LOCATION REEF UT+AZ
Established Series
Rev: KDS/RJ
07/2013
REEF SERIES
The Reef series consist of very shallow and shallow somewhat excessively drained, moderately rapid permeable soils on hillslopes, canyon sideslopes, mountain slopes, ridge tops, structural benches, mesas, and cuestas. They formed in alluvium, residuum and colluvium from sandstone. Slope ranges from 2 to 60 percent. Mean annual air temperature is 48 degrees F. and the mean annual precipitation is 10 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Lithic Ustic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Reef very channery loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very channery loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine platy parting to moderate fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine, and common fine and medium pores; violently effervescent; 40 percent angular channers; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
C--3 to 8 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very channery loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine pores; violently effervescent; 45 percent angular channers and 10 percent flagstones; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 15 inches thick)
R--8 inches; Timpoweap member sandstone bedrock of the Moenkopi.
TYPE LOCATION: Garfield County, Utah; Capitol Reef National Park; south side of the Burr Trail; 800 feet west and 500 feet south of the NE corner of section 18, T. 34S., R. 8E, Wagon Box Mesa Quadrangle; lat. 37 degrees 51 minutes 27 seconds N. and long. 111 degrees 3 minutes 28 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Ustic aridic moisture regime
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 57 degrees F.
Depth to lithic contact: 4 to 20 inches
Particle-size control section
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent clay
Rock fragments on the surface: 35 to 75 percent, dominantly channers and gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: averages 10 to 30 percent throughout the profile
A horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, dominantly channers and gravel
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
C horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 2.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam, sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, coarse sandy loam
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent, dominantly channers, flagstones, and gravel
Reaction: slightly to strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Andanada (NM),
Daklos (UT),
Ednagrey (NV),
Hillburn (UT),
Meriwhitica (AZ),
Nonip (UT),
Redsun (WY),
Skos (UT),
Sunup (WY),
Teesto (AZ), and
Windcomb (UT) Series. Andanada, Nonip, Skos, Sunup, and Teesto soils' clay content is greater than 18 percent. Ednagrey and Daklos soils have a hue of 10YR. Meriwhitica soils have a visible secondary calcium carbonate. Windcomb soils average less than 10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent throughout the profile. Redsun and Windcomb soils are moist in the soil moisture control section during
May and June. Hillburn soils are inactive.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Reef soils are on cuestas, hillslopes, canyon sideslopes, structural benches, mountain slopes and ridge tops at elevations of 4,040 to 7,010 feet. Slopes range from 1 to 60 percent. These soils formed in alluvium, residuum, and colluvium from limestone, siltstone, or sandstone of the Timpoweap member of the Moekopie formation. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 14 inches. The wettest month is August and the driest month is June. The mean annual air temperature is 45 to 55 degrees F. The frost-free period is 120 to 165 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Sunup,
Redbank and
Mussentuchit soils. Sunup soils have hue of 7.5YR through 5Y and occur on similar landscapes. The Redbank soils are very deep and occur on stream terraces. The Mussentuchit soils have horizons of secondary gypsum accumulation and are moderately deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate and moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing, woodland, recreation and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is Utah juniper, pinyon, Mormon-tea, desert holly, galleta and Indian ricegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: south central Utah and northern Arizona. The series is not extensive. MLRA is 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Loa-Marysvale Soil Survey Area, Garfield County, Utah 2004. The name comes from Capitol Reef National Park.
REMARKS: Lab Data Available S89UT-017-001
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 3 inches (A horizon)
Lithic contact - the boundary at 8 inches (R horizon)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010
Updates and revisions for the correlation of Navajo Mountain Area (AZ711), June 26, 2008, CEM
Updates and revisions for the correlation of Arches National Park (UT687), February 2009, CEM
Update and revisions for the correlation of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, January 2010, CEM
Update and revisions for the correlation of Chinle Area (AZ713), August 2011, LJG2
ADDITIONAL DATA: Ecological Site-Semidesert Shallow Loam (Utah Juniper)
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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.