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• r <br />• -z • <br />In their natural state, Mesa soils support a good cover of galleta, <br />Indian ricegrass, needle-and-thread, blue grams, and cactus. If irrigated, <br />they are highly productive end are suite8 to most crops commonly grown <br />in the Area. <br />Rough Broken Iand, Shale and Till Materials <br />Rough broken land, shale and till materials (Rv) occurs on the <br />steeply sloping sides of erosional valleys and isolated mesas. It consists <br />principally of many exposures of barren shale and of soils similar to <br />those described for the Chipeta and Persayo series. In places there is <br />an overwash of stony till. The slope range is 1Q to 40 percent. This <br />land type occurs throughout the Area but is most extensive east and south <br />of the town of Montrose. <br />This land type can be used only as range because of the steep topo- <br />graphy and shallow soils. Mat saltbush and shadscale make up most of the <br />cover, which is sparse. Erosion is a serious hazard. In many places <br />gullies have formed an intricate pattern and have cut into the shale parent <br />material. Even whe^ rainfall is normal, large volumes of xater run off and <br />and wash large amounts of silt onto the surrounding soils. <br />This pit is above the barren shale at the top of the mesa ridge <br />~ and doesn't pose any erosion problem. <br />