LOCATION WINDCOMB UT+COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Lithic Ustic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Windcomb very channery silt loam, on a southwest facing, convex-concave 11 percent slope in Utah juniper, pinyon pine, shrub rangeland at an elevation of 5,750 feet.. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered by 10 percent gravel, 5 percent channers and 5 percent flagstones from shale and fine grained sandstone.
A--0 to 4 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) very channery silt loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to weak very fine and fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine, common fine, few medium tubular and interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel, 30 percent channers; slightly effervescent, calcium carbonate is disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 4 inches thick)
C1--4 to 9 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very channery loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine, few fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel, 30 percent channers; slightly effervescent, calcium carbonate is disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary.
C2--9 to 17 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very channery loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium, few coarse roots; many very fine, few fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel, 30 percent channers; slightly effervescent, calcium carbonate is disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the C horizon is 3 to 16 inches)
R--17 inches; unweathered siltstone bedrock
TYPE LOCATION: Uintah County, Utah; located 2 miles west of the confluence of Jones Hole Creek and the Green River; about 1,200 feet north and 1500 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 22, T.3 S., R. 25 E., SLBM; USGS Jones Hole, Utah-Colo. quadrangle; lat. 40 degrees 32 minutes 9 seconds N. and long. 109 degrees 6 minutes 4 seconds W., NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is affected by precipitation that falls evenly throughout the year with a slight increase in the late summer and fall. Aridic moisture regime bordering on ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 50 degrees F
Depth to lithic contact: 6 to 20 inches to siltstone, limestone, or sandstone
Thickness of the ochric epipedon: 3 to 4 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 13 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Chroma: 4 or 6
Rock fragments: 35 to 65 percent gravel and channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
Gypsum: 0 to 1 percent
C horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: extremely channery fine sandy loam, extremely channery very fine sandy loam, channery loam, extremely channery loam
Rock fragments: 35 to 85 percent gravel and channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
Gypsum: 0 to 5 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Atchee (T), Farfall (T),
Meriwhitica,
Redsun,
Reef (T),
Skos,
Sunup, and
Teesto (T) series.
Atchee: hues yellower than 5YR.
Farfall: mean annual soil temperature greater than 56 degrees F.
Meriwhitica and Skos: have a mean annual soil temperature of more than 50 degrees F.
Redsun: have a Bk horizon with consistent calcium carbonate accumulations on rock fragments and the moisture control section is affected by peak periods of precipitation in the spring and early summer.
Reef: greater than 10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent.
Sunup: hues yellower than 5YR and has greater than 18 percent clay.
Teesto: has greater than 18 percent clay.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium, colluvium, and residuum derived from siltstone, limestone, and sandstone
Landform: cuestas and hills
Slopes: 3 to 25 percent
Elevation: 5,000 to 6,400 feet
Mean annual 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 Arches, Mespun, and Yarts soils. Arches soils have a sandy particle size control section. Mespun soils are very deep and have a sandy particle size control section. Yarts soils are very deep, have a coarse-loamy particle size control section, and are located on alluvial flats.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, low to medium runoff, moderate or moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally for wildlife habitat and recreation. Potential vegetation consists of Utah Juniper, pinyon, and Salina wildrye.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado; LRR E, MLRA 47; This series is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Uintah county, Utah, Dinosaur National Monument soil survey area, Colorado/Utah, 1998. The name is coined.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 3 inches. (A horizon)
Lithic contact: The contact with siltstone bedrock at 15 inches. (R layer)
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.
Taxonomic Version: Eighth Edition, 1998.
The type location was moved to its current location to better reflect the series concept August 1999.