PARKELEI-MENEFEE-VESSILLA (40)

SETTING

Landform: Hills

Position & Slopes:

Parkelei: back slopes and toe slopes, 2 to 10%

Menefee: shoulders and backslopes, 5 to 20%

Vessilla: ridges and back slopes, 5 to 20%

Elevation: 6,700 to 7,800 ft

CLIMATIC FACTORS

Mean Annual Precipitation: 12 to 16 inches

Mean Annual Air Temperature: 45° to 48° F

Frost-Free Period: 100 to 130 days

NATIVE VEGETATION

Pinyon pine, one seed juniper, big sagebrush, blue gramma, western wheatgrass, Indian ricegrass

COMPOSITION

Parkelei: 45%

Menefee: 20%

Vessilla: 20%

Contrasting Inclusions: 15%

Lindrith soil on backslopes and valleys, Royosa soils on backslope, and

Nalivag soils on narrow drainage ways

MAJOR USES

Wood products, posts and firewood, livestock grazing and wildlife habitat

MAJOR LIMITATIONS

Parkelei soils: hazard of water erosion

Menefee & Vessilla: depth to bedrock, very low water-holding capacity, hazard of water erosion

Vessilla: hazard of soil blowing

VOSBURG-MILLPAW COMPLEX (403)

SETTING

Landform: Valleys and alluvium fans

Position & Slopes:

Vosburg: valley sides, floors and fan summits, 2 to 8%

Millpaw: valley floors, sides, fan summits and swales, 2 to 6%

Elevation: 7,000 to 7,500 ft

CLIMATIC FACTORS:

Mean Annual Precipitation: 14 to 16 inches

Mean Annual Air Temperature: 45° to 48° F

Frost Free Period: 100 to 130 days

NATIVE VEGETATION:

Western wheatgrass, blue grama, Indian ricegrass, needleandthread, big sagebrush

COMPOSITION:

Vosburg: 55%

Millpaw: 35%

Contrasting Inclusions: 10%

Parkelei soils on upper sideslopes, Orlie soils on valley sides and knolls, Jaythree soils in narrow upper drainage

MAJOR USES:

Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat

MAJOR LIMITATIONS:

Millpaw: hazard of water erosion and slow permeability

ARGIUSTOLLS-USTORTHENTS-ROCK OUTCROP ASSOCIATION (421)

SETTING:

Landform: dike rock ridges

Position and Slopes:

Argiustolls: backslopes, 35 to 50%

Ustorthents: backslopes, 35 to 65%

Outcrop: ridge tops

Elevation: 7,000 to 7,400 ft

CLIMATIC FACTORS:

Mean Annual Precipitation: 14 to 16 inches

Mean Annual Air Temperature: 45° to 48° F

Frost Free Period: 90 to 110 days

NATIVE VEGETATION:

Rocky Mountain juniper, Pinyon pine, Gambel’s oak, big sagebrush, western wheatgrass, scattered ponderosa

COMPOSITION:

Argiustolls: 45%

Ustorthents: 35%

Rock Outcrop: 15%

Contrasting Inclusions: 5%, Ishkoten soils on backslopes

MAJOR USES:

Livestock grazing, rock quarry on rock outcrop portion of unit and wildlife habitat

MAJOR LIMITATIONS:

Steepness of slope, rock fragments, and hazard of water erosion

LOSINDIOS-JAYTHREE COMPLEX (440)

SETTING:

Landform: valleys, low hills

Position & Slopes:

Losindios: backslopes and valley sides, 3 to 15%

Jaythree: valley bottoms, swales, toe slopes, 3 to 6%

Elevation: 7,000 to 7,500 ft

CLIMATIC FACTORS:

Mean Annual Precipitation: 16 to 20 inches

Mean Annual Air Temperature: 42° to 45° F

Frost Free Period: 80 to 100 days

NATIVE VEGETATION:

Ponderosa pine, Gambel’s oak, big sagebrush, bluegrass, blue grama, western wheatgrass

COMPOSITION:

Losindios: 60%

Jaythree: 20%

Contrasting Inclusions: 20%

Escrito soils on low summits, Ishkoten soils on low hills, Cedar springs soils in drainage ways

MAJOR USES:

Commercial woodland, livestock grazing, and wildlife

MAJOR LIMITATIONS:

Losindios: hazard of water erosion, hazard of soil blowing

SPARHAM CLAY LOAM (231)

SETTING:

Landform: flood plains and drainage ways

Position & Slopes: valley floors and drainage bottoms, 0 to 3%

Elevation: 6,800 to 7,200 ft

CLIMATIC FACTORS:

