LOCATION ABRAHAM UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Aquic Xerofluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Abraham loam, cropland. (Colors are for air dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; common fine tubular pores; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
C1--7 to 15 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; many fine tubular pores; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
C2--15 to 18 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; many fine tubular pores; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
C3--18 to 26 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and non-plastic; very few fine roots; common very fine pores; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
C4--26 to 29 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky, plastic; few fine roots; few medium and fine tubular pores; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
C5--29 to 33 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) loamy fine sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; massive; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; moderately calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
C6--33 to 43 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) very fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; massive; soft, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; many fine tubular pores; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 11 inches thick)
C7--43 to 57 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak medium and fine blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky, plastic; few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Millard County, Utah; 1,000 feet northwest of Hinckley Cemetery; sec. 7, T.17S., R.8W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 51 degrees to 54 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 69 degrees to 72 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry for 60 to 90 days in all parts of the moisture control section during the summer months.
Depth to water table under drained conditions ranges from 60 to 80 inches. Depth to mottles ranges mainly from 20 to 40 inches. Mottles occur in some pedons above 20 inches. There is very little or no evidence of reduction or segregation of iron. The soils are saturated with water during some period of the year at depths of 40 to 60 inches unless artificially drained.
Organic matter content decreases irregularly. Lime content ranges from 15 to 40 percent.
The A horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 2 or 3. It is moderately or strongly calcareous and moderately or strongly alkaline.
The 10 to 40 inch section has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It generally ranges from very fine sandy loam to heavy silt loam, but averages less than 18 percent clay and less than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand. Thin lenses of loamy fine sand occur above 40 inches in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Anco, Green River, Penoyer, and Placeritos series. Anco soils are dominantly silty clay loam in the control section with 28 to 35 percent clay. Green River soils have a control section that is dominantly sandy loam with more than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand. Penoyer soils do not have distinct mottles above a depth of 40 inches and are usually dry. Placeritos soils have more than 18 percent clay and more than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Abraham soils are on nearly level to level alluvial flood plains and low lake terraces at elevations of 4,500 to 4,700 feet. They formed in alluvium from sandstone, limestone, volcanic rock, and shale. The climate is arid. Mean annual temperature ranges from 49 degrees to 52 degrees F., mean summer temperature ranges from 70 degrees to 73 degrees F. Average annual precipitation ranges from 6 to 8 inches. Frost-free period is 115 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Abbott, Lahontan, and Poganeab soils and the competing Anco soils. Abbott and Poganeab soils have distinct or prominent mottles or chroma of 1 above a depth of 20 inches. Abbott and Lahontan soils have more than 35 percent clay in the control section. Poganeab soils have 27 to 35 percent clay in the control sections.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow runoff; moderate to moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for production of alfalfa, small grains, and corn. Native vegetation is greasewood and salt grass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: This series is moderately extensive in west-central Utah.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Millard County (Delta Soil Survey Area), Utah, 1970.
REMARKS: The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.