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LOGAN COUNTY, COLORADO Included in this unit are small areas of Haxtun loamy sand and Julesburg loamy sand, both having slopes of 0 to 3 percent. Typically the surface layer is grayish brown loamy sand about 24 inches thick. The underlying layer is dark brown loamy sand about 13 inches thick over dark grayish brown and brown stratified sandy loam and loamy sand that extends to GO inches or more. Permeability is rapid. Effective rooting depth is 60 inches or more. Available water capacity is low or moderate. Surface runoff is slow, the water erosion hazard is slight, and soil blowing is moderate. This soil is used for irrigated cropland and grazing. Some small areas are used for nonirrigated cropland. In irrigated cropland areas corn, alfalfa and sugar beets are the principal crops grown. Winter wheat is grown in nonirrigated cropland areas. In irrigated croplaud areas the main concerns of management are soil blowing, maintenance of organic matter, and fertility. This soil is best suited to the sprin- kler method of imgation because of the rapid permeabili- ty. Most of the pivotal sprinkler systems are located on this soil. Special care consisting of growing cover crops after harvest of row crops and incorporating crop residues during periods when no growing crap is present to protect the soil is needed. Close grown crops are more effective in protecting soil from blowing. Intensive crop residue management is needed when growing row crops. Applications of manure and use of crop residues help maintain and improve soil tilth and organic matter con- tent. Applications of commercial fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus are required for high yields of all crops. In nonirrigated cropland areas the main concerns of management are conserving soil moisture and protecting soil t'rom blowing. Stubble mulch tillage and incorporating crop residues are needed to protect the soil from blowing, improve soil tilth, and conserve moisture. Tillage should be kept to a minimum. Planting crops in alternate strips at right angles to the prevailing wind is effective in pro- tecting the soil from blowing. Rangeland vegetation of this soil consists mainly of sand bluestem, switchgrass, sand reedgrass, little bluestem, needleandthread, sideoats grama, sand drop- seed, sedge, and blue grama. These grasses furnish most of the forage. Sand sagebrush is scattered in the vegeta- tion. Grazing management must be aimed at the main- tenance or improvement of range condition through proper grazing use. Without management of grazing, the plant cover loses the tall productive grasses. Deferred grazing is highly effective in management systems for livestock use. Brush management is needed in areas where sand sagebrush forms a dense stand because of continued heavy grazing use. Seeding is essential if severely depleted areas develop. Fencing and livestock watering places aid in obtaining more uniform distribu- tion of grazing. Care must be taken not to locate livestock water developments in places where serious wind erosion can result. z~ Windbreaks and environmental plantings are generally suited to this soil. Soil blowing is the principal concern in establishing trees and shrubs. This hazard can be over- come by special care, consisting of cultivating only in the tree row and leaving a strip of vegetative cover between the rows. Supplemental irrigation is necessary at the time of planting and during dry periods. Trees best suited and having good survival are Rocky Mountain juniper, eastern redcedar, ponderosa pine, Siberian elm, Russian-olive and hackberry. Shrubs best suited are skunkbush sumac, lilac and Siberian peashrub. Openland wildlife such as pheasant, cottontail rabbit and mourning dove are suited to this soil. In cropland areas favorable habitat can be developed by establishing nesting and escape cover. For pheasants, undisturbed nesting cover is vital and should be included in plans for habitat development. Tree and shrub plantings along fence lines, irrigation ditches, roadsides and strcamb:mks also help encourage wildlife. Rangeland wildlife, including antelope and jackrabbits, can be encouraged by livestock grazing management, water developments and types of fencing to permit unrestricted antelope movement. Where the soil is used for homesites and other urban developments, the primary limiting soil features are seepage and soil blowing. Where sewage lagoon systems are considered, special sealing methods are required to overcome excessive seepage. This sail should be protected at all times by utilization of mulches and vegetative cover. Capability subclass IVe nonirrigated, IIIe ir- rigated. 24-Dix-Altvan complex, 9 to 25 percent slopes. These strongly sloping to moderately steep soils are on gravelly uplands in the northern part of the county. The average annual precipitation ranges from 17 to 19 inches. Dix gravelly sandy loam, 15 to 25 percent slopes, makes up about 50 percent of the mapping unit, anct Altvan sandy loam, 9 to 25 percent slopes, about 30 percent. The Dix soils are on the steeper crests and ridges. The Altvan soil is at midslope. About 20 percent of this unit is Chappell sandy loam, 3 to 5 percent slopes, Eckley sandy loam, 15 to 25 percent slopes, and Wages loam, 5 to 9 percent slopes. The Chap- pell soils aze on narrow elongated drainageways and fans, Eckley soils are on ridge crests, and the Wages soils are on foot slope positions. The Dix soil is a deep, somewhat excessively drained soil. It formed in very gravelly alluvial deposits of the Ogallala Formation. Typically the surface layer is a dark grayish brown gravelly sandy loam about 4 inches thick. The subsoil is a dark grayish brown gravelly coarse sandy loam about 14 inches thick. The substratum is a reddish yellow coarse sand and gravel to a depth of 00 inches or more. Permeability is rapid. Effective rooting depth is GO inches or more. Available water capacity is low. Surface runoff is rapid, and the erosion hazard is high. 'Chc Altvan soil is a deep, well drained soil. It formed in calcareous, loamy alluvial and eolian deposits underlain by sand and gravel.