LOCATION DECKERMAN UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Sodic Calcixerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Deckerman loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Az--0 to 0.5 inch; dark gray (10YR 4/1) loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak thin and medium platy structure; slightly brittle, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common soluble salt crystals; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 1 inch thick)
An--0.5 to 6 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate thin platy structure; slightly brittle, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium and many fine roots; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); 26 percent exchangeable sodium; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bn--6 to 12 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak coarse and medium angular blocky; slightly brittle, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few medium roots; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); 18 percent exchangeable sodium; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bkn1--12 to 17 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; very hard and brittle, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few to common large and fine roots; many fine, very fine and few medium and large pores; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); 21 percent exchangeable sodium; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bkn2--17 to 20 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few medium roots; common fine pores; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); 21 percent exchangeable sodium; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bkn3--20 to 35 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; massive; hard and brittle, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); 27 percent exchangeable sodium; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 21 inches thick)
Bkn4--35 to 43 inches; light gray (5Y 7/2) loam, light olive gray (5Y 6/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; common fine distinct masses of iron accumulation; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); 27 percent exchangeable sodium; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 21 inches thick)
2BCkn--43 to 52 inches; light gray (5Y 7/2) silty clay loam, light olive gray (5Y 6/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; many fine distinct masses of iron accumulation; violently effervescent; common fine carbonate concretions; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.3); 46 percent exchangeable sodium; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
2Cn--52 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silty clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak coarse platy rock structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; common fine and medium pores; common fine distinct masses of iron accumulation; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.3); 37 percent exchangeable sodium.
TYPE LOCATION: Salt Lake County, Utah; about 2.5 miles west-southwest of the Salt Lake City International airport; approximately 400 feet west and 2,200 feet north of the southeast corner of section 2, T. 1 S., R. 2 W.; USGS Saltair 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 40 degrees 45 minutes 39 seconds north latitude and 112 degrees 01 minutes 33 seconds west longitude, NAD27; UTM zone 12N 413361E, 4512705N, NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Typically moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall; the soils are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for more than 60 consecutive days following the winter solstice; Xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 54 to 56 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 65 to 75 degrees F.
Depth to calcic horizon - 11 to 20 inches.
Depth to lithologic discontinuity of lacustrine deposits - 35 to 50 inches.
Depth to redoximorphic features - 25 to 40 inches.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 18 to 25 percent.
Az, An, and Ap horizons - Value: 4 through 6 dry, 2 through 4 moist; where color values are 2 or 3 moist and 4 or 5 dry, the dark colors in the epipedon are less than 6 inches thick.
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, nonbrittle or slightly brittle.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 3 to 15 percent.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 30.
Bn horizon - Chroma: 2 or 3 moist.
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 3 to 15 percent.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 30.
Bkn horizons - Hue: 10YR through 5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Loam or sandy loam.
Clay content: 10 to 27 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 30.
2BCkn and 2Cn horizons - Hue: 10YR through 5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Clay content: 30 to 40 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 30.
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Deckerman soils are on lake plains and flood plains. They formed in alluvium and lacustrine deposits derived from sedimentary and igneous rocks. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. Elevations range from 4,200 to 4,300 feet. The climate is dry subhumid with a mean annual precipitation of 13 to 15 inches. The mean annual temperature is 51 to 53 degrees F. and the mean summer temperature is 65 to 79 degrees F. The frost-free period is 160 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Saltair and Lasil soils. Lasil soils are fine-silty and have natric horizons. Saltair soils are fine-silty and have salic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; low surface runoff; moderate permeability (moderately high or high saturated hydraulic conductivity) throughout the upper 40 inches and slow permeability (moderately low or moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity) below a depth of 40 inches. Endosaturation is present with an apparent seasonal high water table between 2 and 5 feet (moderately deep to deep free water occurrence classes) between April and September. Cumulative annual duration class is Common. One phase has been drained and reclaimed of salts and sodium.
USE AND VEGETATION: Deckerman soils are used mostly for rangeland. Small areas have been drained, reclaimed, and are used for irrigated cropland. Some areas are used industrial sites and urban development. The native vegetation in rangeland is mainly inland saltgrass, alkali sacaton, black greasewood, and basin wildrye.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Utah. These soils are not extensive with about 8,700 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 28A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Salt Lake Area, Utah, 2006.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 7 inches (Az and An horizons and part of the Bn horizon).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 6 to 12 inches (Bn horizon).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 12 to 43 inches (Bkn1, Bkn2, Bkn3, and Bkn4 horizons).
Sodic subgroup feature - The zone from the soil surface to 60 inches (Az, An, Bn, Bkn1, Bkn2, Bkn3, Bkn4, 2BCkn, and 2Cn horizons).
Endosaturation feature - The condition of ground water with an upper boundary between 24 and 60 inches at certain times during normal years (parts of the Bkn3, Bkn4, 2BCkn, and 2Cn horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (Bkn1, Bkn2, and Bkn3 horizons and parts of the Bn and Bkn4 horizons).
This series correlates soils previously named as Decker in the Soil Survey of Salt Lake Area, Utah (UT612).
ADDITIONAL DATA: The typical pedon at the series type location has partial characterization data by the Soils Laboratory from Utah State University (USU) Logan, UT and is published on pages 120-121, Table 7 of the Soil Survey of Salt Lake Area, Utah. The pH values in the typical pedon are from saturated paste.