LOCATION BOXELDER UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, carbonatic, mesic Xeric Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Boxelder loam - cropland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine vesicular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); 22 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 11 inches thick)
Bw--5 to 18 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.4); 35 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; clear smooth boundary. (7 to 13 inches thick)
Bk--18 to 27 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent, calcium carbonate occurs in soft masses and filaments; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); 45 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 18 inches thick)
2C--27 to 60 inches; white (10YR 8/1) silt loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) moist; massive; very hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); 50 percent calcium carbonate equivalent.
TYPE LOCATION: Millard County, Utah; about 4 miles southwest of Fillmore; 1800 feet west and 200 feet north of the southeast corner sec. 34, T.21S., R.5W.; 38 degrees, 56 minutes and 20 seconds north latitude and 112 degrees, 24 minutes and 10 seconds east longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 48 to 54 degrees F., and mean summer soil temperature ranges from 69 to 74 degrees F. The moisture control section dry in all parts of the control section for 50 to 75 percent of the time that the soil temperature is 5 degrees C or higher.
The particle-size control section ranges from 18 to 27 percent clay. The coarse fragment content is 0 to 15 percent. The weighted average calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 40 to 60 percent in the control section. Depth to secondary carbonates ranges from 12 to 20 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 6 or 7, and 3 or 4 moist, with chroma of 2 to 4. Reaction is slightly to moderately alkaline.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 6 or 7, and 3 or 4 moist, with chroma of 2 to 4. Reaction is mildly to moderately alkaline. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 25 is 35 percent. Texture is stratified silt loam, loam, or very fine sandy loam.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 7 or 8, and 5 to 7 moist, with chroma of 1 to 3. Reaction is moderately to strongly alkaline. Calcium carbonate equivalent is 40 to 45 percent. Texture is a silt loam, loam, or very fine sandy loam.
The 2C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 7 or 8, and 6 or 7 moist, with chroma of 1 to 3. Reaction is moderately to strongly alkaline. Depth to diatomaceous lacustrine material and thin discontinuous lenses of black ash gravel and sand size cinders material ranges from 25 to 35 inches. Coarse fragments range from 0 to 15 percent. The weighted-average calcium carbonate equivalent is 35 to 60 percent. Texture is stratified silt loam, loam, or very fine sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arapien (UT) and McCornick (UT) series. Arapien and McCornick soils do not contain diatomacous earth.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Boxelder soils are on lake terraces, lake plains and valley floors. Slopes are dominantly 0 to 2 percent but range up to 5 percent. These soils are formed in lake sediments derived from Lake Bonneville. Elevation ranges from 4600 to 5000 feet. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 8 to 12 inches. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 48 to 54 degrees F. Frost free period ranges from 110 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bandag, Collard, Taylorsflat, and Jigsaw soils. Bandag soils lack a calcic horizon. Collard soils contain greater than 35 percent coarse fragments in the subsoil. Taylorsflat soils lack carbonatic mineralogy. Jigsaw soils have a silty clay loam texture in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used principally for irrigated cropland and rangeland. Potential vegetation consists of big sagebrush, bluegrass, Indian ricegrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West Central Utah. The series is of moderate extent. MLRA 28A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: East Millard Area, Utah, 1959
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the soil surface to 5 inches. (Ap horizon).
Cambic horizon - the zone from 5 to 18 inches (Bw horizon).
Calcic horizon - the zone from 18 to 60 inches (Bk, horizon).
In Utah the soils are correlated into semi-desert range sites.
The classification was changed from Xerollic Calciorthids to Xeric Haplocalcids in 9/94.