|
Exhib~ B - Site Description •
<br />LARIMER COUNTY AREA, COLORADO
<br />Capability unit VIc-3, dryland; Shallow IP ootliill t•ange
<br />site; not assigned to a windbreak suitability group.
<br />~~Pucncr-Rock_~ulcton cnm Irac 1Q to SO per-.
<br />c,_ent~e of ~,c~a. 'I tit s cr~mplex cmtsis s o mo era e y s eep
<br />ot'~ "steep soils on uplands and ridges. It is about 55
<br />percent Purner fine sandy loam and about 30 percent
<br />Rock outcrop. Purner fine sandy loam is smoother and
<br />less sloping, and Rock outcrop is steeper commonly on
<br />the western side of ridges.
<br />Included with this soil in mapping is about 15 per-
<br />cent areas of ICirtley soils.
<br />P.unotl is rapid, and the hazard of erosion is severe.
<br />This soil is suited to native grasses. Capability unit
<br />VIIe-1, dryland; Purner soil in Shallow Foothill range
<br />site and Rock outcro{> not assigned to a t•ange site; not
<br />assigned to a windbreak suitability group.
<br />Ralnkc Scrics
<br />The Ratake scrirs consists of shallow, well drained
<br />or somewhat excessively drained soils that formed) in
<br />material weathered from granite, schist, or phyllite.
<br />These soils are on upland ridges and mountainsides
<br />and are underlain by weathered phyllite, schist, or
<br />weathered granite :tt a depth of 10 to 20 inches. >;leva-
<br />tion ranges from 6,800 to 8,500 feet. Slopes are 1 to
<br />60 percent. The native vegetation is mainly blue grama,
<br />side-oats grama, slender wheatgrass, b]uebuuch wheat-
<br />grass, mountainmahogany, and sage. Mean annual
<br />precipitation rangea from 14 to 18 inches, mean amtual
<br />air temperature ranges from 44° to 4G° F, and the
<br />frost-free season ranges from 75 to 100 days.
<br />In a representative profile the surfitcc layer is
<br />reddish gray channery loam about 10 inches thick.
<br />The subsoil is reddish brown very channery ]o:un about
<br />5 inches thick. The underlying material is weathered
<br />phyllite or phyllite schist.
<br />Permeability is moderate, and the available water
<br />capacity is low. Reaction is neutral.
<br />These soils are mainly used for native gt•asses.
<br />Representative profile of Ratake c{tannety loam itt
<br />en area of Ratake-Rock outcrop complex, 25 to 55 per-
<br />' cent slopes, in native grass, about 2,350 feet east of
<br />the southwest corner of sec. 5, T. 8 N., R. 70 W.:
<br />Al-0 to 10 inches; reddish gray (SYIi 5/2)
<br />channery loam, dark reddish brown (5Y
<br />3/2) moist; strong fine granul:u• and
<br />• crumb structure; soft, very friable; 20
<br />percent soft phyllite charmers; very high
<br />mica content; neutral; clear smooth
<br />boundary.
<br />_ B2-10 to 15 .itrches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3)
<br />very channery loam, reddish crown
<br />(5YR 4j3) moist; moder.nLe fine sub-
<br />angul.ar blocky structure parting to
<br />stronf; fine granular; soft, very friable;
<br />60 percent phyllite charmers; very high
<br />mica content; neutral; diffuse boundary.
<br />Cr-I5 to 25 inches; weathered phyllite or
<br />phyllicic schist; coarse fragments are
<br />''~` weathered and can be crushed in the
<br />~ hand with some di0'iculty but without
<br />S.ignilicuuC coutribuLious Lo Lhc line purls
<br />of the soil on first and second brealduges;
<br />3+:
<br />~;.
<br />-l', .
<br />.+.
<br />•
<br />Pages
<br />47
<br />horizon can be penetrated with a spade
<br />with difficulty; very high mica content.
<br />The A horizon is loam or sandy loam 7 to 20 inches
<br />thick. The B2 horizon is absent in some profiles. Con-
<br />tent of rock fragments, mainly phyllite, schist, or
<br />granite ~/, inch to 2 inches in size, ranges from 35 to
<br />80 percent.
<br />tS7-Ratakc•Rock outcrop complex, 25 to 55 percent
<br />elopes. This complex consists of steep or very steep
<br />soils on mountainsides and ridges. It is about 60 per-
<br />cent Ratake channery loam and about 30 percent Rock
<br />outcrop. Ratake channery loam is less steep, and Rock
<br />outcrop is throughout the complex but commonly is
<br />near ridgetops and is steepet•.
<br />Included with this soil iu mapping is about 10 per-
<br />cent areas of Brcece soils along drainageways.
<br />Runoff is rapid, and the hazard of water erosion is
<br />severe.
<br />'I'Ftis soil is suited to native gt:•dsses. Capability unit
<br />VIIe-1, dryland; Rocky Loam range site; not assigned
<br />to a windbrcald suitability group.
<br />ILedl(enther Series
<br />The Redfeather series consists of shallow, well
<br />drained soils that formed in material weathered from
<br />granite. These soils are on ridges and mountainsides
<br />and are underlain by granite bedrock at a depth of 10
<br />to 20 inches. Elevation ranges from 8,500 to 9,500 feet.
<br />Slopes are 5 to 50 percent. The native vegetation is
<br />mainly forest of lodgepole pine, spruce, and some aspen
<br />and a thin understory of grass. Mean annual precipita-
<br />tion ranges from 15 to 20 inches, mean annual air
<br />temperature ranges from 40° to 94° F, and the frost-
<br />free season ranges from 60 to 85 days.
<br />In a representative profile a 2-inch-thick layer of
<br />organic material is on the surface. The surface layer
<br />is dark grayish brown and light brownish gray sandy
<br />loam about 8 inches thick. The subsoil is brown
<br />gravelly sandy loam about 4 inches thick and reddish
<br />brown gravelly sandy clay loam about 5 inches thidd.
<br />Below this is ltat•d granite bedrock.
<br />Permeability is moderately t•apid, and the available
<br />water capacity is low. Reaction is medium acid above a
<br />depth of abuut 1 inch, strongly acid to a depth of
<br />about 12 inches, and medium acid below a depth of 12
<br />inches.
<br />These soils arc used mainly for forest and recreation.
<br />Representative profile of Redfeather sandy loam, G
<br />to 50 percent slopes, in forest, approximately 1,300
<br />feet south and 1,000 feet west of the northeast corner
<br />of sec. 21, T. 11 N., R. 74 W.:
<br />01-2 inches to 1 inch; undecomposed organic
<br />material, mainly needles, bark, and hvigs
<br />and remains of understory plants.
<br />02-1 inch to 0; partly decomposed organic
<br />material like that in the O1 horizon.
<br />Al-0 to 1 incft; dark gt•ayish brown (lOYR 4/2)
<br />sandy loam, very dark brown (lOYR
<br />2J2) moist; weak fine granular stt'uc-
<br />ture; soft, very friable; noncalcareotts;
<br />mote than 10 percent gravel and stones;
<br />medidtm acid; clear smooth boundary.
<br />A2-1 inch l0 8 inches; IighL brownish gray
<br />(lOYR G/2) sandy loam, dark grayish
<br />
|