LOCATION LEEBENCH UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Natrargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Leebench gravelly clay loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
E--0 to 3 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak platy structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; 20 percent gravel; strongly calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear irregular boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Btkn--3 to 8 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak prismatic structure parting to moderate subangular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine, few medium roots; few fine interstitial pores; few thin clay films in pores and on ped faces; strongly calcareous; carbonates are in splotches and veins; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 24 inches thick)
Bk1--8 to 20 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; very few fine pores; 25 percent gravel; strongly calcareous; carbonates are disseminated and in splotches; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 40 inches thick)
Bk2--20 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; very few fine roots; 30 percent gravel; strongly calcareous; carbonates are in veins; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Wayne County, Utah; about 9 miles south of Hanksville, in the southeast 1/4, of the northwest 1/4 of sec. 20, T. 29 S., R. 11 E. Salt Lake Meridian; Hanksville USGS quad; lat. 38 degrees 16 minutes 28 seconds N. and long. 110 degrees 44 minutes 34 seconds W. NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture remime: Typic aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 55 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 66 to 70 degrees F.
Some pedons have a paralithic contact below 61 inches.
Depth to calcic horizon: 3 to 27 inches
[W1]Electrical conductivity: 2 to 16 mmhos/cm
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Rock fragments: Less than 35%
E horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent
Reaction: Moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline
Btkn horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 5
Clay content: 27 to 40 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
Reaction: Strongly or very strongly alkaline
ESP: 15 to 40
Bk horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: Gravelly clay loam, gravelly sandy clay loam, very gravelly sandy clay loam, gravelly fine sandy loam, extremely gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly sandy loam, gravelly loam or very gravelly loam, channery loam, very channery loam
Rock fragments: 15 to 80 percent, dominantly gravel, but can include channers, parachanners, and cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Reaction: strongly or very strongly alkaline
Some pedons have Bkn horizons below the natric horizon. Some pedons have C or CBky horizons below the Bk horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Azabache (NM), Fajada (NM), Hadden T (UT), Highrock (CA), Homko (UT), Leeko (UT), Muff (WY), Pizene (NV), Recapture (UT), Rusty (NV), Swasey (UT), Terlco (NV), Thermosprings T (UT), and Uffens (UT) series. Fajada, Highrock, Recapture and Terlco soils have mean annual soil temperatures of greater than 53 degrees F. and SAR value greater than 40. Azabache, Highrock, Pizene, Rusty, Swasey, and Uffens soils do not have a calcic horizon. Fajada, Hadden, Muff, and Swasey soils are 20 to 40 inches deep over bedrock. Leeko soils contain less than 15 percent rock fragments between the base of the natric horizon and 40 inches. Homko, Recapture, Rusty, and Uffens soils have less than 15 percent rock fragments below the natric horizon. Terlco soils have more than 15 percent rock fragments in the natric horizon. Thermosprings soils have less than 15 percent rock fragments between the base of the natric horizon and 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: Alluvium derived from mixed sedimentary and metamorphic rocks dominantly shale, sandstone, quartzite and diorite
Landform: Alluvial fans, fan remnants, strath terraces, stream terraces, alluvial flats, or fan terraces
Slopes: 0 to 10 percent
Elevation: 4,200 to 6,400 feet
Mean annual temperature: 44 to 53 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 5 to 9 inches
Frost-free period: 110 to 160 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Blackston,
Hanksville
and
Sheppard series. Blackston soils are on upland terraces, are loamy-skeletal and do not have a natric horizon. Hanksville soils are on benches, have a fine particle-size class and do not have a natric horizon. Sheppard soils are on alluvial fans, have a sandy particle-size class and do not have a natric horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; slow or moderately slow
permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife
habitat. The potential vegetation is Nuttall saltbush, greasewood, spiny
horsebrush, prickly-pear, galleta, and squirreltail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central and northeastern Utah; LLR D,
MLRA 34, 35. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wayne County; Henry Mountain Area, Utah, 1982.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 3 inches. (E horizons)
Natric horizon: The zone from 3 to 8 inches. (Btkn horizons)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 3 to 60 inches. (Btkn, Bk1, and Bk2 horizons)
These soils have been correlated to Desert range sites in Utah.
Last updated by the state: 12/2000.
Taxonomic version: Eighth Edition, 1998.