LOCATION BEARDALL UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Mollic Glossocryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Beardall gravelly silt loam, woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 6 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure that parts to weak medium granular; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common medium roots; few fine pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
E/B--6 to 10 inches; about 25 percent remnants of Bt as described below as Bt1; mainly E described as follows: brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly silt loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; that parts to strong fine subangular blocky; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium and coarse roots; few fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--10 to 16 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) silty clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; few pinkish gray coatings (dry) of E; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; about 15 percent gravel; moderately thick continuous clay films on peds; few medium and coarse roots; common fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Bt2--16 to 22 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) very gravelly silty clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; common distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) mottles; weak coarse subangular blocky structure that parts to weak medium granular; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few medium roots; common fine pores; about 50 percent gravel and cobbles; common thin clay films on peds; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bk--22 to 27 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very flaggy silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; 40 to 50 percent flagstones; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
R--27 inches; limestone.
TYPE LOCATION: Summit County, Utah; Kamas Ranger District 300 yards south of gate to Mud Flat enclosure; SE1/4 SW1/4 section 14, T.1S., R.7E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Some pedons have a thin organic layer at the surface. Depth to bedrock ranges from 24 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 36 degrees to 42 degrees F. and the mean summer soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 54 degrees to 58 degrees F.
The A horizons has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3. It is gravelly silt loam or gravelly loam, has 20 to 30 percent gravel and is strongly acid or moderately acid.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 through 7 dry, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is gravelly silt loam with 20 to 30 percent gravel and is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The Bt horizon has dominant hue of 7.5YR, ranging to 5YR, value of 4 through 6 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 3 through 5. It ranges from silty clay loam or clay loam to very gravelly silty clay loam. Pebbles and cobbles average less than 35 percent. This horizon is slightly acid to slightly alkaline, and is 12 to 20 inches thick.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 through 5 moist, 5 through 7 dry, and chroma of 3 through 6. It is flaggy, very flaggy or very stony silt loam, loam or silty clay loam. This horizon has 40 to 70 percent rock fragments.
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no competing series. The Mulgon series in a closely related family has greater than 35 percent rock fragments.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Beardall soils are on mountain slopes below glacially modified limestone ridges, at elevations of 8,500 to 10,000 feet. Slopes range from 35 to 80 percent. Mainly north-facing. These soils formed in glacial-colluvial material weathered from quartzite, chert, sandstone and limestone. Mean annual temperature is 36 degrees to 42 degrees F. and mean summer temperature is 52 degrees to 58 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 20 to 50 days. Average annual precipitation is 35 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Abes and Cuberant soils. Abes soils have a lithic contact at depth of less than 20 inches and are clayey. Cuberant soils lack argillic horizons and are fragmental.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to slow runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for forest, watershed and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mainly Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, some lodgepole pine and understory of sedges, dwarf huckleberry and clasping arnica.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western portion of Uinta Mountains, Utah. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Summit County, Utah (Kamas Forest Area), 1976.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon: from 0 to 6 inches (A horizon)
Glossic horizon: from 6 to 10 inches (E/B horizon)
Argillic horizon: from 10 to 22 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 22 inches (the entire argillic horizon)
During the 10/2002 OSD update, the mottles described in the Bt2 horizon were presumed to be lithochromic rather than redox features because the soil is well drained.