LOCATION CIRCLEVILLE UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcidic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Circleville very gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky; common fine and medium roots; common fine interstitial pores; 45 percent pebbles, and 10 percent cobbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
Bt--2 to 9 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine, medium, and coarse roots; few fine interstitial pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 35 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.5); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Btk--9 to 17 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) very cobbly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky; common very fine and coarse roots; few fine interstitial pores; 25 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones and 5 percent pebbles; slightly calcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
Bk--17 to 24 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and 40 percent pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) very cobbly loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) and brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky; few very fine roots; few fine and medium interstitial pores; 25 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones and 5 percent pebbles; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)
R--24 inches; bedrock (intermediate volcanic agglomerate).
TYPE LOCATION: Garfield County, Utah; Smith Canyon; northeast 1/4 of sec. 10, T. 33 S., R. 4 1/2 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is 7 to 10 inches thick. The depth to bedrock ranges from 20 to 36 inches. Rock fragments in the particle-size control section ranges from 35 to 70 percent. These soils have a mean annual soil temperature of about 44 to 47 degrees F. and a mean summer soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches of about 59 to 64 degrees F. They are dry in some part of the moisture control section for 60 to 75 percent of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. These soils are noncalcareous in the A and Bt horizons but are slightly calcareous to strongly calcareous in the Bk horizon.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value or 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3.
The Bt horizon has colors the same as the A horizon and textures range from very gravelly loam and very cobbly loam to very gravelly clay loam or very cobbly clay loam with about 23 to 32 percent clay.
The BC and Bk horizons have hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. They are very gravelly, very cobbly, and very stony loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Badito, Beaverell, Ipson (T), San Isabel, Simmont, and Uracca series. Badito and Simmont soils are noncalcareous throughout the profile. Beaverell, Ipson, San Isabel, and Uracca soils lack bedrock at depths less than 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Circleville soils are on rolling hills and steep and very steep mountains broken by numerous intermittent drainageways. Elevations range from 6,500 to 8,000 feet. Slopes are 8 to 40 percent. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum on intermediate volcanic rocks. The average annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches and the freeze-free period ranges from 75 to 100 days. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. and the average summer temperature is 59 to 64 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Panguitch, Datino and Widtsoe soils. Panguitch soils have an argillic horizon and are more than 40 inches deep to bedrock. Datino soils lack an argillic horizon. Widstoe soils have a calcic horizon and lack bedrock at a depth less than 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; rapid to very rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. Potential vegetation is pinyon pine, Utah juniper, Indian ricegrass, Nevada bluegrass, and muttongrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central part of Utah. This series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Paunsaugunt Area, Utah, 1969.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly classified as Brown soils.