LOCATION CRUSTOWN UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic, shallow Typic Torripsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Crustown sand, on a southeast facing, convex-concave, 2 percent slope in fourwing saltbush and Indian ricegrass at an elevation of 4,940 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 5 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
C--5 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine medium and common very fine roots; common very fine and few fine random tubular pores; slightly effervescent, (5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
Cr--16 to 22 inches; weathered calcareous sandstone.
R--22 inches; unweathered calcareous sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Uintah County, Utah; about 8 miles southeast of Ouray, Utah; located about 300 feet west and 200 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 31, T. 9 S., R. 21 E., SLBM; Big Pack Mtn. N.W., Utah USGS quad; lat. 39 degrees 59 minutes 57 seconds N. and long. 109 degrees 35 minutes 10 seconds W., NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: The soil moisture control section is affected by precipitation that falls evenly through the year with a slight increase in late summer and fall. Typic aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 51 degrees F.
Depth to paralithic contact: 10 to 20 inches to weathered calcareous sandstone
Depth to lithic contact: 20 to 40 inches to calcareous sandstone
Particle-size control section (weighted average): 5 to 10 percent clay
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
C horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 6 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Ruhe series.
Ruhe soils do not have a lithic contact within 60 inches of the surface.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: eolian deposits over residuum derived from calcareous sandstone
Landform: hillslopes
Slopes: 2 to 8 percent
Elevation: 4,700 to 5,200 feet
Mean annual air temperature: 45 to 47 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 5 to 8 inches
Frost-free period: 110 to 125 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Casmos, Chalkcliff, Motto, Muff, Tipperary, and Cadrina series.
Cadrina and Chalkcliff soils occur on hillslopes and fan remnants and are loamy-skeletal.
Motto soils occur in areas adjacent to drainageways and areas of low relief and have a natric horizon.
Muff soils occur on strath terraces and have a natric horizon.
Casmos soils occur on hillslopes and have a loamy particle-size control section.
Tipperary soils occur on sand dunes and have a sandy particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained, very slow runoff, rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The major uses are rangeland, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Potential native vegetation is fourwing saltbush, Mormon tea, Indian ricegrass, galleta, sand dropseed, and needleandthread. These soils have been correlated to Desert Sand (Fourwing Saltbush) - 034XY112UT range sites at the type location in Utah.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado. LRR D, MLRA 34. This series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Moffat County, Colorado. 1992.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 5 inches. (A horizon)
Paralithic contact: The contact with weathered sandstone at 16 inches. (Cr horizon)
Lithic contact: The contact with unweathered sandstone at 22 inches. (R layer)
The cation exchange activity class was inferred from laboratory data in the Uintah Area Soil Survey.
Taxonomic Version: Eighth Edition, 1998.