LOCATION CLIFF UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Ustic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Cliff sandy loam, on a west facing, 3 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 5,560 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak thin platy structure that parts to weak very fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few medium and fine, common very fine roots; few fine, many very fine random tubular pores; very slightly effervescent (3 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 4 inches thick)
C1--4 to 14 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few medium and fine, common very fine roots; few fine, many very fine random tubular pores; slightly effervescent (4 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6) clear wavy boundary. (10 to 12 inches thick)
C2--14 to 34 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; loose, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few medium, fine and very fine roots; few fine and common very fine random tubular pores; slightly effervescent (5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (11 to 20 inches thick)
C3--34 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grain; loose, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; few fine common very fine random tubular pores; slightly effervescent (5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Uintah County, Utah; about 5 miles north of Dinosaur Quarry; located about 2,400 feet east and 1,100 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 1, T. 4 S., R. 23 E., SLBM; Jensen Ridge USGS quad; lat. 40 degrees 30 minutes 18 seconds N. and long. 109 degrees 16 minutes 48 seconds W., NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The moisture control section is affected by precipitation that falls evenly through the year with a slight increase in late summer and early fall. Aridic moisture regime bordering on ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 51 degrees F.
Particle-size control section: 5 to 18 percent clay and 0 to 15 percent rocks fragments (predominantly gravel from sedimentary and metamorphic rocks).
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 5 dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam (some pedons are stratified loamy sand to loam)
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 4 to 15 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: Current competitors are the Keeline, Oterodry, Turnercrest Uendal, and Yarts series. Competitors prior to the Eighth Edition, 1998 Keys to Soil Taxonomy are the Councelor, Gilston, Henrieville, Nelman, Nelson, Pedrick, Shedado, and Zia series.
Councelor, Pedrick, and Zia: have warmer soil temperatures and have accumulation of either secondary calcium carbonate, gypsum, or other salts.
Gilston: has 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section and has accumulations of secondary calcium carbonate and gypsum.
Henrieville: has calcium carbonate equivalents ranging from 15 to 40 percent
Oterodry and Keeline: has soil moisture control sections affected by peak periods of precipitation in the spring and early summer
Nelman, Shedado, and Uendal: have a lithic contact between 20 and 40 inches in depth
Nelson and Turnercrest: have a paralithic contact between 20 and 40 inches
Yarts: has hues redder than 10YR in the C horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium derived from sedimentary and metamorphic rocks
Landform: alluvial flats
Slopes: 2 to 4 percent
Elevation: 5,400 to 6,400 feet
Mean annual air temperature: 45 to 49 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 8 to 12 inches
Frost-free period: 110 to 140 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ironco, Gerst, Mikim, Montwel, Walknolls, and Waterhill series.
Ironco soils occur on outwash plains, have a mollic epipedon, and are loamy-skeletal.
Gerst and Walknolls soils occur on hillslopes and are shallow to bedrock.
Mikim soils are fine-loamy.
Montwel soils occur on hillslopes and are moderately deep to weathered bedrock.
Waterhill soils have a mollic epipedon and are fine-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, very low runoff, moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are rangeland, wildlife habitat, and irrigated cropland. Principle crops are alfalfa and small grains. Potential native vegetation consists of fourwing saltbush, Indian ricegrass, galleta, and needleandthread. This soil has been correlated to the Semidesert Sandy Loam (Fourwing Saltbush) - 034XY216UT range site at the type location in Utah.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeast Utah. LRR D, MLRA 34. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Uintah County, Uintah Area Soil Survey, Utah. 1998. The name is taken from a geographic location in the area.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (C1, C2, and C3 horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 4 inches. (A horizon)
The cation exchange activity class was inferred from laboratory data from similar soils in the Uintah Area Soil Survey.
Taxonomic version: Eighth Edition, 1998.