LOCATION OAKDEN UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, carbonatic, mesic Calcic Lithic Petrocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Oakden cobbly loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
Ak--0 to 4 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) cobbly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; strongly calcareous; common lime segregations; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bk--4 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; very strongly calcareous; common lime nodules, moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bkm--7 to 11 inches; white (10YR 8/1) lime hardpan; indurated and laminar; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
R--ll inches; limestone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Beaver County, Utah; 5 miles north and 5 miles east of Antelope Point; 3/4 mile west from the NE corner of sec. 27, T.24S., R.8W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to limestone bedrock is 10 to 20 inches and depth to the lime hardpan is less than 10 inches.
The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 63 to 65 degrees F. These soils are usually dry but are continually moist in some part of the moisture control section for more than 1/4 of the time the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F.
The Ak horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 or 3. It usually has weak fine granular structure but has a thin platy surface in some pedons. This horizon is strongly calcareous and has common lime threads, masses or nodules.
The Bk horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry and 4 or 5 moist. It is loam or sandy loam. This horizon has weak fine subangular blocky structure or it is massive.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Oakden soils are on undulating to steep rolling hills at elevations of 5,700 to 6,200 feet. Slopes are 5 to 30 percent. The soils formed in very shallow highly calcareous material over an indurated lime hardpan and limestone bedrock. The climate is dry subhumid. Mean annual temperature is 45 to 48 degrees F. Mean summer temperature is 64 to 66 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is 12 to 14 inches. March, April, and May are the wettest months and June is the driest. Frost-free period is 100 to 108 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Firmage, McQuarrie and Pharo soils. Firmage soils are more than 40 inches deep to bedrock and have cobbly control sections. McQuarrie soils have argillic horizons. Pharo soils are more than 40 inches deep to bedrock and have gravelly or very gravelly control sections.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; rapid runoff; moderate permeability to the indurated hardpan.
USE AND VEGETATION: Winter range for sheep and wildlife. Present vegetation is juniper, black sagebrush, big sagebrush, cheatgrass, snakeweed, and yellowbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and southwestern Utah. This series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Beaver County, Utah, 1972.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Calcic horizon - from 4 to 7 inches (Ak and Bk horizons).
Petrocalcic - from 7 to 11 inches (Bkm horizon).
The classification is based on the "Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eighth Edition, 1998".