn scopes of thr, larger streams in this Area. Tha
<br />largest acran~c is along the Uncompahgre Rit•er and the
<br />aanniwul PiFer. , \nlnntllt', fbe water table i, biKh
<br />tnrl limits tt9c of„the l:utd: Tht: rmsinn hnzn,rd varG?s•.
<br />sallies occur u) n-few plares.
<br />The native re~etalion consi-Sts of willow, cottoutcood,
<br />Ind grasses. Tlir.: nse of title Iand type as posture or
<br />is hay meadow tlepentle on tlia accrssihilityy of the atelts
<br />tad the cllainagc. (Capability unit `vlIw-1 nottin•i-
<br />; tied)
<br />Sadland
<br />Badinnd (HOl consists of barren or nearly barren outcrops
<br />)f o ppsiferons and saline shulr, ;mrl coma soil matnrinl.
<br />Phe e]tale is in \-arions stn~dos of wnatherirt,;. Tho lnnd-
<br />;nnll)e. i; ore of trolliuT hills srpnntted byy cnty lta.rra„•
<br />:alleys or by gullies. fit some of the Galleys and drain-
<br />tnewats nre moderat¢ly deep soils liL-e thnsn of the
<br />:hristianbnrg and Billings series. The s]ol)e range is
<br />to ~0 percent or more. This land type is e~tensiva in
<br />.he rnstnrn part of the area, east and south. of the lotto
<br />)f Ol:dl:c,
<br />In some nrcas rite parent shale rnntaias an abnormally
<br />nr~e nmcunt of gyp,;ltnt, arui strata of light-gray or
<br />zhite nypsnm ar ~,ypslfcrous eat•th ore n prominent part
<br />)f the be~lrorlc. Seel;arc anti the movement of h*ronnd
<br />rntrr hate caused soluble stl.lts to canecnt.rate to low
<br />. )laces :md on sidelulls trhnm seepage avatar emer~rcc,
<br />liadlmul supports ]ittlo ec;.retntinn and is of lin~trd
<br />;clue, even as t•an;c. It is almo36 irnprnncr~blc. Cott-
<br />lC.gtlenbly, n .lat;,re nrurntaY. of writer ems oR' nffnr a
<br />tm'mnl txin, ;Intl flash Roods follow heavy rains. Pro-
<br />:ion i. acli~•o. 'I'hc sill. atrrictl :nrap by ruuoll i3 a
<br />wizard to the surronnrling soils an3 to those downstremn.
<br />Capability unit VI7Ie_~l nonit•t•igated)
<br />Billings Se13es
<br />moist; mntterace, ono yranuiur stricture; nnl+er•
<br />most 1 loch n'eni: Pla[5 anti vcsirulnr; siigutly hard
<br />when rb•S, triable +ehen mnt9q cnlcnrMas; lrll 3::;
<br />etaar amnnth Wnudary,
<br />Cl 0 to 1S lucaes, silty clap loam: li~+t yallan~isa 6tun~n
<br />(:.v1 0/:{) When dry, lhbt ollrc brown (@:'SS a/3)
<br />reheu utoiat; n~rak, mndinm, snban.;tAnr blocky stxu~
<br />tore; haM when rlry, Eria6le when mn:at; cnlcnrcu~.lt;
<br />PH R=: gradual boundary. '
<br />C?-SS In GO Incites, s(lty day loom; li•:h[ ycllaeieh bnnru
<br />(2.01 0/R) wttea dry, olive brown (E.OT 4/3) when
<br />wnut: runsnit-e; hard trheu dry, triable when moist:
<br />ralmreove; p$ hs.
<br />The depth to shale generally is more than GO inches,
<br />btt6 locally it is lirkwrcn RO and f0 inches. Arens cohere
<br />shale iy .tt n depth of less than GO incites were mopped
<br />as slmle substratum phases. Stratifiaatiou and accunuda-
<br />rions of calcium enrbonatq where present, ore weak.
