LOCATION CAUSEY UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Causey silt loam, rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 8 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure that parts to moderate fine granular; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few medium and coarse roots; few medium and coarse pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
A2--8 to 12 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure that parts to moderate medium granular; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few medium and coarse roots; few medium and coarse pores; slightly calcareous; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
A3--12 to 19 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak medium or coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; moderately calcareous; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
Bk1--19 to 40 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; 15 percent soft gravel; strongly calcareous; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 21 inches thick)
Bk2--40 to 54 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; 40 percent soft gravel; strongly calcareous; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
C--54 to 63 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 75 percent soft gravel; strongly calcareous; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Weber County, Utah; 1 1/2 miles south of Huntsville; about 2,000 feet east and 500 feet south of the NW corner of sec. 30, T.6N., R.2E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil is 48 to more than 60 inches deep to sandstone. The mollic epipedon ranges from 11 to 19 inches thick. Calcium carbonate accumulation occur in the lower part of the mollic epipedon or immediately below, at depths of 8 to 19 inches. Depth to the calcic horizon ranges from 11 to 19 inches. The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 45 degrees to 47 degrees F. The mean summer temperature ranges from 60 degrees to 68 degrees F. The soils are usually moist, but are dry for 65 to 85 consecutive days during the summer months. The 10- to 40-inch control section is loam, silt loam or gravelly loam with 0 to 30 percent soft gravel.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist. It is slightly acid or neutral and is 11 to 19 inches thick.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist. It ranges from silt loam or loam to very extremely loam with 15 to 65 percent soft gravel. This horizon is moderately or strongly calcareous. It is 16 to 35 inches thick.
The C horizon (not in all pedons) has value of 5 or 6 moist. It ranges from gravelly fine sandy loam, gravelly silt loam or gravelly loam, to extremely gravelly loam and has 20 to 75 percent soft gravel.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Araveton, Kerl, Kuvasz, Picayune, and Reavis soils. Araveton soils have cambic horizons and depth to the calcic horizon ranges from 20 to 30 inches. Kerl soils have cambic horizons and do not have soft fragments. Kuvasz soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact. Picayune soils are not clearly separated, but do not have the pararock fragments that this soil is assumed to have. Reavis soils have strong influence of loess and volcanic ash in the A and B horizons and the depth to carbonate accumulation is 30 to 44 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Causey soils are at elevations of 5,200 to 6,500 feet. They occur on very steep foothills and mountain slopes. Slopes range from 30 to 60 percent. These soils formed in residuum, colluvium, and alluvium weathered from tuffaceous sandstone, tuffaceous siltstone, and tuffaceous limestone. The climate is moist subhumid, and the average annual precipitation ranges from 18 to 22 inches. The mean annual temperature is 43 degrees to 45 degrees F. The mean summer temperature is 57 degrees to 60 degrees F., and the frost-free period ranges from 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hawkins and Ostler soils. Hawkins and Ostler soils have more than 35 percent clay in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; high runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for watershed, range and wildlife habitat. The present native vegetation is big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, balsamroot, native bluegrass, snowberry, bitterbrush and mulesear dock.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Utah. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Weber County, Morgan Area, Utah, 1974.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon: from 0 to 19 inches (A1, A2, and A3 horizons)
Calcic horizon: from 19 to 54 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
Particle-size control section: the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the A2, the A3, and Bk1 horizons)
The soft gravel described in the Bk1, Bk2, and C horizons is presumed to be paragravel based on the tuffaceous lithology. This was used to separate the competing Picayune series, but was not changed in the description pending confirmation of that assumption. The amount of volcanic glass in this soil is unknown at present; further study may place this soil in a Vitrandic subgroup.