LOCATION DRY CREEK UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Typic Palexerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Dry Creek cobbly loam, rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; few large and many fine pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
BAt--5 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong fine angular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few large and common small pores; few thin clay films; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 15 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) cobbly clay, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, sticky and very plastic; few fine and medium roots; common fine pores; common moderately thick clay films; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 17 inches thick)
Bt2--15 to 26 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) cobbly clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; many moderately thick clay films; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (11 to 18 inches thick)
Bk1--26 to 29 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very cobbly clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine pores; very strongly calcareous; carbonates are in soft masses and concretions; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bk2--29 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very cobbly clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine pores; very strongly calcareous; carbonates are in soft masses and concretions; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5).
TYPE LOCATION: Utah County, Utah; about 1/4 miles south of power plant in the mouth of Dry Creek Canyon, 250 feet south and 650 feet east of the NW corner of sec. 17, T. 4 S., R. 2 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are dry in the soil moisture control section for 60 or more consecutive days after the summer solstice. Mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F.
The A and Bt horizons range from 24 to 36 inches thick. The mollic epipedon is less than 20 inches thick and organic matter decreases regularly or reaches levels less than 0.5 percent within a depth of 50 inches.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist. It contains 10 to 35 percent rock fragments.
The BAt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value or 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It contains 20 to 30 percent rock fragments.
The Bt horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR and chroma of 3 through 5. It contains 15 to 35 percent rock fragments. It is medium acid to neutral.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 6 to 8 dry, 5 to 7 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam. Rock fragments range from 15 to 70 percent in the upper part and from 35 to 70 percent in the lower part. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 15 to 55 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alibi (ID), Coleman (OR), Lasere (OR), Pomponio (CA), Pritchard (OR), Succor (ID), and Tutuilla (OR) series.
Alibi soils are moderately deep to bedrock.
Coleman and
Succor soils lack calcic horizons.
Lasere soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact.
Pomponio soils are underlain by shale at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Pritchard soils have less than 15 percent rock fragments.
Tutuilla soils have a paralithic contact at 40 to 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils occur at elevations of 5,200 to 6,200 feet on pre-Bonneville fans and low mountainsides with gradients ranging from 3 to 60 percent. They formed in alluvium and colluvium derived from sedimentary parent rocks. The climate is dry subhumid. Mean annual temperature is 45 to 53 degrees F. mean summer temperature is 68 to 70 degrees F. and average annual precipitation ranges from 14 to 18 inches. The freeze-free period is 100 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cleverly, Kilburn, and Henefer soils. Cleverly and Kilburn soils have cambic horizons. Also, Cleverly soils have less than 18 percent clay and Kilburn soils are loamy-skeletal. Henefer soils have mean annual soil temperature less than 47 degrees F. and lack calcic horizons. All lack abrupt textural changes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium or high runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils used principally as rangeland. Potential vegetation is big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Indian ricegrass, and antelope bitterbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils are inextensive along the Wasatch Front.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Utah County, Utah, 1972.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - from the surface to 9 inches (A and BAt horizons).
Argillic horizon - from 5 to 26 inches (BAt, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - from 26 to 60 inches (Bk1 an Bk2 horizons).