LOCATION BLUE STAR UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcidic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Blue Star cobbly sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 1 inch; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) cobbly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grained; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 1 inch thick)
A2--1 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; single grain; loose, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
A3--4 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine, medium and large roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 18 inches thick)
A4--14 to 19 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Bk1--19 to 37 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly coarse sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and common medium roots; common fine and few medium tubular pores; strongly effervescent; soft secondary lime accumulations; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 20 inches thick)
Bk2--37 to 44 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) gravelly sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; strongly cemented lime accumulations; few fine roots; common fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bk3--44 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) gravelly loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; strongly cemented lime accumulations; few fine roots; common fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Beaver County, Utah; 7.5 miles west and 2 miles north of Beaver; 1/4 mile east of the southwest corner of section 32, T.28S., R.8W.; lat. 38 degrees 19 minutes 25.45 seconds N. and long. 112 degrees 46 minutes 58.87 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: These soils are dry in the moisture control section more than 50 percent of the time the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F., and are dry for 60 to 90 consecutive days during the summer months. Aridic bordering xeric soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 48 to 52 degrees F.
Mean summer temperature: about 63 to 67 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 10 to 19 inches thick.
Depth to calcic horizon: 15 to 30 inches; immediately below the A horizon.
Calcic horizon thickness: 17 to 41 inches thick.
A horizons:
Value: 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Structure: Weak fine granular structure or is single grain.
Consistence: Loose or slightly hard, dry, very friable, or friable moist, slightly or nonsticky., slightly plastic or nonplastic.
Reaction: Slightly to moderately alkaline
Calcium carbonate: Noncalcareous in the upper 7 to 14 inches.
Bk horizon:
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 6 or 7 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: Coarse sandy loam, sandy loam or loam.
Clay content: Averages 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent, mainly gravel.
Calcium carbonate: 15 to 30 percent calcium carbonate equivalent, carbonate masses and lenses are weakly to strongly cemented.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Courtrock (OR),
Farrell (WA),
Malott (WA),
Shantown (NV),
Tickason (ID),
Tonasket (WA) series.
Courtrock soils have Bk horizons with calcium carbonate equivalent that range from 2 to 8 percent.
Farrell soils have cambic horizons and contain basalt sand high in volcanic ash.
Malott soils have duripans from 40 to 60 inches.
Tickason and Shantown soils have cambic horizons.
Tonasket soils have less than 15 rock fragments in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Blue Star soils are on fan remnants, fan skirts, and stream terraces at elevations of 4,200 to 6,950 feet. Slope ranges from 2 to 60 percent. The soils formed in deep alluvium from mixed rocks. The mean annual temperature is 46 to 51 degrees F., the mean summer temperature is about 64 to 70 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is 10 to 14 inches. The frost-free season is 100 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Snake Hollow soils and Blackett soils. Snake Hollow soils have cambic horizons and lack calcic horizons. Blackett soils are calcareous to the surface.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained or somewhat excessively; medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for wildlife, and summer grazing by cattle. Present vegetation is singleleaf pinyon, juniper, big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, Utah serviceberry, bottlebrush squirreltail, and needleandthread.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Low mountain areas in Western Utah. These soils are inextensive. MLRA 28A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Beaver County (Beaver-Cove Fort Area), Utah, 1969.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon: The zone from the soil surface to 19 inches. (A horizons)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 19 to 60 inches. (Bk horizons)