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24
<br />• SOIL SURVEY •
<br />outcrop and Rockslides on excessively steep terrain and
<br />rock streams in less steep areas. Included areas make
<br />up less than 15 percent of the total acreage.
<br />This soil is used for range and wildlife and provides
<br />summer grazing for sheep, deer, and elk. Runoff is
<br />medium to rapid, depending on the slope. The erosion
<br />hazard is high. Capability unit VIIs-3 nonirrigated;
<br />Alpine Slopes range site.
<br />Mergel Series
<br />e et•ge series consists of deep, well-drained soils
<br />on upland hills and t•idges. Slopes are 5 to 45 percent.
<br />These soils formed in alluvial fan and glacial sediment
<br />weathered mainly from rhyolitic tuff.
<br />In a representative profile the surface layer is gray-
<br />ish-brown gravelly loam about 10 inches thick. The
<br />next layer is pale-brown gravelly loam about 6 inches
<br />thick. Below this to a depth of 60 inches is pale-brown
<br />and very pale brown very gravelly loam.
<br />Merger soils are at elevations of about 7,700 to 9,000
<br />feet. The average annual soil temperature is 45° F. The
<br />average annual precipitation is about 15 inches. The
<br />native vegetation is commonly big sagebrush, phlox,
<br />native bluegrass, squirreltail, dryland sedge, wheat-
<br />grass, and pine needlegrass.
<br />Permeability is moderately rapid. Roots can penetrate
<br />to a depth of 60 inches ot• more, but available water
<br />capacity is ]ow.
<br />These soils at•e used principally for grazing and wild-
<br />, life.
<br />The Met•gel soils in this survey area are mapped only
<br />with Parlin soils.
<br />Representative profile of Mergel gravelly loam;
<br />mapped in an area of Parlin-Mergel gravelly roams, 5
<br />to 45 percent slopes, 1 mile south of Doyleville; NW1/4
<br />sec. 11, T. 48 N., R. 3 E., Gunnison County:
<br />Al-0 to 10 inches, grayish-brown (lOYR 5/2) gravelly
<br />loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist;
<br />moderate, medium, granular structure; slightly
<br />hard, very friable; 20 percent gravel and cobble-
<br />stones; pH 8.0; clear, smooth boundary.
<br />AC-10 to 16 inches, pale-brown (lOYR 6/3) gravelly loam,
<br />'" brown (lOYR 5/3) moist; weak, medium and
<br />coarse, subangular blocky structure; hard, friable:
<br />30 percent cobblestones and gravel; calcareous; pH
<br />8.2; gradual, wavy boundary.
<br />Cleo-16 to 37 inches, very pale brown (lOYR 7/3) very
<br />gravelly loam, brown (lOYR 5/3) moist; massive;
<br />hard, friable; 60 percent gravel and cobblestones;
<br />calcareous pH 8.4; clear, wavy boundary.
<br />C2ea-37 to 60 inches, pale-brown (lOYR 613) very gravel4y
<br />loam, brown (lOYR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly
<br />hard, friable; 70 percent gravel and cobblestones;
<br />calcareous; pH 8.4.
<br />The A horizon is typically gravelly loam, but in places
<br />is gravelly sandy loam. ]t ranges from 8 to 14 inches in
<br />thickness and from grayish brown to dark grayish brown
<br />in color. It is commonly noncalcareous, but is calcareous in
<br />localized areas. The C horizon is typically very gravelly or
<br />very cobbly loam, but in places is gravelly sandy loam. The
<br />content of coarse fragments less than 10 inches in size ranges
<br />from 3b to 80 percent.
<br />Mord Series
<br />The Mord series consists of deep, well-drained soils
<br />on upland hills and valley-fill slopes. Slopes are 5 to 30
<br />percent. These soils formed in gravelly and cobbly
<br />material weathered from rhyolite and breccia.
<br />In a representative profile the surface layer is very
<br />dark gray loam about 10 inches thick. The subsurface
<br />layer is light brownish-gray loam about 3 inches thick.
