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CHAFFEE-LAKE AREA, COLORADO
<br />subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly
<br />sticky; few medium roots; strongly calcareous; few,
<br />fine, segregations of soft lime and coatings on small
<br />pebbles; moderately alkaline; clear, smooth bound-
<br />ary.
<br />IIC-27 to 60 inches, light yellowish-brown (10YR 6/4)
<br />gravelly fine sand; yellowish brown (10YR 6/4)
<br />moist, single grained; noncalcareous; loose when
<br />dry and moist; grades into partly weathered Dry
<br />Union Formation at a depth of about 60 inches.
<br />The A horizon is very dark grayish brown or dark brown.
<br />It is fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam. The B horizon
<br />ranges from dark brown to yellowish brown. Depth to the
<br />]IC horizon ranges from 20 to 40 inches. This horizon con-
<br />tains more than 36 percent coarse fragments.
<br />The average annual precipitation on these soils is slightly
<br />less than the defined range for the series, but this difference
<br />does not alter their usefulness and behavior.
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<br />Permeability in these soils is moderate, and the
<br />available water capacity is moderate. Effective rooting
<br />depth is 60 inches or more.
<br />Most areas of these soils are irrigated and are used
<br />to grow alfalfa and small grains.
<br />Representative profile of Hawksell sandy loam,„ 5 to
<br />9 percent slopes, in a grain field one-fourth mile east
<br />of the southwest corner of sec. 36, T. 50 N., R. 8 E.,
<br />Chaffee County :
<br />Ap-0 to 7 inches, grayish-brown (10YR 6/2) sandy loam;
<br />dark grayish brown (30YR 4/2) moist; weak, fine,
<br />granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky;
<br />common medium and fine roots; 5 percent.gravel;
<br />moderately alkaline; clear, smooth boundary.
<br />AC-7 to 20 inches, brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam; dark
<br />brown (10YR 4/3) moist; common, medium, faint,
<br />dark grayish-brown (10YR 4/2) mottles; massive;
<br />slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky; few fine roots;
<br />10 percent gravel; slightly calcareous; moderately
<br />alkaline; clear, smooth boundary.
<br />Clca-20 to 26 inches, grayish-brown 00YR 5/2) sandy
<br />loam; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; many,
<br />medium, faint, gray-(10YR 5/1) mottles; massive;
<br />slightly hard, friable, nonsticky; few fine roots; 5
<br />percent gravel; strongly calcareous; moderately
<br />alkaline; clear, wavy boundary.
<br />C2-26 to 60 inches, brown (10YR 513) heavy loamy sand;
<br />dark brown 00YR 4/3) moist; common, medium,
<br />faint, dark grayish-brown (30YR 4/2) mottles;
<br />massive; loose, nonsticky; 6 percent gravel; cal-
<br />careous; moderately alkaline.
<br />The A and AC horizons are grayish brown to dark grayish
<br />brown. Reaction is 7.9 to 8.4. Depth to the C horizon ranges
<br />from 18 to 25 inches. The C horizon contains thin (less than
<br />4 inches thick) lenses of gravel in places. Reaction is 7.9 to
<br />9.0.
<br />+Grantsdale fine sandy loam, 3 to 9 percent slopes (GsD).
<br />-This soil is on uplands in the southern part of
<br />baftee County. Included with it in mapping are small
<br />eeas of Rough broken land and Manhattan sandy loam,
<br />to 9 percent slopes.
<br />Surface runoff is medium, and the hazard of. erosiou..__T_
<br />i soderate. Most of the acreage of this soil is irrigated
<br />od is used for growing hay. Alfalfa is the main crop.
<br />Capability unit IVe-3, irrigated, Vle-3, nonirrigated;
<br />6say Bench range site)
<br />Alluvial Land
<br />Gravelly alluvial land (Gv) is a gently sloping to
<br />piing mapping unit that consists of highly stratified
<br />"its of granitic gravel and sand. It is on fans and
<br />is slopes along the Arkansas River. The fans and
<br />pft are associated mainly with the granitic rock
<br />krops. There is little fine soil material. The surface
<br />covered with cobbles and gravel in places, and in
<br />me areas there are scattered stones. The fans and
<br />r ,alopes are subject to periodic deposition. There is
<br />lk or no plant cover. Where plants are present, they
<br />c qtly weeds, rabbitbrush, and traces of grass.
<br />I)& land is not suitable for range, because of the
<br />i, m, variable plant cover. (Capability .unit V111s-1,
<br />wirrigated)
<br />Series
<br />ht .Hawksell series consists of deep, well-drained
<br />ev colluvial-alluvial slopes and fans. These soils
<br />wd in calcareous, moderately coarse textured allu-
<br />a Slopes range from 5 to 9 percent. Elevation
<br />aes from 7,000 to 8,500 feet. The plant cover is
<br />r snd a small amount of woody plants. The average
<br />r+rl precipitation is 11 to 15 inches. The average
<br />sal soil temperature is 46° F., and the average soil
<br />mture in summer is 64 The frost-free season
<br />b to 100 days.
<br />a representative profile the surface layer is dark
<br />rim -brown sandy loam about 7 inches thick. The
<br />x part of the underlying layer is dark-brown sandy
<br />about 13 inches thick. The lower part of the
<br />drix-ing layer, which extends to a depth of 60 inches,
<br />irk grayish-brown sandy loam in the upper part
<br />idark-brown heavy loamy sand in the lower part.
<br />profile is moderately alkaline throughout. and is
<br />v.<ms below a depth of. 7 inches.
<br />Hawksell sandy loam, 5 to 9 percent slopes (HoD).--
<br />This soil is on colluvial-alluvial slopes and fans in the
<br />southwestern part of Chaffee County. Included with
<br />it in mapping are small areas of St. Elmo gravelly
<br />sandy loam, 3 to 9 percent slopes; Manhattan sandy
<br />loam, 3 to 9 percent slopes; and Rough broken land.
<br />Surface runoff' is rapid, and the hazard of erosion is
<br />moderate. Most of the acreage of this soil is irrigated.
<br />Alfalfa is.the main crop, but such small grains as barley
<br />and oats are also grown. (Capability unit IVe-3, irri-
<br />gated, VIe-3, nonirrigated; Sandy Bench range site)
<br />Keeldar Series
<br />The Keeldar series consists of deep, well-drained
<br />soils on high terraces. These soils formed in calcareous,
<br />gravelly, moderately coarse textured alluvium. Slopes
<br />range from 1 to 5 percent. Elevation ranges from
<br />7,000 to 9,000 feet. The plant cover is grass and a few
<br />woody plants. The average annual precipitation is 11
<br />to 15 inches. The average annual soil temperature is
<br />46° F., and the average soil temperature in summer is
<br />63`. The frost-free season is 60 to 100 days.
<br />In a representative profile the surface layer is dark-
<br />brown gravelly sandy loam about 10 inches thick:. The
<br />upper part of the underlying layer is dark grayish-
<br />brown gravelly sandy loam about 10 inches thick. The
<br />lower part of the underlying layer is brown and grayish-
<br />brown gravelly sandy loam that is strongly calcareous.
<br />It is underlain by gravel and cobbles at a depth of 55
<br />inches. The soil is mildly alkaline in the upper 10 inches
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