LOCATION CATARACT UT
Established Series
Rev. DL/JMD/RLB
10/2011
CATARACT SERIES
The Cataract series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in eolian and alluvium weathered mainly from sandstone and shale. Cataract soils are on lowland benches terraces and fans and have slopes of 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 8 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 54 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Calciargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Cataract loamy fine sand, rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; red (2.5YR 5/6) loamy fine sand, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to single grained; soft, very friable, slightly sticky; few fine, medium and coarse roots; 5 percent gravel on surface; moderately calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 5 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky parting to a moderate medium granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine, medium and coarse roots; few medium pores; few faint clay films appearing as bridges and on faces of peds; 1 percent gravel; moderately calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bt2--5 to 9 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) clay loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky parting to moderate fine granular; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine, few fine, medium and coarse roots; few very fine, fine and medium pores; many prominent clay skins on faces of peds; strongly calcareous, carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bk1--9 to 19 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine, few fine, medium and coarse roots; few fine and medium pores; very strongly calcareous; carbonates are disseminated and occurs as seams and common medium concretions; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 11 inches thick)
Bk2--19 to 25 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common fine and few medium pores; strongly calcareous; carbonates are disseminated and occur as seams and common medium concretions; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick).
C--25 to 33 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common fine and few medium pores; strongly calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
R--33 inches; sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: San Juan County, Utah; 3 miles south and 4 miles west of Hurrah Pass. NW 1/4 SE 1/4 of sec. 22, T. 27 S., R. 30 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Typic aridic moisture regime
Mean annual soil temperature: 54 to 59 degrees F.
Depth to sandstone: 20 to 40 inches
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent and are mainly gravel
These soils are calcareous to the surface
A horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam to clay loam
Clay loam: 18 to 30 percent clay
Bk horizon
Calcium carbonate equivalent: greater than 15 percent
C horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR
Value: 5 or 6
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Chattin (ID),
Grieta (NM),
Mack (CO),
Mesa (CO),
Nannyton (ID),
Neiberger (CO) and
Threedogs (NV) series. Chattin, Grieta, Mack, Mesa, Nannyton, and Threedogs soils are very deep. Neiberger soils have a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches and have hue 7.5YR and yellower.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cataract soils are on concave and convex slopes on fans and benches. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 3,080 to 5,000 feet. The soils formed in mixed deposits weathered mostly from sedimentary rocks. The mean annual precipitation is 6 to 10 inches. Mean annual air temperature is 52 to 57 degrees F. The freeze-free period is about 150 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Hoskinnini,
Moenkopie,
Neskahi and the competing
Mesa soils. Hoskinnini and Moenkopie soils have a lithic contact within 20 inches. Neskahi soils have less than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section and have an irregular decrease in organic carbon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Potential vegetation is mainly galleta, spike dropseed, Indian ricegrass, mesa dropseed, shadscale, and Mormon-tea.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Utah. The series is of small extent. MLRA 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Canyonlands Area, San Juan County, Utah, 1983.
Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 2 to 9 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizon)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 9 to 25 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizon
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010.
Update and revision for the competing series section 2/08 DWD
Update and revisions for the correlation of Little Colorado River Area (AZ707), Sept. 2011, CEM
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.