LOCATION DURFEE UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Typic Palexerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Durfee stony loam, rangeland. (Colrs are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A11--0 to 6 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) stony loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure that parts to weak fine and medium granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; 30 to 40 percent of surface covered by stones, cobbles and pebbles; 5 percent stones, 30 percent cobbles, and 25 percent pebbles in horizon; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
A12--6 to 12 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots and few medium and coarse roots; 5 percent stones, 20 percent cobbles, and 45 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 11 inches thick)
B1--12 to 16 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) very gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and very fine roots, and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine pores; 10 percent stones, 20 percent cobbles, and 50 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear irregular boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
B21t--16 to 25 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) very gravelly heavy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) dry; moderate subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; few very fine pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds; 40 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.1); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 13 inches thick)
B22t--25 to 37 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) very gravelly clay, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, sticky and very plastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; few very fine pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent stones, 15 percent cobbles, and 45 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.1); gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 25 inches thick)
B23t--37 to 50 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) very gravelly clay, red (2.5YR 4/6) dry; moderate medium prismatic structure; extremely hard, very firm, sticky and very plastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; few very fine pores; many very thin clay films on peds; 10 percent stones, 30 percent pebbles, and 25 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.1). (6 to 13 inches thick)
B3t--50 to 60 inches; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) very gravelly clay, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, sticky and very plastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; 5 percent stones, 15 percent cobbles, and 55 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.1).
TYPE LOCATION: Weber County, Utah; 2 miles north of Eden; 1,320 feet north and 200 feet west of SE corner of section 15, T.7N., R.1E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 10 to 20 inches thick. The combined thickness of the A1, B1 and B2t horizons is 60 inches or more. The mean annual soil temperature at depth of 20 inches ranges from 43 to 47 degrees F. The mean summer temperature ranges from 59 to 68 degrees F. The soils are usually moist, but are dry for 50 to 85 consecutive days during the summer. Rock fragments are rounded sandstone and quartzite pebbles, cobbles and stones, and range from 20 to 65 percent in the A1 horizon, 40 to 85 percent in the B1 horizon, and 55 to 70 percent in the B2t horizon.
The A1 horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 through 5 dry, 2 and 3 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4 dry, and 2 or 3 moist. It ranges from stony loam on the surface to gravelly, very gravelly, cobbly or very cobbly loam, cobbly clay loam, or very cobbly sandy clay loam in the lower part. This horizon ranges from slightly acid to neutral and is 8 to 18 inches thick.
The B1 horizon has hue of 10YR through 5YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry, and 2 through 6 moist. It ranges from very gravelly heavy loam to gravelly, cobbly, very gravelly or very cobbly clay loam,. Clay films range from none to common thin. This horizon is medium acid to neutral, and is 0 to 9 inches thick.
The B2t horizon has hue of 7.5YR through 2.5YR, value of 3 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 4 through 8 dry, and 3 through 8 moist. It ranges from gravelly, very gravelly cobbly or very cobbly clay to very gravelly or very cobbly sandy clay, very cobbly silty clay, or very cobbly heavy clay loam, and has 35 to 60 percent clay. The clay content does not decrease by as much as 20 percent of the maximum with 60 inches of the surface. Structure ranges from moderate medium and coarse prismatic to moderate to strong, fine to coarse, angular and subangular blocky. Clay films range from common to continuous, thin to moderately thick. The reaction ranges from medium acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Yeates Hollow series. Yeates Hollow soils have a decrease of more than 20 percent of the maximum clay content within 60 inches of the surface.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Durfee soils are at elevations of 5,200 to 7,500 feet. They occur on east, south and west facing, very steep mountain slopes. Slopes range from 30 to 70 percent. These soils formed in residuum, colluvium, and local alluvium, weathered from sandstone and quartzite. The climate is moist subhumid, with and average annual precipitation ranges from 18 to 25 inches. The mean annual temperature is 41 to 45 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature is 58 to 64 degrees F. The frost free season ranges from 60 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Foxol, Poleline, and Smarts soils and the competing Yeates Hollow soils. Foxol soils are shallow over bedrock at depths of less than 20 inches. Poleline soils lack argillic horizons and have mean summer temperatures less than 59 degrees F. Smarts soils have mollic epipedons more than 20 inches thick and base saturation of less than 75 percent in some part or throughout the upper 30 inches of the soil.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for range, wildlife habitat, and watershed. The present native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, big sagebrush, mulesear dock, bitterbrush, and scattered oakbrush, maple, serviceberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Utah. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Weber County, Morgan Area, Utah, 1974.