<br />The next layer is mixed, light brownish-gray and brown
<br />gravelly clay loam about 14 inches thick. The subsoil is
<br />brown and pale-brown light gravelly clay about 25
<br />inches thick. The substratum to a depth of 60 inches is
<br />pale-brown gravelly clay loam.
<br />Mord soils are at elevations of 9,000 to 10,000 feet.
<br />The annual precipit<~tion is 20 to 25 inches. The average
<br />annual soil temperature is 40° F. The native vegetation
<br />is commonly big sagebrush, Thurber fescue, nodding
<br />brome, big bluegrass, bearded wheatgrass, and scattered
<br />stands of aspen.
<br />Permeability is slow. Roots can penetrate to a depth
<br />of 60 inches or more, and available water capacity is
<br />high.
<br />These soils are used mainly for grazing, wildlife, and
<br />recreation. Small areas on the upper Ohio Creek drain-
<br />age are irrigated.
<br />Representative profile of Mo1•d loam, 5 to 30 percent
<br />slopes, one-eighth mile south of the intersection of
<br />Antelope and Mill Creek roads; NW1/9 sec. 1, T. 51 N.,
<br />R. 2 W., Gunnison County:
<br />Al-0 to 10 inches, very dark gray (lOYR 3/1) loam, black
<br />(lOYR 2/1) moist; strong, fine, granular strueture•
<br />soft, very friable; SO percent angular gravel and
<br />stones; pH 6.6; clear, wavy boundary.
<br />A2-10 to 13 inches, light brownish-gray (10YR 6/2) loam,
<br />dark grayish brown (lOYR 4/2) moist; weak, me-
<br />dium, platy structure parting to moderate, fine,
<br />granular; hard, friable; 10 percent angular gravel;
<br />pH 6.6; clear, smooth boundary.
<br />AB•.H-13 to 27 inches, mixed colors of light brownish-gray
<br />(lOYR 6/2) and brown (lOYR 5/3) gravelly clay
<br />loam, dark grayish brown (lOYR 4/2) moist;
<br />moderate, medium, subangular blocky structure;
<br />slightly hard, friable; seams and nodules of B2t
<br />material surrounded by lighter colored A2 material;
<br />moderate continuous clay films on aggregates of
<br />B2t material; 20 percent angular gravel and cobble-
<br />stones; pH 6.6; clear, smooth boundary.
<br />B2b-27 to 40 inches, brown (lOYR 5!3) gravelly light clay,
<br />dark brown (lOYR 4/3) moist; moderate and
<br />strong, coarse, angular blocky structure parting to
<br />moderate and strong, medium, angular blocky very
<br />hard, firm; thin continuous clay films on ped faces•
<br />20 percent angular cobblestones and gravel; 'pH
<br />6.6; gradual, smooth boundary.
<br />B3t-40 to 52 inches, pale-brown (lOYR 6/3) gravelly clay.
<br />dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak and moderate,
<br />medium, subangular blocky structure; hard, firm;
<br />30 percent angular gravel and cobblestones; thin
<br />patchy clay films on ped faces; pH 6.8; gradual,
<br />smooth boundary.
<br />C-52 to 60 inches, pale-brown (lOYR 6/3) gravelly clay
<br />loam, dark brown (IOYR 4/3) moist; week, medium
<br />and coarse, subangular blocky structure; hard,
<br />firm; 40 percent cobblestones and gravel; pH G.8.
<br />The Al horizon is typically loam, but in Places is stony
<br />loam. It ranges from 8 to 14 inches in thickness and from
<br />dark gray to grayish brown in color. The B2t horizon is
<br />gravelly or cobbly clay or heary clay loam. Reaction is
<br />slightly acid to neutral. The content of angular stone frag-
<br />ments ranges from 5 to 35 percent. Bedrock is below a depth
<br />of 50 inches.
<br />Mord loam, 5 to 30 percent slopes (MoE).-This soil is
<br />mainly in the north-central part of the survey area,
<br />commonly on northerly and easterly exposures.
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