LOCATION BLUFFDALE UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Calcixerepts
TYPIFYING PEDON: Bluffdale silty clay loam, cultivated. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; hard, firm, sticky, plastic; common fine and medium roots; many fine medium and coarse pores; slightly calcareous; mildly alkaline and medium roots; many fine medium and coarse pores; slightly calcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 16 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure that parts to moderate medium subangular blocks; very hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium pores; thin continuous clay films; moderately calcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 9 inches thick)
Bt2--16 to 22 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; moderate medium prismatic structure that parts to moderate fine blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine pores; thin continuous clay films; moderately calcareous; fine and medium roots; common fine pores; thin continuous clay films; moderately calcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Bt3--22 to 31 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak coarse and moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; common fine roots; common fine pores; few thin clay films; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 18 inches thick)
Bk--31 to 40 inches; white (2.5Y 8/2) silty clay, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky, plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
Ck--40 to 51 inches; white (2.5Y 8/2) silty clay loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; moderate thick platy structure; hard, friable, sticky, plastic; common fine roots; many very fine pores; strongly calcareous, moderately alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 17 inches thick)
C--51 to 62 inches; white (2.5Y 8/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; moderate thick platy structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky, plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; moderately calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9).
TYPE LOCATION: Salt Lake County, Utah; about 2 miles west of West Jordan; about 8,000 South and 3,400 West; 1,150 feet south and 1,200 feet west of the NW corner of sec. 32, T.2S., R.1W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum is 15 to 37 inches thick. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 49 degrees to 55 degrees F. and the mean summer soil temperature at 20 inches ranges from 65 degrees to 75 degrees F. The soils are usually moist, but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 60 consecutive days or more in more than 7 years out of 10.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It contains 0 to 7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and is mildly to strongly alkaline.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is silty clay loam (more than 35 percent clay) or silty clay. This horizon has moderate to weak medium prismatic structure that parts to moderate and strong, angular and subangular blocks. It contains few to continuous, thin to moderately thick clay films. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 1 to 15 percent in the upper part and 15 to 30 percent in the lower part, but the clay films on faces of peds may be noncalcareous. Lime is partly disseminated and partly in soft accretions.
The Bk and C horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5.6 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist and chroma of 1.6 through 3. It has few to many, faint to distinct mottles. This horizon is silt loam to silty clay. It contains 15 to 40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in veins, flakes or soft accretions, and is moderately to very strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bluffdale soils are on smooth nearly level to gently sloping lake terraces, on slopes of 0 to 3 percent. The soils formed in sediments derived mainly from mixed sedimentary rocks. The climate is dry subhumid. Mean annual temperature is 48 degrees to 53 degrees F. The frost-free period ranges from 120 to 150 days. The average annual precipitation is about 14 inches.
PRINCIPAL ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bramwell, Hans, and Hillfield soils. Bramwell soils have less than 35 percent clay in the control section. Hans soils have less than 35 percent clay and less than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand in the control section. Hillfield soils have less than 18 percent clay in the 10- to 40-inch control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Irrigated cropland is the main use. Alfalfa, small grains and sugar beets are the main crops. Some areas are used for dryland wheat.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Utah. This series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Salt Lake County (Salt Lake Area), Utah, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Calcic horizon - from 31 to 51 inches (Bk and Ck horizons).
The classification is based on the "Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eighth Edition, 1998". The series is used in the Salt Lake Area Soil Survey. This 1974 publication indicates that the seasonal high water table is below 60 inches and that the soil is moderately well drained. No explanation is provided for the presence of mottles. Further investigation is needed to determine if there is a seasonal high water table.