LOCATION SPLIMO UT+CO
Established Series
GWL/CSW/JWB
04/2011
SPLIMO SERIES
The Splimo series consists of very shallow and shallow, well drained soils formed in slope alluvium and colluvium over residuum derived from limestone, calcareous sandstone and conglomerate. Splimo soils are on bedrock controlled hillslopes and structural benches. Slopes are 8 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 10 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 47 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, mesic Lithic Ustic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Splimo very cobbly loam on a west facing, convex-concave, 12 percent slope in black sagebrush, galleta and shadscale rangeland at an elevation of 5,750 feet. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.) Forty percent of the surface is covered with stones, cobbles and gravel derived from limestone, sandstone and conglomerate.
A--0 to 3 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very cobbly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to moderate very fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium common fine and very fine roots; few fine and very fine vesicular pores; 5 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; slightly effervescent, (9 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated and in few fine masses; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 3 inches thick)
Bk1--3 to 9 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few medium common fine and very fine roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; 5 percent cobbles and 40 percent gravel; strongly effervescent, (26 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated and in common fine and very fine masses and 1 to 3 mm thick coatings on rocks; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary.
Bk2--9 to 15 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; 5 percent cobbles and 70 percent gravel; strongly effervescent, (45 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated and in many very fine masses and veins and 1 to 3 mm thick coatings on rocks; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 8 to 19 inches)
R--15 to 19 inches; fractured conglomerate bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Uintah County, Utah; about 4 miles southwest of Vernal, Utah; located about 1,300 feet north and 200 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 5, T.5S., R.21E., SLBM; Vernal NE, Utah USGS quadrangle; 40 degrees, 24 minutes, 29 seconds north latitude and 109 degrees, 35 minutes, 34 seconds west longitude. NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture : The soil moisture control section is usually dry, but intermittently moist during late summer and early fall. Aridic moisture regime bordering on ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 52 degrees F.
Depth to calcic horizon: 2 to 10 inches.
Depth to lithic contact: 8 to 20 inches.
Surface rock fragments: 10 to 75 percent channers, flagstones, gravel, stones and cobbles.
Particle-size control section: 15 to 27 percent total clay and a calcium carbonate equivalent greater than 40 percent in the less-than-20 mm fraction.
Rock fragments: greater than 35 percent
A horizon:
Hue: of 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, and 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 5
Rock fragments: 15 to 65 percent channers, flagstones, stones, gravel, and cobbles
Texture: loam and fine sandy loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 40 percent
SAR: 0 to 5 Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
Bk horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, and 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent channers, flagstones, stones, gravel, and cobbles
Texture: loam, andy loam or fine sandy loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 25 to 70 percent
Gypsum: 0 to 3 percent
SAR: 0 to 10 Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Some pedons have 0 to 35 percent rock fragments in the upper Bk horizon, typically above the particle-size control section
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Scrapy (NV),
Winona (AZ) and
Yaki series. Scrapy soils have 5 to 15 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Winona soils have mean annual soil temperature of 48 to 56 degrees F and have a soil moisture control section that is driest during
May and June. Yaki soils have mean annual soil temperatures that range from 54 to 59 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium, eolian deposits and/or colluvium over residuum derived from limestone and calcareous sandstone
Landform: bedrock controlled hillslopes, structural benches
Slopes: 2 to 50 percent
Elevation: 5,000 to 6,800 feet
Mean annual air temperature: 45 to 50 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 8 to 12 inches
Precipitation pattern: Wettest months are July to October and driest months are December and June
Freeze-free period: 110 to 150 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Abracon,
Chew,
Honlu,
Milok, and
Polychrome soils. Abracon, Milok, and Honlu soils are very deep and have less than 35 percent rock fragments. Chew soils are fine-loamy and moderately deep over bedrock. Polychrome soils are moderately deep over soft shale bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to high runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Potential vegetation consists of black sagebrush, Utah juniper, Indian ricegrass, galleta, bluebunch wheatgrass, saline wildrye, and Mormon tea. This soil has been correlated to the Semidesert Shallow Loam (Black Sagebrush) - 034XY227UT range site at the type location in Utah.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern and central Utah and northwestern Colorado. LRR D, E, MLRA 34B, 47. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Uintah County (Dinosaur National Monument Area, Colorado and Utah) Utah, 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 15 inches (part of Bk2 horizon)
Ochric epipedon: the zone from the surface to a depth of 3 inches (A horizon).
Calcic horizon: the zone from 3 to 15 inches (Bk horizon).
Lithic contact: the contact with conglomerate bedrock at 15 inches (R horizon).
The Winona series needs the lithology included in the geographic setting because the MAST overlaps.
Taxonomic version: Eleventh Edition, 2010
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.