LOCATION ECHARD                  UT

Established Series
REV: WRM-RLT-KLS
05/2023

ECHARD SERIES

The Echard series consists of deep, well drained, very slowly permeable soils on alluvial fans and benches. They formed in soft rhyolitic tuff or strongly cemented ash. Slope ranges from 5 to 30 percent. The average annual precipitation is 530 mm, and the mean annual air temperature is about 4 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive Ustic Argicryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Echard loam--forested (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Oi--0 to 3 cm; aspen and conifer litter.

A--3 to 16 cm; gray (10YR 5/1) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure that parts to weak fine ganular; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; few fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 18 cm thick)

Bt1--16 to 41 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine interstitial and tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 5 percent gravel and 10 percent cobble-sized angular fragments of soft tuff or weakly cemented ash; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary.

Bt2--41 to 54 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 5 percent gravel and 10 percent cobble-size fragments of soft tuff or weakly cemented ash; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary.

Bt3--54 to 67 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) cobbly clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common medium and few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel and 15 percent cobble-size fragments of soft tuff or weakly cemented ash; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt1, Bt2 and Bt3 horizons - 40 to 75 cm)

BC--67 to 156 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) cobbly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and medium roots; few thin clay films in pores; 10 percent gravel and 15 percent cobble-sized fragments of soft tuff or weakly cemented ash; slightly acid (pH 6.5).

TYPE LOCATION: Garfield County, Utah; head of Sanford Creek, NW 1/4 sec. 29, T. 33 S., R. 4 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--3 to 5 degrees C
Mean summer soil temperature--11 to 14 degrees C
Mollic epipedon thickness--30 to 40 cm
Depth to soft rhyolitic tuff or strongly cemented ash--152 to 305 cm (estimated)

Particle-size control section:
Rock fragment content--0 to 20 percent gravel and/or cobbles of rhyolitic tuff or cemented ash lithology
Reaction--pH 5.6 to 6.5

A horizon
Value--4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma--1 and 2 dry and 2 moist

Bt horizons
Hue--10YR or 7.5YR in the upper part; 7.5YR or 10YR in the lower part.
Value--5 or 6 dry
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--clay loam or clay
Clay content--35 to 42 percent
Rock fragment content--0 to 30 percent gravel and/or cobbles

BC horizon
Value--5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture--loam or clay loam
Rock fragment content--15 to 35 percent gravel and cobbles

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bridger and Rattler series. Bridger and Rattler soils have calcic horizons. In addition, Rattler soils have hues redder than 7.5YR.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--gently to moderately steeply sloping dissected alluvial fans and benches
Elevation--2600 to 2725 meters
Slope--5 to 30 percent
Parent material--soft rhyolitic tuff or strongly cemented ash
Mean annual precipitation--510 to 560 mm
Mean annual temperature--3 to 5 degrees C
Mean summer temperature--11 to 14 degrees C
Frost free period--60 to 65 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; very slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Timber and wildlife. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, limber pine, aspen, prostrate juniper, Oregon grape, mountain brome, needleandthread grass, slender wheatgrass, squirreltail, and lupine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Echard soils are of small extent in southcentral Utah; MLRA 47.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Garfield County (Paunsaugunt Area), Utah, 1969.

REMARKS: These soils were formerly classified as Brown Forest soils.

Converted to metric and O horizons were updated to start at zero. Competing series section was not updated. 05/2023

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.