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<br />
<br />BELT COUNTY, COLORADO
<br />1lfost. of the acreage is used as range, A small part is
<br />farmed to wheat and sorghum. Rotation and deferment
<br />of grazing and reseeding of grass help in maintaining
<br />yegetat.ion and controlling erosion. (Capabilit.y unit VIA
<br />1, nonirt•i~•ated; Loamy Plains range site)
<br />Colby silt loam, 0 to 1 percent slopes ICoAI.-This soil
<br />Decals in all palls of the county but is mostly in the south-
<br />ern part. It. is on the uplands, on terraces, and along small
<br />drainagetca~'s. Generally it occurs as irregularly shaped
<br />areas •IO to fi0 acres or more in size.'fhetexture is silt loam
<br />to a depth of about 45 inches or more. The surface layer is
<br />about. (. inches thick. Inchlded in mapping tt-ere spots of
<br />1Filey silt. ]Dual, iu slighth~ depressed parts of the L•uul-
<br />scape, and a fete areas of him loam, in the mm•e sloping
<br />na•eas.
<br />This sail eau be used for all crops grown iu the county.
<br />It is easy to tcork. It. takes in water at a moderate rate and
<br />has a hi~dt water-holding capar-itv. Runoff is medium, and
<br />the erosion hazard is ntoderate.•In dr]•farmed areas the
<br />hazard of soil Ulutcing is severe. In irrigated areas the
<br />tecpouse. to management is good.
<br />-#hno~t. all of the acreage is used as range. A small pat•t
<br />is irri~mted and used for crops. Leveling saves irrigation
<br />wafer and ronl:es uniform applicat.iou easier. Barnyard
<br />nunnu•e and green-manure crops replenish the organic-
<br />matter content and improve fertility and filth on the ir-
<br />rigated acreages. (Capabilit.]• unit •I-1, irrigated: capa-
<br />Uilitt-unit CIe-1, nonirrigated; Loam}' Plains range site)
<br />(Colby silt loam, 1 to 3 percent slopes ICo61.-This soil)
<br />is mninlc in the eastern part of the counts. It. occurs ns ir-
<br />regularh shaped areas 100 acres or more in size. The tex-
<br />ture is =ill ]oam to n depth of about -la inches or more. The
<br />surface ]aver is about G inches think. Included in mapping
<br />were sync; of the mrne nearly level 1{-ire}' silt ]oam, small
<br />areas of nearly level Baca silt loam, and spots of Colb}•
<br />silt hmul. n to 1 percent.sloltes.
<br />Phis =nil Ens :1 high level of fertility. It. take, in tcater at
<br />nt a moderate rate Iwd has a high venter-holding cnpacits.
<br />]tunl,tf is medium, and the hazard of water erosion is
<br />severe. The hazard of soil Ulowing is moflerde to severe
<br />unless a t-egetative cover is nlniutained. The response to
<br />mnnagenleut. is good in irrigated areas.
<br />Ahont. all of the acreage Is axed as range. \Cheat. is grown
<br />in a fen- glares, anti part. of thisact•eagelsirrigated. Lecel-
<br />iug collserces irrigation ]enter and makes uniform appli!
<br />cation easier. Barnyard maunre and greenanauure crops'
<br />replenish the. organic-matter content. and improve fertility
<br />antl tilt.h on irrigated acreages. Rotating and deferring
<br />;Trnzing and reseeding grass are important practices in
<br />keeping the range productive. (CapaUilih- unit IIe-?, ir~
<br />righted: capability unit \'Ie-1, nonirrigated: Loamy
<br />Plains rnngesite)
<br />~ Colby silt loam, 6 to 25 percent slopes fCoEl--This soil
<br />occur as scattered small areas, elongated in shape, along
<br />the edge: of drainagewavs, mninlc in the eastern part of
<br />the county. The original surface layer, tchidr was about
<br />G inches thick, l~tts been eroded away in moat areas, amd
<br />there are. mmterotts gullies 2 to I feet deep. Included itt
<br />mapping were small areas of Colby silt loam, l to 3 percent
<br />sl OpeS.
<br />_#Il of t]te acreage is used as range. Runoff is rapid, antl
<br />the erosion hazard is severe, Restriction of grazing a-ould
<br />help in maintaining a good grnss cover and in cont.mlling
<br />erosion. Danis and diversions would prey cut. t.heaccumula-
<br />13
<br />lion of excess water. (Capability unit VI~1, nonirrigated ;
<br />Loamy Plains rangeslte)
<br />Deertrail Series
<br />The Deertrail series consists of neatly ]ev-el to genth•
<br />sloping, deep, malerately alkaline to strongly alkaline
<br />soils that formed in limy, saline alluvium derived from
<br />shale and shaly limestone. These soils occur in all parts of
<br />the county.
