LOCATION OTERODRY COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Ustic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Oterodry fine sandy loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 11 inches (0 to 28 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
AC--11 to 25 inches (28 to 63 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Bk--25 to 60 inches (63 to 152 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium masses of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Las Animas County, Colorado; approximately 1,200 feet west and 900 feet south of the northest corner of Sec. 2, T. 28 S., R. 64 W; Latitude 37 degrees, 38 minutes, 38 seconds north; Longitude 104 degrees, 31 minutes, 19 seconds west, NAD 1983.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture control section: moist in some part 10 to 55 cumulative days while the soil temperature is 41 degrees or higher. It is moist in some or all parts in May and June, and intermittently in July and August. Aridic moisture regime bordering on ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 58 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 59 to 76 degrees F.
Depth to carbonates: calcareous at the surface but are leached from 1 to 10 inches in some pedons.
Organic carbon content of the surface: .5 to 1.5 percent, and the organic carbon decreases uniformly with increasing depth.
Sand/clay ratios range from 3 to 15
Texture: usually fine sandy loam or sandy loam
Particle size control section:
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Silt content: 5 to 35 percent
Sand content: 50 to 80 percent, with more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser
Rock fragment content: 0 to 15 percent, dominantly gravel
A horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y to 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam, and loamy fine sand
C horizon:
Hue: 2.5Y to 7.5YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 1 to 10 percent
The presence and distribution of visible secondary calcium carbonate is erratic throughout the control section
Reaction: moderately alkaline
Textures: fine sandy loam and sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Councelor,
Keeline,
Nelson,
Shedado,
Turnercrest,
Uendal,
Yarts, and
Zia series.
Cliff soils: soil moisture controls section is drier in
may and June, have average annual temperatures of less than 49 degrees F., and have strongly alkaline substrata.
Councelor and Zia soils: are dry in some or all parts of the moisture control section during May and June.
Keeline: soils are dry for 60 consecutive days in the moisture control section from July 15 to October 25.
Shedado soils: have a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Nelson and Turnercrest soils: have a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Yarts soils may have hues of 5YR and redder in all horizons of the pedon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: fans, hills, ridge, and plains
Their surfaces are frequently wind-reworked and have a low dune-like relief.
Slopes: 0 to 25 percent
Parent material: eolian sediments and alluvium
Average annual precipitation: 11 to 14 inches, with peak periods of precipitation from April through August
Mean annual air temperature: 49 to 54 degrees F.
Frost-free season: 125 to 165 days.
Elevation ranges from 4,000 to 6,000 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kim, Olney, and Vonid soils. Kim soils are fine-loamy. Olney and Vonid soils have an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well or somewhat excessively drained; low runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally for native rangeland and irrigated cropland. Native vegetation consists of blue grama, little bluestem, sideoats grama, needlegrass, and sand dropseed. Shrubs include yucca and sand sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Colorado, western Nebraska, and southeastern Wyoming. LRR G, MLRA 69; The series is of large extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Las Animas County, Colorado 2007.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Particle size control section: the zone from 10 to 40 inches. (Part of the A, AC and part of the Bk horizon)
Ochric epipedon: the zone from 0 to 11 inches. (A horizon)
Aridic ustic moisture regime
Remarks: The Otero series has been reclassified as a Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Aridic Ustorthents 3/94. Oterodry replaces the Otero series in the ustic-aridic moisture regime in mlra 69.
Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.