LOCATION BIRDOW UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Cumulic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Birdow very fine sandy loam--cultivated. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few coarse, common medium and many fine roots; few very fine pores; moderately calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
A2--3 to 13 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and few medium roots; moderately calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
A3--13 to 21 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common fine roots; common fine pores; moderately calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
A4--21 to 30 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common fine roots; common fine pores; moderately calcareous, carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 21 inches thick)
Bw1--30 to 40 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; moderately calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bw2--40 to 47 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; moderately calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 26 inches thick)
Ab--47 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; massive; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; moderately calcareous; carbonates are disseminated and in veins; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Sanpete County, Utah; two and 1/2 miles northeast of Mt. Pleasant, about 200 feet west and 50 feet north of the Southeast corner, sec. 25, T. 14 S., R. 4 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at 20 inches ranges from 47 to 50 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature ranges from 52 to 68 degrees F. The soil moisture regime is Xeric bordering on Aridic.
The mollic epipedon ranges from 20 to 41 inches thick. Gravel ranges from 0 to 35 percent below a depth of about 20 inches and is slightly higher below a depth of 40 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR and 7.5YR dominantly, but ranges to 5YR, value is 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It ranges from loam to fine sandy loam and has 18 to 27 percent clay and more than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand. This horizon has 5 to 25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and is mildly alkaline to strongly alkaline.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is sandy clay loam, loam or gravelly loam. It is moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline.
Buried A horizons occur in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blackrock (UT), Coit (NV), Dagor (UT), Eastcan (UT), Goose Creek (ID), Goosenawt (T ID) Gosinta (ID), Lakeview (OR), Monroe (T UT), Oxy (T WA) Shoepeg (ID), Soquel (CA) and Willowdale (OR) series. Blackrock soils are high in content of volcanic ash. Coit soils are poorly drained. Dagor, Goose Creek, and Soquel soils are noncalcareous throughout. Eastcan soils have mottles within 25 to 40 inches. Goosenawt soils are noncalcareous to 35 inches. Gosinta soils are moderately well drained and have mottles. Lakeview soils are noncalcareous in the A and B horizons. Monroe soils have 0 to 5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent throughout. Oxy soils are moderately deep to basalt. Shoepeg soils are somewhat poorly drained and noncalcareous in the solum. Willowdale soils have a layer of secondary carbonate accumulation and have 10 to 20 percent pumice sand in the particle size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Birdow soils are on gently to moderately sloping alluvial fans or flood plains at elevations of 4,250 to 6,900 feet. They formed in alluvium from igneous and sedimentary rocks. The average annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches. Mean annual air temperature is 45 to 48 degrees F. The freeze-free period is 90 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beek, Calita, Collard, Donnardo, Doyce, Keigley, Mountainville and Snake Hollow soils. Beek soils have calcic horizons and a water table within a depth of 40 inches. Calita soils have calcic horizons. Collard, Doyce, and Mountainville soils have argillic horizons. Donnardo soils have calcic horizons and contain more than 35 percent rock fragments. Keigley soils have less than 15 percent sand coarser than very fine sand in the particle size control section. Snake Hollow soils have less than 18 percent clay in the particle size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland, nonirrigated and irrigated alfalfa, pasture, and irrigated small grain. Principal vegetation is big sagebrush, rubber rabbitbrush, cheatgrass, sunflowers, Indian ricegrass, yellowbrush and annual weeds.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and southwestern Utah. This series is moderately extensive. MLRA 28A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sanpete Area, Utah, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone of from the soil surface to a depth of about 30 inches (A horizons).
Cumulic feature - the mollic epipedon is greater than 20 inches thick and the soil has either an irregular decrease in organic carbon with increasing depth or the organic carbon content remains high at depth.
The 8/88 version of the series stated the moisture regime was Xeric in the remarks but the limits in the range in characteristics met the definition of Aridic. The dry matter production of 1200 to 1500 pounds per acre and the precipitation range of 12 to 16 inches per year indicates that the Birdow series is not in an aridic moisture regime.
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.