LOCATION DAHAR UT

Established Series
REV: SMB/JCL/RLT
09/2025

DAHAR SERIES

The Dahar series consists of moderately deep, well drained, moderately rapidly permeable soils that formed in alluvium and colluvium from tuffaceous sandstone and limestone. The Dahar soils occur on dissected hillsides. Slopes are 8 to 15 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 14 inches (355 mm) and the mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F (6 degrees C).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Xereptic Haplodurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Dahar gravelly sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 3 inches (0 to 8 cm); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin and medium platy structure parting to weak very fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine interstitial, and common very fine and fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches (8 to 13 cm) thick)

AB--3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine, medium and few coarse roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; thin carbonate and silica coatings on undersides of rocks; moderately calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches (0 to 13 cm) thick)

Bw--6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine medium, and few coarse roots; many very fine, fine and common medium tubular pores; thin carbonate and silica coatings on undersides of rocks; moderately calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; 20 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) thick).

Bkq--12 to 21 inches (30 to 53 cm); light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; moderate medium and thick platy structure; hard, extremely firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and common medium roots in fractures; common very fine, few fine tubular pores; discontinuously weakly silica cemented, strongly calcareous; visible soft powdery carbonates in the matrix; 10 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear irregular boundary. (0 to 10 inches (0 to 25 cm) thick)

Bkqm--21 to 27 inches (53 to 69 cm); very pale brown (10YR 8/2) strongly cemented duripan, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; strong medium and thick platy structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; many fine and common medium roots in fractures; strongly calcareous; visible soft powdery carbonates in the matrix; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear irregular boundary. (6 to 16 inches (15 to 41 cm) thick)

B'kq--27 to 43 inches (69 to 109 cm); very pale brown (10YR 8/2) very gravelly sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and common medium roots in pockets; 40 percent of this horizon is weakly cemented with silica; strongly calcareous; visible soft powdery carbonates in the matrix; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary (0 to 13 inches (0 to 33 cm) thick)

2Ck--43 to 60 inches (109 to 152 cm); pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; strongly calcareous; visible soft powdery carbonates in the matrix; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Box Elder County, UT about 2.5 miles north of the town of Grouse Creek; 1,200 feet east and 1,200 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 15, T. 12 N., R. 18 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the duripan ranges from 20 to 40 inches (50 to 100 cm). The particle size control section ranges from 10 to 18 percent clay and 15 to 35 percent rock fragments. The mean annual soil temperature is 43 to 46 degrees F (6 to 8 degrees C). The moisture control section is usually dry, but is moist in some part 25 to 35 percent of the time the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F (5 degrees C). It is dry in all parts for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice.

The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry and 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 or 3. However, it is not darker than value of 5.5 dry and 3.5 moist, both broken and crushed when mixed to a depth of 7 inches (18 cm). The horizon is noncalcareous to moderately calcareous and mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

The Bw horizon has value of 6 or 7 dry and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is moderately calcareous or strongly calcareous.

The Bqkm horizon has value of 7 or 8 dry and 6 or 7 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. This horizon is strongly cemented with some small areas of weak cementation but it is not indurated.

The C horizon has value of 7 or 8 dry and 5 to 7 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4. Clay content ranges from 10 to 20 percent and gravel range from 0 to 55 percent with textures of sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam and very gravelly sandy loam. It is strongly calcareous or very strongly calcareous and moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Raftriver series. Series in similar families include the Bliss, Kodra, Rubyhill and Truesdale series. Raftriver soils (MLRA 25) have less than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Bliss, Kodra and Truesdale soils are mesic. Rubyhill soils have greater than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Dahar soils are on dissected hillsides. The parent material is mixed alluvium and colluvium of tuffaceous sandstone and limestone. Slopes are 8 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 5,300 to 6,000 feet (1605 to 1820 m). The average annual precipitation is 13 to 16 inches (330 to 410 mm) and the mean annual temperature is 41 to 45 degrees F (5 to 7 degrees C). The freeze-free period is 80 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Codquin, Puett and Vicking soils. Codquin and Puett soils are shallow to tuffaceous sandstone and are on steep hillsides lower in the landscape. Vicking soils are deep, have a mollic epipedon and are on fan terraces higher in the landscape.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland. The potential vegetation is Utah juniper with and understory of bluebunch wheatgrass, black sagebrush, and bottlebrush squirreltail.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Dahar soils are located in northwestern Utah and are moderately extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Box Elder County, UT -Western Part -1984. MLRA 25 and 28A.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from approximately 0 to 12 inches. (A and AB horizons)

Duripan - a strongly cemented to weakly cemented layer of both lime and silica at a depth of about 20 to 40 inches. (Bqkm horizon)

Cambic horizon - the zone from approximately 0 to 6 inches. (Bw horizon)

Xereptic feature - the duripan is strongly coherent or less coherent in all subhorizons, and the moisture regime borders on xeric.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.