LOCATION SOLIREC UT+COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Calciargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Solirec fine sandy loam, on a south facing, linear, 4 percent slope in Wyoming big sagebrush rangeland at an elevation of 5,550 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate thin platy structure parting to weak very fine and fine subangular blocky; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, few fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine, few fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bt--4 to 12 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine, few fine, and medium tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 17 inches thick)
Bk1--12 to 19 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine, few fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; calcium carbonate is disseminated and in common fine irregular soft masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of Bk horizons is greater than 40 inches)
Bk2--19 to 37 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist, moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine, few fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; 16 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; calcium carbonate is disseminated and in common medium irregular soft masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary.
Bk3--37 to 53 inches; pink (7.5YR 8/3) clay loam, pink (7.5YR 8/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine, few fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; violently effervescent; 32 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; calcium carbonate is disseminated and in many extremely coarse irregular soft masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary.
Bk4--53 to 75 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) clay loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine, few fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; 21 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; calcium carbonate is disseminated and in common fine irregular soft masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Uintah County, Utah; about 1 mile northwest of Island Park; located about 1,600 feet west and 1,500 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 25, T.3 S., R.24 E., SLBM; Island Park, Utah USGS quad; lat. 40 degrees 31 minutes 59 seconds N. and long. 109 degrees 10 minutes 9 seconds W., NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: Aridic bordering on ustic.
The soil moisture control section is affected by precipitation that falls evenly through the year with a slight increase in late summer and fall.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 51 degrees F.
Depth to calcic horizon: 10 to 20 inches
Particle-size control section: 18 to 35 percent clay; 0 to 15 percent subrounded rock fragments (predominantly gravel size of sandstone and shale origin)
A horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 (combination of thickness and colors do not meet mollic epipedon criteria)
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bt horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: L, SCL
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Btk horizon (if present):
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: FSL, L, SIL
Reaction: moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline
Bk horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: L, SCL, FSL, SIL, CL
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Calcium Carbonate Equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
C horizon (if present):
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 4
Texture: FSL, SL, L
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Barx,
Millett,
Progresso, and
Tuweep series.
Barx: have moisture control sections that are affected by peak periods of precipitation in early spring and late summer, with the driest period occurring in June.
Millett: gravelly or very gravelly below 20 inches in depth.
Progresso: moderately deep to bedrock.
Tuweep: formed in basalt and pyroclastic material.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Solirec soils.
Parent material: eolian deposits over alluvium or colluvium derived from sandstone and shale.
Landform: fan remnants, mesas, hills.
Slopes: 3 to 40 percent
Elevation: 5,300 to 6,600 feet
Mean annual air temperature: 45 to 49 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 8 to 12 inches.
Frost-free period: 90 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Abracon,
Begay,
Mikim,
Montwel, and
Walknolls series.
Abracon and Begay soils occur on fan remnants and do not have argillic horizons.
Mikim soils occur on alluvial flats and have no diagnostic horizons.
Montwel soils occur on hills and are moderately deep to weathered shale.
Walknolls soils occur on hills and are very shallow or shallow to sandstone bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, very low to high runoff, moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are irrigated cropland, livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Potential native vegetation cosists of Wyoming big sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, galleta, bottlebrush squirreltail, and needleandthread. This soil has been correlated to the Semidesert Loam (Wyoming Big Sagebrush) - 034XY212UT range site at the type location in Utah.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Utah and Northwestern Colorado. LRR D, MLRA 34. This series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Uintah County (Dinosaur National Monument Area), Utah. 1997. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 4 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 4 to 12 inches. (Bt horizon)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 12 to 75 inches. (Bk1, Bk2, Bk3, and Bk4 horizons)
The cation exchange activity class was inferred from laboratory data in the Uintah Area Soil Survey.
Taxonomy version: Eighth Edition, 1998.
Additional notes: The seperation with Barx is vague. Barx soils cover a broad range of elevations, temperatures, and precipitation. Older versions of the osd have ppt at 16 inches. Since ppt has been lowered, elevations likewise should be lowered. At elevations of 4,400 feet in southeastern Utah, the maximum soil temperature ought to be the upper limit for the mesic temperature regime.