LOCATION ELDGIN UT

Established Series
Rev. AJE/KDS/JWB
04/2011

ELDGIN SERIES

The Eldgin series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium and slope alluvium derived from andesite, dacite, basalt and tuff. Eldgin soils occur on alluvial fans and have slopes of 0 to 25 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 10 inches (250 mm) and the mean annual air temperature is about 43 degrees F (6 degrees C).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcidic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Eldgin gravelly loam, rangeland. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 3 inches (0 to 8 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/3) cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) thick)

Bt--3 to 10 inches (8 to 25 cm); reddish brown (5YR 5/3) gravelly clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine, medium and coarse roots; few fine pores; many moderately thick clay films; 20 percent gravel; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) thick)

Bk1--10 to 16 inches (25 to 40 cm); pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) gravelly loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) moist; weak thick platy structure that parts to weak fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 8 inches (18 to 20 cm) thick)

Bk2--16 to 24 inches (40 to 61 cm); pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) very gravelly loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm) thick)

Bk3--24 to 35 inches (61 to 89 cm); pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) extremely gravelly loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 13 inches (25 to 33 cm) thick)

2C--35 to 60 inches (89 to 152 cm); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) extremely cobbly loamy sand, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; single grained; 40 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Piute County, Utah; 8 miles (13 km) south of Koosharem; 600 feet east (183 m) of Utah Highway 62; about 650 feet north and 250 feet west of the southeast corner of section 32, T.27S., R.1W., SLM.; USGS Greenwich 7.5 minute quadrangle; lat. 38 degrees 24 minutes 49 seconds N. and long. 111 degrees 55 minutes 24 seconds W.; UTM zone 12 419391e 4252096n; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Usually dry; moist in winter and early spring and for short periods in summer and fall due to convection storms (Aridic bordering on ustic soil moisture regime).
Mean annual soil temperature: 41 to 46 degrees F (5.0 to 7.8 degrees C)
Mean summer soil temperature: 61 to 64 degrees F (16 to 18 degrees C)
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 7 to 14 inches (18 to 35 cm)
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 10 to 24 inches (25 to 61 cm)

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 30 percent

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture: Gravelly loam, cobbly loam or loam
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent

Bt horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, and 2 or 3 moist
Texture: gravelly loam or gravelly clay loam
Rock fragments: 15 to 30 percent
Clay films: Common to many thin or moderately thick
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent

Bk horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 3 through 6 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture: Gravelly to extremely gravelly loam; very gravelly sandy loam; Upper Bk horizons tend to be gravelly to very gravelly, lower Bk horizons range to extremely gravelly
Rock fragments: 30 to 65 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 20 to 50 percent
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline

2C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 3 through 6 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture: Extremely gravelly or extremely cobbly to very gravelly sand or loamy sand
Rock fragments: 45 to 75 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 3 to 15 percent
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cortyzack (CO), Emlin (CO), Hysoop T (MT), Morval (NM), Notter (UT), Nuley (MT, Thunderhead (MT), Varney (MT), Villa Grove (CO) series. None of these soils have a lithologic discontinuity to very or extremely gravelly or cobbly loamy sand or sand. In addition:
Cortyzack: Hue ranges to 2.5YR in the Bt and Bk horizons and has less than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.
Emlin soils have 0 to 10 percent gravel in the particle-size control section.
Hysoop soils have 0 to 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section and have hue of 5YR or redder in the Bk horizons.
Morval soils have a solum that is 24 to 35 inches (61 to 89 cm) thick and have a 2Bt horizon below the Bk horizon.
Nuley soils have bedrock at a depth of 40 to 60 inches (102 to 152 cm).
Thunderhead soils have bedrock at a depth of 20 to 40 inches (51 to 102 cm).
Villa Grove soils are formed in alluvium derived from basalt, the exchangeable sodium percentage is 5 to 20 percent in the solum, and have horizons of gypsum accumulation below 44 inches (112 cm).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation: 6,400 to 7,875 feet (1,951 to 2,400 m)
Landform: alluvial fans
Parent material: alluvium and slope alluvium from andesite, dacite, basalt, and tuff
Slopes: 0 to 25 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 8 to 12 inches (200 to 300 mm)
Climate: semiarid. Mean annual air temperature: 39 to 45 degrees F (3.9 to 7.2 degrees C)
Frost-free season: 70 to 100 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ipson, Jodero and Shupert series. Ipson soils are loamy-skeletal in the particle-size control section and do not have a lithologic discontinuity below the calcic horizon. Jodero and Shupert soils do not have an argillic or calcic horizon. Jodero soils have a mollic epipedon that is greater than 50 cm thick and occur on concave slopes under basin big sagebrush. Shupert soils have an irregular decrease in organic matter with increasing depth and are in drainageways.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderately slow permeability; Ksat is moderately high.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for irrigated cropland and rangeland. The native vegetation is black sagebrush, big sagebrush, blue grama grass, squirreltail grass, and Indian ricegrass. Irrigated crops are mainly alfalfa, barley, and pasture.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Utah Grass Valley near Koosharem in Sevier and Piute Counties, MLRA 47. The series is inextensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Piute County, Utah, 2011.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 3 to 10 inches (8 to 25 cm).

Mollic epipedon: The zone from the surface of the soil to 10 inches (25 cm). (A, Bt horizons)

Argillic horizon: The zone from 3 to 10 inches (8 to 25 cm). (Bt horizon)

Calcic horizon: The zone from 10 to 35 inches (25 to 89 cm). (Bk1, Bk2, Bk3 horizons)

Lithologic discontinuity: at a depth of 35 inches (89 cm). (2C horizon)

The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is supported by NSS lab sample number 73CO074.

Taxonomic Version: 11th Edition, 2010.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.