LOCATION RATAKE CO+WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, paramicaceous, frigid, shallow Typic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ratake channery loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 10 inches; reddish gray (5YR 5/2) channery loam, very dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; strong fine granular and crumb structure; soft, very friable; 20 percent soft phyllite fragments; very high mica content; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (7 to 20 inches thick)
B2--10 to 15 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) very channery loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to strong fine granules; soft, very friable; 60 percent phyllite fragments; very high mica content; neutral; diffuse wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Cr--15 to 25 inches; weathered phyllite or phyllitic schist. Fragments are well weathered and can be crushed in the hand with some difficulty but without significant contributions to the fine portions of the soil on first and second breakages. Horizon can be penetrated with a spade with difficulty. Very high mica content.
TYPE LOCATION: Larimer County, Colorado; SE corner of Sec. 5, T. 8 N., R. 70 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 20 inches thick, and depth to the paralithic contact ranges from 10 to 20 inches. The soils are noncalcareous throughout and are 90 to 100 percent base saturated. The control section is typically very gravelly or very channery loam, but in the matrix material clay ranges from 15 to 35 percent. Rock fragments range from 35 to 80 percent by volume and are mainly small fragments or phyllite ranging from 1/2 to 2 inches in length, and 1/8 to 1/4 inch in thickness. Mica content is very high and soil has soap-like feel when moist. Reaction ranges from slightly acid through mildly alkaline.
The A1 horizon has hue of 7.5YR through 2.5YR, value of 3 through 5, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Usually it has granular or crumb structure but has weak subangular blocky structure in some pedons. This horizon is soft or slightly hard.
The B2 horizon, if present, has hue of 5YR or 2.5YR, value of 3 through 6, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Usually this horizon has subangular blocky structure but has very weak prismatic structure in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Redthayne series in another family. Redthayne soils lack a paralithic contact above depth of 20 inches and contain only small amounts of mica.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ratake soils are on upland hills and ridges, principally in foothill areas at the margins of the Rocky Mountain system. Slope gradients range from 2 to 60 or more percent. The soils formed in thin channery, gravelly and cobbly material weathered from igneous and metamorphic rocks and contain a very high percentage of mica. At the type location the average annual precipitation is 14 to 20 inches with peak periods of precipitation occurring during the spring and early summer. The average annual temperature is 45 degrees F., the mean summer temperature is 65 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kittredge and Troutdale soils. Kittredge and Troutdale soils lack a paralithic contact above depth of 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally as native pastureland. Principal native vegetation is mountainmahogany, fringe sage, sideoats grama, cactus and blue grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Foothill areas of northern and central Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Lakewood, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Larimer County, Colorado, 1975.
REMARKS: Last updated by the state 4/80.