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Baseline Survey of Soil Resources - Collom Mining Area July, 2006 <br />identified in the Order III Survey Area because pedon descriptions were not available to help separate the <br />components. However, the comparable vegetation and topography in the Order III Survey Area made it <br />possible to map the associations in this area with accuracy adequate to meet this survey's objectives. A <br />more thorough description of the differences between consociations and complexes follows. <br />Consociations are dominated by a single soil taxon (e.g., sub-group, family, series) and similar soil types. At <br />least one-half of the pedons in each delineation of a soil consociation are of the same soil components <br />that provide the name for the map unit. The total amount of dissimilar inclusions of other components in <br />a map unit generally does not exceed 15 percent if limiting, and 25 percent if non-limiting. A single very <br />contrasting component inclusion generally does not exceed 10 percent. This contrasting component is <br />partially defined as having dissimilar properties limiting reclamation. Where additional components are not <br />identified by their composition in the unit, they are non-limiting or below these thresholds. <br />Complexes consist of two or more dissimilar components occurring in a regularly repeating pattern. As <br />generally used, a soil complex consists of areas of two or more soil taxons, so intricately mixed or so <br />small in size that they cannot be shown separately on the soil map. The total amount of inclusions that are <br />dissimilar to any of the. major components in a map unit does not exceed approximately 15 percent if <br />limiting, and 25 percent if non-limiting. A single kind of dissimilar limiting inclusion generally does not <br />exceed 10 percent if very contrasting. Several to numerous bodies of each dominant soil may be present <br />in each delineation. <br />Laboratory Results <br /> The results of the physical and chemical laboratory analyses are presented in Appendix B, Tables B-3 <br /> and B-4, respectively. This section summarizes the results of these analyses and presents interpretations <br /> relevant to reclamation planning. <br /> Soil Physical Properties <br /> Soil physical properties evaluated in this survey include soil texture, coarse fragment content and depth, <br /> and wind and water erodibility. <br />Texture <br />In the Survey Area, potential for use in reclamation is notably limited for soils with high clay content. As a <br />result of the high abundance of shale found in the Williams Fork Formation, which dominates the central <br />portion of Survey Area, many of the soils exhibit very high clay content. The fine textured Owen Creek, <br />Jerry, Cochetopa, Morapos, Nortez, Campspass, and Pinelli all have high clay content, especially in their <br />subsoils. The Campspass series and other soils found in Campspass-dominated map units are highest in <br />clay content, with the subsoils commonly having 45 to 60 percent clay. Soil salvage operations should be <br />conducted to segregate the more loamy surface soils from the finer textured subsoils of these series. <br />Coarse Fragment Content (and Depth) <br />Coarse fragment content can be both a limiting factor and a resource for use as a plant growth medium. <br />Soils with the greatest abundance of coarse fragments are Vandamore, Danavore, Duffymont, Redthayne, <br />Thornburgh, and Skyway, all of which are skeletal soils. However, other soils, including Torriorthents and <br />shallow soils on ridge tops, have an abundance of coarse fragments below the upper soil profile. The soils <br />with the highest coarse fragment content most commonly occur on ridges, steep slopes, and plateaus in <br />the extreme southern portion of the Survey Area, and on the crests and slopes of the highest points in <br />the northern portion of the Survey Area. These units all have a rock outcrop component. In the northern <br />portion of the Survey Area, shallow soils with high coarse fragment content are generally vegetated by <br />conifers in upland positions. In contrast to this, shallow soils with high coarse fragment content in the <br />southern portion of the Survey Area have less dense stands of deciduous trees relative to the common <br />loess dominated soils. <br />• <br />Tetra Tech, Inc. 10