Seitz -- Colorado State Soil

Photograph of landscape of Seitz soil series. It is fairly level and is a closeup of Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir with a sparse understory of low shrubs, forbs, and grasses.

Photograph of profile of a typifying pedon of Seitz soil series.

Seitz Soil Profile

Surface layer: organic layer
Subsurface layer: pale brown cobby loam
Subsoil - upper: brown cobbly loam
Subsoil - lower: brown very cobbly clay loam
Substratum: very pale brown cobbly clay loam
 Seitz soils are used mainly for recreation and forest products. The plant community consists of an Engelmann spruce/subalpine fir or Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir canopy with a sparse understory of grasses, forbs, and shrubs. Dramatic landscape relief and the forest vegetation supported by the Seitz and similar woodland soils combine to form the panoramic views and ambience so attractive to the state’s visitors and residents alike. These soils provide shaded trails for a variety of summer and winter outdoor recreation activities and facilities. There are about 350,000 acres of Seitz soils in Colorado.

The Seitz series consists of very deep, well drained, slowly permeable soils that formed in colluvium or slope alluvium derived from igneous, sedimentary, and volcanic rocks. Seitz soils are on mountains, mainly in southwestern and central Colorado. These soils are well suited to outdoor recreation and the growth of forest-related products in moderately steep or more gently sloping areas.

Small scale map of Colorado showing distribution of Seitz soil series.
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