<br />In a typical profile the surface layer is light Urownish-
<br />gray light clay loam about G inches thick. The subsoil is
<br />grnylsh-Drown clay loam to pole-Uro+cn silt.t clay loam
<br />about lI inches thick. This layer has prismatic struchlre
<br />that breaks to medium blocky. The slbstrnt.um is pnle-
<br />Ut•own silty clay loam to a depth of f,0 inches.
<br />These soils are naturally well drained. They have slots
<br />to medium lvnofl', medium internal ch•:tiunge, moderate
<br />permeability, and a high hater-holding rtpnaty. \atural
<br />fertility is high. The. salt content is hi~dt enough to atl'ect
<br />plants. Soil Ulovving and ]valet erosion are hazards. 'the
<br />response to range management. is good.
<br />The entire acreage is used as range. Snore of it. w;ts
<br />plo+red, but farming lv;ls extremely ditticult because the
<br />soils ++-ere so highly alkaline. Most of the acreage that teas
<br />plotv-ed is severely erofled, nnfl the reversion to grass hats
<br />Ueen t-e.rv slow.
<br />Typical profile of tr beertr;til clay loam (!10 feet east.
<br />vul IU1 feet south of \R'. corner sec•. 1G, '1'. 25 S., R,
<br />ki? ~]'.)
<br />.]ll~ to 3 inches, IiFbt broo~uish-Fro}~ flu]'lt li%!) light rln r.
<br />loam, dark Frayinb In~De'n (BIl'H a/'_') +cbvn moist:
<br />+Peak M nonlvra tc. Irln t}~ strm4nrr hr tutu k. tier. gr:ul•
<br />rtlar; .slightly hard tv hen dre, frigbly when un~i 1 : ral-
<br />rarruns; rlca r, >.uu~oth bon ud;i rc.
<br />.]1?-3 M li inrbes. light Lrowuish~Fray I ntl'It r,%!1 light clay
<br />run m, dark Fr:q'ish Lromn IlU]Ii ~%!) tchrn m~~i.t:
<br />a'ra k. mrdinw nud find. subn ugnl;n~ blurl;v st rnrluro:
<br />Lard +vhen dr}'. fl~in Llv +vbrn uwist: rn lra trans: rlr: n'.
<br />sutnuth Louuda ry.
<br />lt-!t-ti to 13 furbev, grayish ~6ramu f1UyR .~%!j clot hmw. d: n9:
<br />grayish hrD~r^ llol'R J/'-'1 +vhvu uwist: coca l:. uu•.
<br />Ainm, privuntic structure fu uuulelvtty. nwdinm awl
<br />fine. snbnnlminr blocky: Prn~ b~nvl +chrn dry. firm
<br />tPheu moist; shrougly r:dcn tenor; thin. patchy clay
<br />skive: Glen r. suwath bnuudn ry.
<br />R3cssn-13 to ?0 inches, Pale-brvnrn t10]R G/3) sir U~ rl;ly
<br />IDnut, brown IlO]It G/a) when uuiist; crry +csll:.
<br />ran rye, Prismatic structure In +rrn k. ran rsv. sub:nn.~l-
<br />Inc bla~k}' st t•urture; hn rd tvhvn dr)'. frinblr +cbru
<br />noist; strongly cn lrn reaus; gradual. smooth Lnnud~
<br />arc; felt visible salt and Fvpwtta yu~ts.
<br />Ccss;t-?fl [u 60 inrhrs, pn le~L ramn I111S 1t C/ai silt}' erne lax w,
<br />brown (10]R 3/:3) whwt nuiist; um nsi+'e: h:n~J tchcn
<br />dry; friable +vhen moist' st rough enlca raou.c; gradual,
<br />smooth bouudn rF; cauunnu cult :utd gJlrsuw spoh.
<br />The .] horizon rnnges flow -t to S inches in thirl:ur<s and
<br />Yrnm (Dam to clay loam in texture. It. iv uuxlvra trl}- lime. The
<br />B_^t horizon rn ogee from G ht l~i inches in Ihiel:uvss. fram clue
<br />loom to light erne in texture, nud from grayish Lru+cu tD
<br />Lrotcu in color. CyDsnm crc.Ynh are visible in the R3 and L
<br />horizons.
<br />Deertrail roils are finer texhtr+vl, rou[a in more s:llh, nud
<br />are more deePlc derelnlted than Stoneham soils. They have n
<br />more cruces subsoil and are dPPllel' DPP(' ehah` anll IimPStnne
<br />[hmt ]linnenaa sails. Thee hove n thicker and finer h•xflved
<br />subsoil and contain more colts than ]1'ilev soils.
<br />Deertrail clay loam, 0 to 5 percent slopes (DeBI.-This
<br />soil Decals in all parts of the count.~I,ll~lydl~„ 1t'~,~ng
<br />were spots of \Viley- silt ]oam, our ft 1~, w~leee~y_--¢ td-
<br />OCT 2 51983
<br />MINED LAND RECLAMATION DIVISION
<br />f:0~0. DeOt. Ot Natural Racmvrno
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