LOCATION SCALADE UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Xereptic Haplodurids
TYPICAL PEDON: Scalade gravelly sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and thin platy structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic,; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine vesicular and many very fine and fine tubular pores; 20 percent pebbles; carbonates are disseminated; slightly effervescent, slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bw--3 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate very fine subangular blocky; soft, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles; secondary calcium carbonates are disseminated; strongly effervescent, moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bkq--11 to 18 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; weak discontinuous cementation, secondary silica coatings on rock fragments; 10 percent pebbles; secondary calcium carbonates masses around rock fragments; violently effervescent, strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bkqm1--18 to 23 inches; strongly cemented duripan. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bkqm2--23 to 45 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) weakly cemented gravelly sandy loam; massive; hard, firm; very few fine roots in fractures; common very fine and fine tubular pores; continuous weak secondary silica cementation; secondary silica coatings on rock fragments; common (15 percent) strongly cemented durinodes; 25 percent pebbles;; secondary calcium carbonate masses around rock fragments; violently effervescent, strongly alkaline (pH 9,0); clear irregular boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
Bk--45 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) gravelly sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable; few very fine roots; 20 percent pebbles; distinct secondary calcium carbonates as threads and masses around rock fragments; slightly effervescent, moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Box Elder County, Utah; about 3 miles north of Birch Canyon; about 1,800 feet north and 1,300 feet west of the southeast corner of section 13, T. 6 N., R. 19 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a strongly cemented duripan ranges from 10 to 20 inches. The particle-size control section averages 5 to 18 percent clay and 0 to 15 percent rock fragments. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 52 degrees F. The soil moisture control section is usually dry, but is moist in some part 20 to 35 percent of the time the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. It is dry in all parts for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Aridic bordering Xeric soil moisture regime.
The A horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Reaction is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Calcium carbonate equivalent is 3 to 15 percent.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline. Texture is loam, fine sandy loam, and very fine sandy loam. Calcium carbonate equivalent is 3 to 15 percent.
The Bkq horizon has value of 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist and chroma of 3 to 4. Calcium carbonate equivalent is 15 to 40 percent. Electrical conductivity of the saturation extract is 2 to 4 mmhos/cm.
The Bkqm horizon is strongly to weakly cemented. It is strongly cemented in some part.
The Bk horizon is slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline. This material is commonly stratified with weakly to strongly cemented layers at depths below 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Kerrfield (T), Shabliss, Trio, Truvar, and Unius series. Shabliss and Truvar soils are noncalcareous above the duripan. Kerrfield and Trio soils have bedrock at 20 to 40 inches. Unius soils have 18 to 25 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Scalade soils are on convex slopes on dissected pediments, fan remnants and hills. Slopes range from 2 to 30 percent. The soils formed in alluvium derived dominantly from granite, limestone, and quartzite with a component of loess and volcanic ash. Elevations range from 4,800 to 6,100 feet. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is about 8 to 12 inches. Freeze-free period is 100 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Jericho, Lembos and Lodar series. Jericho soils are shallow to an indurated duripan, have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Lembos soils are moderately deep at an indurated duripan, have 18 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Lodar soils are shallow to limestone bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to high runoff; moderate permeability over impermeable.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland. Native vegetation is black sagebrush, Indian ricegrass and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Scalade soils are in northwestern Utah. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Box Elder County (Western Part), Utah 1985. The name was coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to approximately 3 inches. (A horizon)
Strongly cemented duripan - the zone from 18 to 23 inches. (Bqkm1 horizon)