LOCATION EMIGRATION UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Lithic Xerorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Emigration very cobbly loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 55 percent gravel and cobbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear irregular boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
C1--4 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure that parts to moderate medium and fine granular structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 55 percent cobbles and gravel (gravel is platy limestone fragments); mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); limestone fragments effervesce but matrix is noncalcareous; gradual wavy boundary, (8 to 16 inches thick)
C2--14 to 18 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure that parts to moderate medium and fine granular structure; hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; 80 percent cobbles and gravel; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); limestone fragments in the soil effervescence but soil matrix is noncalcareous; abrupt irregular boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
R--18 to 19 inches bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Salt Lake County, Utah; in the head of Badger Hollow in Emigration Canyon, east of Salt Lake City; on the section line 600 feet west of the NW corner of section 31, T.1N., R.2E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to bedrock is less than 20 inches. These soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the A and C horizons. The soil matrix is slightly calcareous to noncalcareous. The limestone fragments are strongly calcareous. The mean annual soil temperature is less than 47 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature is 59 to 65 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry 6 or more years out of 10. The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Value are not both 5 dry and 3 moist. The C horizon is clay loam with 35 to 85 percent cobbles and gravel by volume. The control section averages less than 35 percent clay.
COMPETING SERIES AND THEIR DIFFERENTIAE: These are the Agassiz, Anatone, Little Pole, Mellinthin, Montvale, Richmond, Van Wagoner, and Wallsburg series. Agassiz, Anatone, Little Pole, Montvale, Van Wagoner, and Wallsburg soils have mollic epipedons. Also, Anatone soils have cambic horizons and Montvale soils have argillic horizons and mean annual soil temperature more than 47 degrees F. Mellinthin soils are calcareous throughout, have calcic horizons, and have a mean annual soil temperature of more than 47 degrees F. Richmond soils have more than 40 percent lime in the control section and have mean annual soil temperatures more than 47 degrees F. Wallsburg soils have argillic horizons with more than 35 percent clay.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Emigration soils are on convex to slightly concave, and short to medium south exposures of very steep mountain slopes have some rock outcrops. The soils formed in shallow very cobbly or very gravelly residuum and colluvium from weathered limestone rocks. the climate is moist subhumid, with an average annual precipitation of 15 to 19 inches. The mean annual temperature ranges from 44 to 45 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature is about 65 degrees F. The frost free season is 100 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Agassiz and Wallsburg soils and the Harkers and Picayune soils. Harkers and Picayune soils are more than 40 inches deep to bedrock, have mollic epipedons, and have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section. Also, Harkers soils have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for spring and fall range and for watershed. Native vegetation is oak, sagebrush, western wheatgrass, mulesear dock, cheatgrass, and annual with stunted maple in some places.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Very steep mountain slopes in northeast Salt Lake County. This series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Salt Lake County, Utah, 1972.
REMARKS: Emigration soils were formerly classified as Lithosols.
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Lakewood MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.