Soil texture for Saddle Stream Network, 2017

Soil texture is an important hydrologic control. To measure soil texture across the Niwot Ridge LTER Saddle Stream Catchment, surface (0 – 10 cm) soil samples (n = 84) were collected on roughly a 60 x 60 m grid, including sensor network sites. After drying and sieving to less than 2mm, soil size fractions (percent sand, silt, and clay) and corresponding soil texture were determined by laser particle size analysis. Soil size fractions and texture are reported using both United States Department of Agriculture and World Reference Base soil classification standards. Soils were one of four textures: loamy sand, silt loam, sandy loam, and loam. Over half of the soils sampled were sandy loam. This dataset is useful for hydrologic modeling studies and other studies related to understanding alpine hydrology.