LOCATION BEJE                    UT+CO

Established Series
Rev. EJ/EML/JCK
04/2017

BEJE SERIES

The Beje series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium, colluvium or eolian deposits over residuum derived from sandstone. These soils are on ridges, structural benches, cuestas, mesas, hills and mountain slopes. Slopes are from 0 to 50 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 457 mm, and mean annual temperature is about 5.6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Beje loam in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 15 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine, fine, and medium pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

Bt--15 to 36 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; common very fine and fine pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 46 cm thick)

R--36 cm; sandstone bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Carbon County, Utah; about 19 kilometers northeast of Price; located about 305 meters west and 457 meters south of the northeast corner of sec. 19, T. 13 S., R. 12 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 5 to 8 degrees C
Mollic epipedon thickness - 18 to 30 cm
Depth to lithic contact - 25 to 50 cm
Rock fragments - 0 to 35 percent sandstone gravel, channers, cobbles, flags or stones
Particle-size control section - 18 to 35 percent clay

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8

Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3, 4 or 5 dry; 2, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture: clay loam, loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.2

COMPETING SERIES:
Berland (NM) - have a lithic contact at depths of 10 to 25 cm
Bonjea (WY) - have granitic rock fragments; formed in granite
Cedric (MT) - have a paralithic contact; have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Coni (CO) - have granitic rock fragments; formed in conglomerate or tuff
Connieo (MT) - have a paralithic contact; have granitic rock fragments
Kiln (NM) - have limestone rock fragments; have hue redder than 7.5YR
Skyute (CO) - have andesitic rock fragments; formed in andesite
Viewpoint - (NM) - have basaltic rock fragments; formed in basalt and tuff-breccia

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - ridges, structural benches, cuestas, mesas, hills and mountain slopes
Elevation - 2072 to 2957 meters
Slopes - 0 to 50 percent
Parent material - slope alluvium, colluvium or eolian deposits over residuum derived from sandstone
Mean annual temperature - 3.3 to 7.2
Mean annual precipitation - 406 to 559 mm
Frost-free period - 70 to 120 days
Precipitation pattern - wettest during July through October; driest during April through June

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Comodore, Rottulee, Senchert and Trag series.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained; moderate to moderately slow permeability

USE AND VEGETATION: Beje soils are used for rangeland and pinyon-juniper woodland. Native vegetation is twoneedle pinyon, Utah juniper, mountain big sagebrush, saline wildrye, bluebunch wheatgrass and snowberry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Beje soils are extensive in south-central Utah and southwest Colorado. MLRA 34B, 36, 47, 48A.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Carbon Area, Utah, Parts of Carbon and Emery Counties 1983.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 18 cm (A and part of the Bt horizon)
Argillic horizon - from 15 to 36 cm (Bt horizon)
Lithic contact - at 36 cm (R horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 0 to 36 cm (A and Bt horizons)

Beje soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.