<br />Ara:w ,uljncent to old terrtu•es hnt•e a cot-urof Rraval and
<br />cobblestonrs or Race lama gtnce! anci rohblestones
<br />t.hmuglrout tbr. profile. As a result of irrt~ation or
<br />secpnnq sotue nrcas ore modetattely solinr.. In thew: areas
<br />nD e[f~nrescnnce of salts is common ou lice surface u-llen
<br />the soil is rlr}'.
<br />1'n many p accc 13i.llin~,s soils adjoin 1Pnrnlrow 13enola,
<br />and Itncnln soils. Ililltngs soils hacc more o~ire and
<br />}•ellowi h hoes than \Varxh•nty snits. Theyy :u•r. morn
<br />nLvo ill color au<1 Pttet• in teslure Hran Geuobt soils.
<br />Billings soils reseuthle S:aa•oln soil- ill color but nl•e
<br />liner leshlnFl.
<br />'Phr principal ~ •asses arc alkali sncalau, ~lullata, srtll-
<br />grn>,, Ilulixn rincgrass, amt wnstcrn t~hoatt;rc:ss. Nour-
<br />wutr xaltbttslt, sttwcln•ush, ;tad ittbbilbt•nah urn charm:-
<br />terintic br;c9hy plaints, but these havo bean rnplared to a
<br />Ixr};u dr~rcec by ~n•rnxrn•rx,d turd rhoat,>;rus.. ISillings
<br />soils arc nuxluiuloly pruduclicu i[ irrigalod. II they
<br />at•c 1>:opurly mn.na~rod, they nt•e suited to alfalfa, corn,
<br />Sllg:LT heels (liti. A), and small gt;tin. a fcty areas
<br />nlu used for orchards.
<br />Billings gravelly clap loam, 0 to Z percent slopes
<br />16cA1.-This soil normally occurs at the upper end cf al-
<br />lurial £nns nod is adjacent to escarpments enp;xxl by
<br />sandy noel gravelly deposits. It has n pprofile similar t0
<br />the mtc descnbed as typical o£ the Billings series, but
<br />the sut•fare layer is browner, and a thin mar;cle of gravel
<br />Tbc soils of the Billings series arc deep, well drained,
<br />tad morlcralely Goa tcetnrecl or fine t~etured- They era
<br />*rnsslaud soils that formed on alluvial fans in sediments
<br />e•asbcrl fi•om adjjaccnt exposures of ~ ny and olive shale
<br />mtl siltstone. Soils of this series are estensivo in the
<br />alleys of th.c Uncontpuhgrc River and the Gunnison
<br />1.1 l'L•1•, sonth and west of lice town of Delta.
<br />Billina~s soils have a grayish-brown, pln.ty tar granular
<br />nrtace Inper 4 to 6 inchhes thick. They hove n weakly
<br />lereloprd, light yellowish.-brown, calcareous subsoil that
<br />s mnssrve or has weak, subangular blocky struotnra Tltc
<br />mbstratuat, which begins 1~ to 74 inches below the stlr-
<br />lace. is li:;ht yellowish-brown, calcart:ous silty clay loom
<br />)r clay loom.
<br />These soils are enlcarcotts throughout. In some laces
<br />lad lit varin.bin dnptlte, they have a weak accttmu~ation
<br />tt visible calcium carbonate or calcium sulfate. The
<br />'truotttre of these soils is weak and unstable. The or-
<br />;anic-matter content is low. Crttllyirtg and piping are
<br />:wttmon.
<br />touthpautll 100fi#cet tvetlof thetce teraoflseo~219T~48
<br />Y., R. 9 ~,
<br />AS--0 to C lachca, atlty slay loam; gtnyiah brown (2.5'i 5/2)
<br />trhea dry, dark grayish brows (EaY 4/°) wttea
<br />e19-3d7-ET~p
<br />non nA
<br />Figure 9. Irrigattne sir~ar beets on 811Unas sUty clan.
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