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MESA COUNTY AREA, COLORADO
<br />The mean annual temperature is 540 F., and the frost-
<br />free season is 160 to 175 days.
<br />In a representative profile the surface layer is pink
<br />loam about 5 inches thick. The subsoil is brown clay
<br />loam and pink loam about 11 inches thick. It is under-
<br />lain by pink fine sandy loam that extends to a depth of
<br />50 inches or more.
<br />Uffens soils have moderately slow permeability and
<br />a high available water capacity. They are strongly al-
<br />kaline or very strongly alkaline. Roots can penetrate
<br />to a depth of more than 50 inches.
<br />These soils are used for grazing, as wildlife habitat,
<br />and as watershed areas.
<br />Representative profile of Uffens loam, 3 to 12 per-
<br />cent slopes, SW1/4NE1/, sec. 7, T. 1 N., R. 1 E., in an
<br />area of grass.
<br />A1-0 to 5 inches, pink 17.5YR ?/4) loam, brown (7.5YR
<br />5/4) when moist; moderate, medium, platy part-
<br />ing to moderately fine, granular structure; soft,
<br />very friable; calcareous; strongly alkaline; abrupt
<br />boundary.
<br />B21t-5 to 11 inches, brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, dark
<br />brown (7.5YR 4/4) when moist; strong, medium,
<br />prismatic, parting to strong, medium, subangular
<br />blocky structure; very hard, firm; continuous
<br />films of clay on peds; calcareous; strongly alka-
<br />line; clear, smooth boundary.
<br />B22t-11 to 16 inches, pink (7.5YR 7/4) loam, dark brown
<br />(7.5YR 4/4) when moist; moderate, medium, pris-
<br />matic, parting to moderate, medium, subangular
<br />blocky structure; slightly hard, firm; thin patchy
<br />films of clay on peds; calcareous; very strongly
<br />alkaline; gradual, smooth, boundary.
<br />C-16 to 50 inches, pink (7.5YR 7/4) fine sandy lgoam, when
<br />moist hard nfriable; calcare us; very ;stronsgly alkal ney
<br />25 percent sandstone, gravel, and cobbles.
<br />The Al horizon is very fine sandy loam, silt loam, or
<br />loam. Gravel and cobbles make up as much as 25 percent,
<br />by volume, of the C horizon.
<br />UX -Uffens loam, 3 to 12 percent slopes. This soil
<br />is gently sloping to rolling and is on terraces and mesas..
<br />It has the profile described as representative of the
<br />series.
<br />Included with this soil in mapping are small areas
<br />of Avalon soils and soils that have a surface layer of _
<br />stony loam.
<br />Runoff is moderate. The hazard of erosion is mod-
<br />erate.
<br />This soil is used for grazing and as wildlife habitat.
<br />Capability unit VIIe-1; Salt Flats range site.
<br />Unaweep Series
<br />The Unaweep series consists of deep, well-drained
<br />soils. These soils formed in sediment derived from sed-
<br />imentary rock on alluvial fans and valley side slopes.
<br />The slope is 3 to 12 percent, and elevation is 6,700 to
<br />7,300 feet. The natural vegetation is mainly sagebrush,
<br />rabbitbrush, wheatgrass, needlegrass, and native blue-
<br />grass and a sparse overstory of pinyon, juniper, and
<br />oakbrush. The average annual precipitation is 16
<br />inches. The mean annual temperature is 501 F., and
<br />the frost-free season is 100 to 125 days.
<br />In a representative profile the surface layer is
<br />grayish-brown sandy loam and brown fine sandy loam
<br />about 10 inches thick. The subsoil is.-.-widish-brown
<br />fine sandy loam about 8 inches thick. The substratum
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<br />is reddish-brown fine sandy loam that extends to a
<br />depth of 60 inches or more.
<br />Unaweep soils have moderately rapid permeability
<br />and a moderate or high available water capacity. They
<br />are neutral or mildly alkaline in the upper 18 inches
<br />and moderately alkaline in the lowermost 42 inches.
<br />Roots can penetrate to a depth of more than 60 inches.
<br />These soils are used for grazing, as wildlife habitat,
<br />and as watershed areas.
<br />Representative profile of Lnaweep sandy loam 3 to
<br />12 percent slopes, c El/
<br />an area of grass sec. 26, T. 14 S., R. 101 W., in
<br />.
<br />A1-0 to 4 inches, grayish-brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam,
<br />very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) when moist;
<br />moderate, very fine, granular structure; soft, very
<br />friable; common flakes of mica; neutral; clear,
<br />wavy boundary.
<br />A12-4 to 10 inches, brown (7.5YR 5/3) fine sandy loam,
<br />dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) when moist; weak,
<br />coarse, subangular blocky parting to weak, fine,
<br />granular structure; slightly hard, very friable;
<br />common flakes of mica; about 5 percent fragments
<br />of sandstone; mildly alkaline; clear, smooth bound-
<br />B2-10 to r18 inches, reddish-brown (5YR 5/3) fine sandy
<br />loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) when moist; mod-
<br />erate, medium, prismatic parting to moderate me-
<br />dium, subangular blocky structure; slightly ' ard,
<br />very friable; common flakes of mica; few, thin,
<br />glossy surfaces on some peds; mildly alkaline;
<br />gradual, wavy boundary.
<br />C-18 to 60 inches, reddish-brown (5YR 5/3) fine sandy
<br />loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) when moist; mas-
<br />sive; slightly hard, very friable; common flakes
<br />of mica; 6 percent fragments of sandstone; cal-
<br />careous; moderately alkaline.
<br />The soil is sandy loam or fine sandy loam throughout.
<br />Depth to calcareous material is 15 to 30 inches.
<br />UnC-Unaweep sandy loam, 3 to 12 percent slopes.
<br />This soil is gently sloping to rolling and is on fans and
<br />valley side slopes. It has the profile described as repre-
<br />sentative of the series.
<br />Included with this soil in mapping are small areas of
<br />a soil that has a stony or cobbly surface layer. Also
<br />included are small areas of Stony land.
<br />Runoff is moderate. The hazard of erosion is mod-
<br />erate.
<br />This soil is used mainly for grazing and as wildlife
<br />habitat. A few small areas are irrigated for alfalfa or
<br />pasture. Capability unit IVe-1 (irrigated), VIe-2
<br />(nonirrigatpd) ; Loamy Foothills range site.
<br />Utaline Series
<br />The Utaline series consists of deep, well-drained
<br />soils. These soils formed in sediment that weathered
<br />from basalt on mesas and high terraces. The slope is 3
<br />to 25 percent, and elevation is 4,800 to 5,700 feet. The
<br />natural vegetation is mainly saltbush, rabbitbrush,
<br />galleta, and Indian ricegrass. The average annual pre-
<br />cipitation is 9 inches. The mean annual temperature
<br />is 52° F., and the frost-free season is 140 to 165 days.
<br />In a representative profile the surface layer is pink
<br />stony loam about 4 inches thick. The underlying layer
<br />is pink, pinkish-white, and pinkish-gray very cobbly
<br />loam that extends to a depth of 60 inches or more.
<br />Utaline soils have moderate permeability and a low
<br />available water capacity. They are moderately alka-
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