LOCATION ASHLEY UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy over fragmental, siliceous, superactive, calcareous, mesic Aquic Torrifluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Ashley loam, on a southeast facing, linear, 2 percent slope, in native pasture at an elevation of 5,280 feet. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 7 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many medium and fine roots; few fine and common very fine random tubular pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
A2--7 to l6 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few medium and fine roots; few fine and common very fine random tubular pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to l0 inches thick)
A3--l6 to 30 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) very fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few medium and fine roots; few fine and very fine random tubular pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; few fine faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) redox concentrations; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2) ; clear wavy boundary. (0 to l5 inches thick)
C1--30 to 36 inches; light brown 7.5YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (7/5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few medium and fine roots; few fine and very fine random tubular pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; common medium distinct yellowish brown (l0YR 5/6) redox concentrations; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
2C2--36 to 60 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) cobble, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; single grained; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; few medium and fine roots; many medium and fine interstitial pores, 45 percent cobbles and 40 percent gravel; slightly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; common medium distinct yellowish brown (l0YR 5/6) redox concentrations; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Uintah County, Utah; about 2.5 miles north of Vernal; Vernal NE, Utah USGS quad; 200 feet south and l,500 feet west of the NE corner of Section l0, T. 4 S., R. 2l E., SLBM; 40 degrees, 29 minutes, 44 seconds N. latitude; 109 degrees, 32 minutes, 43 seconds W. longitude. 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 late summer and early fall. The soil moisture control section is also influenced by a water table that occurs at 30 to 48 inches deep during the months of March through June from occasional,brief meltwater flooding and from excess run-on from irrigation water from March through November. The soil moisture regime is considered typic aridic with aquic conditions.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 49 degrees F.
Mean annual summer soil temperature: 64 to 68 degrees F.
Depth to redox concentrations: 16 to 20 inches
Depth to endosaturation: 30 to 48 inches during the months of March through November
Depth to lithologic discontinuity: 30 to 36 inches to cobble and gravel
Particle-size control section (weighted average): upper part is 10 to 15 percent clay, 0 to 10 percent rock fragments; lower part is 0 to 5 percent clay, 80 to 95 percent rock fragments
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or l0YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist
C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or l0YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam or loam
Rock fragments: 0 to l0 percent rounded gravel
2C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or l0YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture: cobble and gravel with 5 to 10 percent loamy sand or sand fines
Rock fragments: 80 to 95 percent total rock fragments with 40 to 50 percent cobbles and 30 to 50 percent gravel
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: coarse-loamy alluvium over fragmental alluvium derived from sedimentary and metamorphic rocks
Landform: floodplains
Elevation: 5,000 to 5,700 feet
Slope: 0 to 2 percent
Mean annual air temperature: 45 to 47 degrees F.
Mean summer air temperature: 65 to 69 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 6 to 8 inches.
Freeze-free period: 110 to 125 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Wyasket, Robido and Uver soils. Robido soils have a mollic epipedon. Uver soils have a sandy-skeletal particle-size control section. Wyasket soils do not have a lithologic discontinuity.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; very low runoff; moderately rapid permeability in the upper part and rapid permeability below about 36 inches.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for irrigated cropland and pasture. The vegetation is dominantly quackgrass, wiregrass, cottonwood and willow trees, and scattered big sagebrush. This soil has been correlated to Semiwet Streambank (Narrowleaf Cottonwood) - 034XY019 range site in Utah.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Utah. LRR D, MLRA 34. These soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Vernal Area, Uintah County, Utah, l920. Named after Ashley Valley in the survey area.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (A2, A3, C1, and 2C2 horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 30 inches. (A horizons)
Redox concentrations: The presence of redox concentrations in the zone from 16 to 30 inches. (A3, C1, and 2C2 horizons)
Endosaturation: at 30 to 48 inches during the months of March through November.
Lithologic discontinuity: at the top of the 2C2 horizon.
The classification was changed from Ustic Torrifluvents to Aquic Torrifluvents 12/98.
Taxonomic version: Eighth Edition, 1998.