
Major Land Resource Area 049X
Southern Rocky Mountain Foothills
Accessed: 03/31/2023
Description
MLRA 49 represents the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Traditionally it has covered portions of the lower elevation Rocky Mountains consisting of the hog back and strike valley and the highest elevations of the Great Plains such as the Palmer divide. .
Key publications
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Ecological site list
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Key Characteristics
- Soil depth moderately deep to deep (>20”) without root restricting layer that inhibits the productivity potential
- Sites with a high volume of coarse fragments in top 20” (>35% by volume) Site occurs in a variety of upland positions, boulders found in abundance on surface, Columbia needlegrass, Idaho fescue, spike fescue, bitterbrush, and big sage, productivity less than others in group
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Key Characteristics
- Soil depth very shallow (<10”), shallow (10-20”) OR moderately deep to deep (>20”) reacting like shallow soils due to root restrictive layer or on south and west facing slopes (LOW productivity potential)
- Soils very shallow (<10”), but may include areas of exposed bedrock and pockets of deep soil, often on steep (up to 55%) south and west facing slopes with VERY LOW productivity potential
- Bedrock igneous or volcanic, three-tip sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, and black sage common shrubs
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Key Characteristics
- Soil depth moderately deep to deep (>20”) without root restricting layer that inhibits the productivity potential
- Sites without high volume of coarse fragments
- Soils very fine sandy loams to clay loams, a good variety and even mix of grass species, mountain big sagebrush dominant shrub
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Key Characteristics
- Site in a lowland position that receives significant additional moisture from runoff of adjacent slopes or from intermittent/perennial streams or a water table (HIGH Productivity Potential)
- Site not as above
- Site receives periodic overflow from adjacent slopes, but without a water table within rooting depth of woody plants, and soil textures are loamy, serviceberry, silver sagebrush, slender wheatgrass, and basin wildrye common
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Key Characteristics
- Soil depth very shallow (<10”), shallow (10-20”) OR moderately deep to deep (>20”) reacting like shallow soils due to root restrictive layer or on south and west facing slopes (LOW productivity potential)
- Soils shallow (10-20” (25-50cm)), but may include moderately deep to deep (>20” (>50cm)) skeletal soils on south and west aspects, >15% slopes, productivity potential is LOW
- Site with a highly calcareous subsoil (<10” (25cm)), often gravelly or skeletal subsoil OR underlain by soft calcareous materials and slopes 15%
- Shallow sandy and loamy soils (10-20” (25-50cm)), often cobbly or channery with slopes >35%, underlain by soft calcareous materials with many outcrops of sedimentary rock (often associated with Lime Stone parent material) , mountain mahogany, bluebunch wheatgrass, Indian ricegrass common
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Key Characteristics
- Soil depth very shallow (<10”), shallow (10-20”) OR moderately deep to deep (>20”) reacting like shallow soils due to root restrictive layer or on south and west facing slopes (LOW productivity potential)
- Soils shallow (10-20” (25-50cm)), but may include moderately deep to deep (>20” (>50cm)) skeletal soils on south and west aspects, >15% slopes, productivity potential is LOW
- Soils not as above
- Medium to moderately coarse textured soils over igneous or volcanic bedrock, bitterbrush, black sage and three-tip sagebrush common
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Key Characteristics
- Soil depth very shallow (<10”), shallow (10-20”) OR moderately deep to deep (>20”) reacting like shallow soils due to root restrictive layer or on south and west facing slopes (LOW productivity potential)
- Soils shallow (10-20” (25-50cm)), but may include moderately deep to deep (>20” (>50cm)) skeletal soils on south and west aspects, >15% slopes, productivity potential is LOW
- Soils not as above
- Very fine sandy loam to clay loam textured soils over various bedrock types (commonly limestone, siltstone, or shale), black sagebrush or mountain mahogany intermixed with big sage
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Key Characteristics
- Site in a lowland position that receives significant additional moisture from runoff of adjacent slopes or from intermittent/perennial streams or a water table (HIGH Productivity Potential)
- Site not as above
- Water table within rooting depth of herbaceous species (typically above 20”) during part of the growing season, tufted hairgrass, Nebraska sedge, shrubby cinquefoil, sedges, rushes, and willow common
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Key Characteristics
- Soil depth very shallow (<10”), shallow (10-20”) OR moderately deep to deep (>20”) reacting like shallow soils due to root restrictive layer or on south and west facing slopes (LOW productivity potential)
- Soils very shallow (<10”), but may include areas of exposed bedrock and pockets of deep soil, often on steep (up to 55%) south and west facing slopes with VERY LOW productivity potential
- Fractured bedrock of various types except igneous or volcanic, commonly on windswept ridges, bluebunch wheatgrass, Columbia needlegrass and a variety of shrub species dominate
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Key Characteristics
- Site in a lowland position that receives significant additional moisture from runoff of adjacent slopes or from intermittent/perennial streams or a water table (HIGH Productivity Potential)
- Site poorly drained with water table above surface part of growing season, Nebraska sedge, northern reedgrass, tufted hairgrass, and willows common species
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Key Characteristics
- LRU C - Frigid (MAAT 45-47 degrees F), Typic Ustic, (MAP 16-20 inches), Freeze Free days 90-150, elevation 5,400-7,500 feet); Black Forest Area (Douglas County) Dawson and White River formation; West of Colorado Spring including Monument Hill and Palmer Divide (El Paso County) Pierre Shale, Laramie and Fox Hill Sandstone, and Denver Formation.
- Site receives no extra water beyond normal precipitation
- Site not as above
- Site not as above
- Site not as above
- Site not as above
- Site has surface texture of loam
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Key Characteristics
- LRU D - Frigid (MAAT 40-46 degrees F), Ustic Aridic (MAP 11-14 inches), Freeze Free days 90-150, elevation 5,500-7,200 FT; Gardner Area (northern Huerfano County) & Huerfano & Farisita Formations; West of Canon City & Howard (Southwestern Pueblo county) & metamorphic quartz, monzonite, gneiss & schist with lesser amounts of igneous granite & diorite; Southwestern El Paso (Fountain, Morrison & Dakota Formations); & Arkansas River Canyon-West of Pueblo to near Salida
- Site not as above
- Site not as above
- Site not as above
- Site not as above
- Site not as above
- Site not as above
- Site have surface texture of loam
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