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Shale Deserts and Sedimentary Basins

Ecoregion on Colorado Plateau in UT, NM, CO

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The arid Shale Deserts and Sedimentary Basins ecoregion consists of nearly level basins and valleys, benches, low rounded hills, and badlands. Rock outcrops occur. It is sparsely vegetated with mat saltbush, bud sagebrush, galleta grass, and desert trumpet. Floodplains have alkaline soils that support greasewood, alkali sacaton, seepweed, and shadscale. Scattered, gravel-capped benches occur and protrude from the present denudational surface because they are more resistant to erosion than the surrounding shales. Soils are shallow and types range from clayey to silty. Soils that formed primarily on Mancos shale are found in the areas northwest of Rangley, east of Meeker, in the Grand Valley, in Dry Creek Basin and Disappointment Valley southwest of the Uncompahgre Plateau, and in southwest Colorado near the Mancos River. The Mancos shale basins have the potential for high selenium levels, a particular problem in areas with irrigated agriculture. Soils formed from sandstone, limestone, shale, and gypsum are found in Paradox and Big Gypsum valleys southwest of the Uncompahgre Plateau. Soils formed from claystone, shale, sandstone, and mudstone are found west of Meeker, and in the Colorado River valley near Rifle. Land use includes rangeland, pastureland, and dryland and irrigated cropland, with winter wheat, small grains, forage crops, and pinto beans as major crops. The valleys of the Gunnison and Colorado rivers have areas favorable for growing apples, peaches, pears, and apricots. Shrublands provide important winter habitat for wildlife.

— EPA

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