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<br />Otero Series
<br />The Otero series consists of gently undulating, light-
<br />colored, model:2tely coarse textured, limy soils on up-
<br />lands.
<br />The surface ln}•er is light. brownish-gray to pale-brofcn
<br />sandy loam about i inches thick. It takes water readily.
<br />4, The underlying material is limy sandy loam. This ma-
<br />terial appears to lace been deposited by wind. It is readily
<br />penetrated by plant roots, but it is low. in water-]folding
<br />capacity. In places there are small lenses of clay and lay-
<br />f ers of cemented hard lime deep in the substratum. In a few
<br />areas, clay or shale occurs at a depth of about 2 feet.
<br />Otero soils are droughtyy and low in natural fertility,
<br />Uut they are free of harmful salts. Runoff is slow because
<br />the surface la}'er takes water readil}}•.
<br />These soils are too droughty a.nd too erodible to be
<br />suited to dryfarming, They are used mainly for range.
<br />Tle principal nat.ice range plants are flue grama, sand
<br />ch•opseed, yucca, and sand sage.
<br />P,epresentat.ice profile in an area of short-grass range,
<br />about 0.35 mile south and 0.05 mile west of the northeast
<br />corner of sec. 15, T. 22 S., R. 5G \V. (Sample \ro.
<br />SG2-Colo-13-G; Lab. I~Tos. G392-G39G)
<br />Al-0 to 3 Inches, light brownish-gray (lOTR 6/2) sandy loam,
<br />I dark grayish bron'u (lOTR 9/?) when moist; weak.
<br />~ thick, Platy structure that breaks to weaL-, 8ne,
<br />crumb; soft when dry, eery friable when moist; non-
<br />." salvo reous; clear, smooth boundary:
<br />i AC-3 to T Snches, pale-brown (IOTR 6/3) sandy loam, dark
<br />brown (lOTR 4/3) when moist; weak, coarse, sub-
<br />~angular blocky structure; hard when drS, eery friable
<br />when moist; noncalcareous; clear, smooth boundary.
<br />Cl-7 to 14 Inches, pale-bron•n (lOTR 8/3) sandp loam, dark
<br />bron•n (lOTR -1/3) when moist; weak, medium, sub-
<br />angulnr blocky structure; hard when dry, eery friable
<br />when moist; strongly calcareous; clear, smooth
<br />boundary.
<br />C2ca-14 ko 2i Inches, eery pale brown (lOYR T/3) sandy loam,
<br />~~~ brown (lOTR 5/3) when moist; weak, medium, sub-
<br />angnlar blocky structure; hard when dry, very friable
<br />:i when moist; strongly calcareous; few sen[tered con-
<br />cretions, threads, and streaks of soft lime; Glen r,
<br />smooth boundary.
<br />~ C3ca-27 to GO Inches, light yellowish-brown (lOTR 6/-1)
<br />coarse sandp loam, yellowish brown (lOTR 5/4) when
<br />moist; massri'e; slightly hard when dry, eery Prlable
<br />when moist; strongly calcareous; few scattered con-
<br />cretions, threads, and streaks o[ soft lime.
<br />The Al horizon ranges from sandy loam to loamy sand in
<br />tezture and from ? to 10 inches In thickness. The Cl horizon Is
<br />from 5 to 10 inches thick. Ordinarily, it Is sandy loam, but in
<br />some Places it is sandp clay loam. In some areas Loth the sur-
<br />face lacer and the underlying ]racer are 5 [0 10 percent gravel,
<br />by volume.
<br />Otero soils are associated n-ith Vona and Oascajo soils. They
<br />]acl: the subsoil development of Tona soils and are less gravelly
<br />than Cnscnjo sobs. TheS resemble Glenberg soils but are more
<br />sloping and less strn[itied.
<br />Otero sandy loam, 1 to 5 percent slopes iO1B).-This
<br />soil occurs throughout the county in areas ranging up to
<br />500 acres in size.
<br />This soil is used for range. It is somewhat droughty and,
<br />if not protected, is suscepttble to erosion. Reo ~atlon of
<br />grazing helps to keep the range in good condition and is
<br />the most effective nfeans of controllinP wind erosion.
<br />Mechanical practices are of little value. Mock water gen-
<br />ei:111y is obtained from wells or from ponds on adjoining
<br />clayey soils. (\TOnirrignted capability unit VIe-3; Sandy
<br />Plains range site)
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