LOCATION SAGERS                  UT+CO

Established Series
REV: DTH/CSW/JWB
04/2011

SAGERS SERIES

The Sagers series consists of very deep, well drained, moderate to slowly permeable soils that formed in alluvium and slope alluvium derived from marine shale and other sedimentary rocks. These soils are on basin and valley floor remnants, alluvial fans, stream terraces and toeslopes of shale hills. Slopes range from 0 to 7 percent. The average annual precipitation is 5 to 10 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 53 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, mesic Typic Haplocambids

TYPICAL PEDON: Sagers silt loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated)

A--0 to 8 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and thin platy structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; many fine and very fine interstitial pores; moderately calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

Bw--8 to 18 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; moderately calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 10 inches thick)

Bk--18 to 40 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few medium, common fine and very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; strongly calcareous; carbonates occur as common soft masses or in seams; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 22 inches thick)

BCk--40 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and very fine roots; many fine and very fine tubular pores; moderately calcareous; carbonates occur as common veins and soft masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4)

TYPE LOCATION: Grand County, Utah; 2.5 miles east of Yellow Cat Road and 3 miles southeast of the intersection of Yellow Cat Road and Interstate 70; approximately 1,500 feet east and 2,000 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 2, T. 22 S., R. 21 E.; Sagers Flat USGS quad; lat. 38 degrees 55 minutes 10 seconds N. and long. 109 degrees 34 minutes 02 seconds W., NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is affected by a precipitation pattern that is evenly distributed throughout the year with the exception of significant peaks in the spring, and late summer and early fall. The soil moisture control section is driest during late May, June, and early July.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 59 degrees F

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 23 to 35 percent
Silt content: 40 to 65 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent sandstone gravel and shale paragravel and parachanners


A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: loam, silt loam or silty clay loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
Gypsum content: 0 to 4 percent
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 8
Sodium absorption ratio: 0 to 5
Reaction: 7.4 to 9.0

Bw horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: loam, silt loam, silty clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Gypsum content: 0 to 4 percent
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 8
Sodium absorption ratio: 0 to 5
Reaction: 7.4 to 9.0

Bk and BCk horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Gypsum content: 0 to 4 percent
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 to 8
Sodium absorption ratio: 0 to 12
Reaction: 7.4 to 9.0

Some pedons have BCky horizons below the Bk and BCk horizons exhibiting segregated gypsum (1 to 4 percent) but do not qualify as a gypsic horizon.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Fordbutte and Killpack series. Fordbutte soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact with sandstone. Killpack soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact with shale.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium and slope alluvium derived from marine shale and other sedimentary rocks
Landform: basin and valley floor remnants, alluvial fans, stream terraces, and toeslopes of shale hills
Slopes: 0 to 7 percent
Elevation: 4,200 to 6,500 feet
Mean annual temperature: 45 to 55 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 5 to 10 inches
Precipitation pattern: Evenly distributed throughout the year with the exception of significant peaks in the spring, and late summer and early fall. The soil moisture control section is driest during late May, June, and early July.
Frost-free period: 115 to 170 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blueflat, Chipeta, Killpack, and Ravola soils. The Blueflat soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to weathered shale and have a gypsic horizon. The Chipeta soils are 10 to 20 inches deep to bedrock. The Ravola soils are stratified, do not have a cambic horizon, and occur on flood plains.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate to slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for rangeland. The present vegetation is mainly wedgeleaf saltbush, Indian ricegrass, galleta, shadscale and greasewood.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern and central Utah and west-central Colorado. LRR D, MLRA 34B. The series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grand Area, Grand County, Utah, 1982. Named after Sagers Wash.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Series control section: The zone from 0 to 60 inches.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches.
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 8 inches. (A horizon)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 8 to 18 inches. (Bw horizon)
Secondary carbonates: In the zone from 18 to 60 inches. (Bk and BCk horizons)

Remarks:

The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.

The classification was changed from fine-silty, mixed, active, calcareous, mesic Typic Torriorthents to fine-silty, mixed, active, mesic Typic Haplocambids September 2004 to better reflect the current concept for the series. The horizonation was also updated.

Taxonomic Version: Eleventh Edition, 2010.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.