LOCATION COWERS UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cowers coarse sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 10 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) coarse sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; noncalcareous; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
B2--10 to 21 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) light sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure that parts to weak fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; common fine, medium and few large tubular pores; thin clay coatings on sand grains and bridges; noncalcareous; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
B3--21 to 33 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; thin clay coatings on sand grains; noncalcareous; neutral (pH 6.9); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)
C--33 to 70 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; moderately calcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Beaver County, Utah; 8 miles north and 7.25 miles west of Manderfield, NE1/4 NE1/4 section 8, T.2YS., R.SW. (Profile 227).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum ranges from 20 to 36 inches thick. Bedrock occurs at depths of 40 to more than 60 inches. The lower B horizon and C horizon contain 20 to 30 percent fine gravel. The 10 to 40 inch control section averages less than 18 percent clay and more than 15 percent sand coarser than very fine sand. The mean annual soil temperature at depth of 20 inches is 39 to 45 degrees F., and the average summer soil temperature is 61 to 62 degrees F. The soils is seasonally dry for 60 to 90 days in the late summer and early fall. The A 1 horizon has value of 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It has weak or moderate fine granular and weak medium platy structure. This horizon is soft or slightly hard, very friable or friable, nonsticky or slightly sticky, and nonplastic or slightly plastic. It is neutral to mildly alkaline. The B2 horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Colors darker than 3.5 moist extend to a depth of more than 10 inches. Organic matter decreases to less than 1 percent at a depth between 10 and 18 inches. The B2 horizon is light sandy clay loam, light loam, andy loam or cobbly sandy loam. The cobbles are associated with the moderately deep phase. The B2 horizon has weak coarse to fine subangular blocky structure. It is hard or very hard, slightly sticky or sticky, and slightly plastic or plastic when wet. This horizon is neutral or mildly alkaline. The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4, 5 or 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is gravelly sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, coarse light sandy loam, and coarse sandy clay loam. This horizon is slightly hard or hard, friable or firm, slightly sticky or sticky, and slightly plastic or plastic. It is neutral or mildly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES AND THEIR DIFFERENTIAE: These are the Dinkelman, Gleason, Mud Springs, Republic, and Shamel series. Dinkelman and Shamel soils have 0 horizons and are noncalcareous throughout. Dinkelman soils have sola 38 to 48 inches thick. Gleason and Mud Springs soils have a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Republic soils formed in volcanic ash and alluvium from glacial till. (See Remarks.)
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cowers soils are on gently sloping to steep mountain slopes at elevations of 6,800 to 7,800 feet. Slope gradients are 2 to 30 percent. The soils formed in deep granitic soil material 40 to 60 inches or more deep over granite bedrock. The climate is moist subhumid with a mean annual precipitation of 16 to 20 inches. The mean annual temperature is 39 to 43 degrees F., adnd the mean summer temperature is 61 to 62 degrees F. The frost free season is 65 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bearskin soils. Granite rock outcrops are also common. Bearskin soils are shallow ovr granite bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately slow to moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Watershed, wildlife, and summer grazing by cattle. Principal plants are Gambel oak, serviceberry, big sagebrush, curleaf mountain mahogany, lupine, bluebunch wheatgrass, and bitterbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mineral Mountain area of Beaver County, Utah and possibly other granitic areas. It is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Beaver County, Utah, 1972.
REMARKS: This soil was classified as a Chestnut soil (1938 classification). Differentiae to set these soils apart from the Republic soils needs further study.
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Lakewood MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.