LOCATION AAGARD                  UT

Established Series
Rev. LS/CW/SJJ
02/2015

AAGARD SERIES

The Aagard series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium and/or colluvium over residuum derived from limestone, shale and sandstone. Aagard soils are on mountain slopes. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately slow. Slope ranges from 3 to 45 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 711 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 4.4 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Calcic Pachic Argicryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Aagard loam, on a northeast facing, mountain side ridge, 6 percent slope in aspen at an elevation of 2,352 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on July 10, 2003 the soil was moist from 0 to 51 cm and slightly moist below that depth. The surface is covered by 1 percent cobbles, 2 percent channers and 5 percent gravel. The fragments are a mix of limestone, shale and some sandstone.

A1--0 to 10 cm; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic, many very fine, common fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine, few fine, medium and coarse interstitial pores; 2 percent stones, 2 percent cobbles and 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary.

A2--10 to 30 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse tubular pores; 2 percent stones, 2 percent cobbles and 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.9); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon ranges from 30 to 46 cm.)

Bt1--30 to 44 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/3) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common thin distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 2 percent stones, 2 percent cobbles and 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.3); clear wavy boundary.

Bt2--44 to 64 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) cobbly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse tubular pores; many thin distinct brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 3 percent stones, 8 percent cobbles and 7 percent gravel, mostly of limestone origin; neutral (pH 7.3); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon ranges from 26 to 34 cm.)

Btk--64 to 80 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very stony loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; few very thin light brown (7.5YR 6/4) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; calcium carbonate is segregated as common fine very pale brown (10YR 8/2) threads and thin coats on bottom of rock fragments, strongly effervescent (18 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 8 percent stones, 15 percent cobbles and 12 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (12 to 18 cm thick)

Bk--80 to 106 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak moderate and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; calcium carbonate is finely disseminated and segregated as common fine very pale brown (10YR 8/2) threads, soft masses and moderately thick coats on bottom of rock fragments, violently effervescent (24 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 3 percent cobbles and 15 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (48 to 81 cm thick)

BCk--106 to 157 cm; white (10YR 8/1) silty clay loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; weak fine and moderate subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; calcium carbonate is finely disseminated and segregated as common fine very pale brown (10YR 8/2) threads, soft masses and moderately thick coats on bottom of rock fragments, violently effervescent (28 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 5 percent parachanners; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2). (26 to 50 cm thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Utah County, Utah; about 2.5 miles southwest of Colton; located about 360 feet west and 1,820 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 32, T. 11 S., R. 8 E.; Colton USGS quad; lat. 39 degrees 49 minutes 26 seconds N. and long. 111 degrees 2 minutes 52 seconds W., NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is affected by precipitation that has peak periods in December to March and July to October and falls evenly throughout the remainder of the year. It is dry for 45 to less than 90 cumulative days in normal years; udic moisture regime, bordering to ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 2.2 to 7.2 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 12.2 to 14.4 degrees C.
Depth to lithic contact: greater than 152 cm.
Depth to argillic horizon: 30 to 50 cm.
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 64 to 76 cm.
Depth to calcic horizon: 64 to 94 cm.
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 76 to 94 cm.
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 43 to 61 cm.

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Sand content: 25 to 45 percent.
Rock fragments: 10 to 35 percent limestone, shale and some sandstone gravel, channers, cobbles, stones and flagstones.

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist.
Texture: clay loam, loam or fine sandy loam.
Clay content: 12 to 30 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel, channers, cobbles, stones.
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline.


Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y.
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist.
Texture: loam, clay loam, cobbly clay loam, very channery clay loam.
Clay content: 18 to 40 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 40 percent gravel, channers, cobbles, stones.
Pararock fragments: 0 to 10 percent.
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline.


Btk horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y.
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist.
Texture: cobbly loam, stony loam, cobbly clay loam, channery silty clay loam.
Clay content: 18 to 40 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent gravel, channers, cobbles.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 3 to 20 percent.
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline.


Bk and BCk horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y.
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist.
Texture: silty clay loam, gravelly silty clay loam, channery silty clay loam, gravelly loam, very gravelly loam, very cobbly loam, very flaggy fine sandy loam.
Clay content: 13 to 40 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 60 percent.
Pararock fragments: 0 to 25 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 40 percent.
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Decross and Wineglass (T) series. Decross soils have less than 15 percent coarse fragments in the particle-size control section. Decross and Wineglass soils have an ustic moisture regime.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium and/or colluvium over residuum derived from limestone, shale and less dominantly, sandstone.
Landform: mountain side slopes.
Slopes: 3 to 45 percent.
Elevation: 2,316 to 3,018 m.
Mean annual temperature: 1.1 to 6.1 degrees C.
Mean annual precipitation: 508 to 889 mm.
Precipitation pattern: December to March receives about 4.4 to 6.4 cm of precipitation which is mostly snow. July to October receives about 3.8 to 5.7 cm of precipitation as summer thundershowers. A small precipitation peak occurs in May, about 4.4 cm. The dry months are April, June and November, receiving 3.8 cm of precipitation or less.
Frost-free period: 40 to 70 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Starley series. The Starley soils are shallow over limestone bedrock and are on mountain ridges.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, medium to high runoff, moderately slow saturated hydraulic conductivity above bedrock which may occur immediately below a depth of 150 cm.

USE AND VEGETATION: Grazing and timberland. Native vegetation consists of aspen, mountain big sagebrush, snowberry, chokecherry, Utah serviceberry, Columbia needlegrass, mountain brome grass, wheatgrass and Oregon grape. High Mountain Loam (Aspen) RO47XA508UT ecological site.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Utah Mountains; LRR E, MLRA 47B and 48A. The soils of this series are not extensive; about 6,000 acres in Duchesne and Emery Counties, Utah.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Utah County, Utah, Duchesne soil survey area, Utah, 2011. The name Aagard comes from a nearby mountain ridge.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Series control section: The zone from 0 to 157 cm.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 44 to 80 cm. (Bt and Btk horizons)
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 44 cm. (A1, A2 and Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 30 to 80 cm. (Bt1, Bt2 and Btk horizons)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 80 to 157 cm. (Btk, Bk and BCk horizons)

Some pedons have surface Oi horizons up to 5 cm thick, containing 0 to 10 percent gravel and cobbles. Some pedons have BA horizons containing 15 to 35 percent channers and flagstones.

The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.

Taxonomic Version: Eleventh Edition, 2010

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.