LOCATION ELLETT UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid, shallow Xeric Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Ellett very paragravelly loam, rangeland. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 5 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very paragravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine, medium and coarse roots; few fine and medium pores; 40 percent shale fragments; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
C--5 to 14 inches thick; pink (2.5YR 8/4) loam, light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine, medium and coarse roots; few fine and medium pores; 10 percent shale fragments; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
Cr--14 inches; shale.
TYPE LOCATION: Sevier County, Utah; 3/4 mile south of the Soldier Canyon road in SW1/4 SE1/4 NE1/4 section 26, T.22S., R.1E., S.L.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to shale (paralithic contact) ranges from 7 to 20 inches, The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 40 to 47 degrees F. The mean summer temperature ranges from 61 to 64 degrees F. The soil is dry in the moisture control section (4 to 14 inches) more than 50 percent of the time the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F., and is dry for 60 to 80 consecutive days during the 4 months following the summer solstice in 6 out of 10 years.
The A horizon has value of 4 through 5 moist, 5 through 7 dry, and chroma of 2 through 4 dry and moist. It is paragravelly loam, very paragravelly loam, silt loam or cobbly loam and has 10 to 35 percent rock fragments. It is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR through 5YR, value of 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 4 dry and moist. It is loam, silt loam, paragravelly loam or clay loam and averages 18 to 27 percent clay and 10 to 30 percent shale fragments.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ellett soils are on rolling hillsides and foothills. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. Elevation is 6,200 to 7,200 feet. The climate is semiarid, with an average annual precipitation of 11 to 14 inches. The mean air annual temperature is 38 to 45 degrees F. The frost free season is 65 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Freece, Isbell and Hume soils. Isbell and Hume soils have a mollic epipedon, an argillic horizon, and are deep. Freece and Hume soils have clayey texture.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well to somewhat excessively drained; rapid to medium runoff; moderate and moderately slow permeability above shale and very slow permeability through the shale.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for range and wildlife. The native vegetation is pinyon pine, Utah juniper, birchleaf mahogany, Indian ricegrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Utah, Gooseberry area in Salina Canyon, Sevier County. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rich County, Utah, 1980.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to 5 inches (A horizon).
Paralithic contact - the boundary at 14 inches.
Particle size control section - the zone from 0 to 14 inches.