Mean Annual Precipitation: 12 to 16 inches

Mean Annual Air Temperature: 45° to 48° F

Frost Free Period: 100 to 130

NATIVE VEGETATION:

Alkali sacaton, western wheatgrass, galleta, fourwing saltbush, greasewood

COMPOSITION:

Sparham: 85%

Contrasting Inclusions: 15%

Lindrith soil on valley sides, Teromote soil on valley sides, Gojiya soil in drainage ways

MAJOR USES:

Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat

MAJOR LIMITATIONS:

High shrink-swell potential, salinity, and sodicity

ORLIE LOAM (303)

SETTING:

Landform: valleys

Position & Slopes: valley sides and floors, 0 to 8%

Elevation: 6,900 to 7,400 ft

CLIMATIC FACTORS:

Mean Annual Precipitation: 12 to 16 inches

Mean Annual Air Temperature: 45° to 48° F

Frost Free Period: 100 to 130 days

NATIVE VEGETATION:

Western wheatgrass, blue grama, Indian ricegrass, needleandthread, big sagebrush, forbs

COMPOSITION:

Orlie: 85%

Contrasting Inclusions: 15%

Millpaw soil in swales and Cement lake soil on valley sides and floors

MAJOR USES:

Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat

MAJOR LIMITATIONS: none

ROCK OUTCROP-VESSILLA-MENEFEE COMPLEX (310)

SETTING:

Landform: hills, mesas

Position & Slopes:

Rock outcrop: escarpments and ridges, 15 to 45%

Vessilla: breaks, escarpments and ridges, 15 to 45%

Menefee: breaks, escarpments and backslopes, 15 to 45%

Elevation: 6,900 to 7,200 ft

CLIMATIC FACTORS:

Mean Annual Precipitation: 12 to 16 inches

Mean Annual Air Temperature: 45° to 48° F

Frost Free Period: 100 to 130 days

NATIVE VEGETATION:

Pinyon pine, oneseed juniper, blue grama, and western wheatgrass

COMPOSITION:

Rock outcrop: 40%

Vessilla: 30%

Menefee: 20%

Contrasting Inclusions: 10%

Haplostalfs soil on north aspect of backslope, Badlands soil on escarpments and Rubbleland soil on escarpments

MAJOR USES:

Wildlife habitat

MAJOR LIMITATIONS:

Vessilla and Menefee soils: steep slopes, depth to bedrock, very low available water capacity, and hazard of water erosion

ORLIE FINE SANDY LOAM (370)

SETTING:

Landform: valleys and mesas

Position and Slopes: valley sides and mesa summits, 1 to 8%

Elevation: 6,900 to 7,500 ft

CLIMATIC FACTORS:

Mean Annual Precipitation: 12 to 16 inches

Mean Annual Air Temperature: 45° to 48° F

Frost Free Period: 100 to 130 days

NATIVE VEGETATION:

Big sagebrush, western wheatgrass, blue grama, scattered pinyon, juniper

COMPOSITION:

Orlie: 85%

Contrasting Inclusion: 15%

Lindrith soil on valley sides

MAJOR USES:

Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat

MAJOR LIMITATIONS:

Hazard of soil blowing

LOSINDIOS-ESCRITO-PARKELEI COMPLEX (390)

SETTING:

Landform: hillslopes

Position & Slopes:

Losindios: backslopes, toeslopes, 3 to 15%

Escrito: ridges, shoulders, nose slopes, 3 to 25%

Parkelei: south facing backslopes, toeslopes, 3 to15%

Elevation: 7,000 to 7,500 ft

CLIMATIC FACTORS:

Mean Annual Precipitation: 15 to 17 inches

Mean Annual Air Temperature: 44° to 46° F

Frost Free Period: 90 to 110 days

NATIVE VEGETATION:

Ponderosa pine, Gambel’s oak, western wheatgrass, bluegrass, big sagebrush, Rocky Mt. Juniper, pinyon pine

COMPOSITION:

Losindios: 35%

Escrito: 30%

Parkelei: 25%

Contrasting Inclusion: 10%

Ishkoten soil on north facing backslopes, Millpaw soil, in swales and drainage ways, Teequee soil on benches and backslopes, Menefee soil on shoulders and backslopes, Rock outcrop soil on ridges, shoulders, and nose slopes

MAJOR USES: livestock grazing, commercial woodland, wildlife habitat, and fuel wood

MAJOR LIMITATIONS: depth to bedrock, hazard of water erosion and soil blowing