LOCATION EPHRAIM UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, carbonatic, mesic Aquic Xerofluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Ephraim silty clay loam, cultivated. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A11--0 to 6 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak medium platy structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; few medium and fine roots; few coarse pores, and common medium and fine pores; strongly calcareous, lime is disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
A12--6 to 13 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silty clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few medium and fine roots; many very fine and fine pores, and few medium and coarse pores; very strongly calcareous, lime is disseminated, and few fine flakes and nodules; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
C1--13 to 21 inches; 13 to 21 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) silty clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine pores; very strongly calcareous, lime is disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
C2--21 to 30 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silty clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; few fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; many very fine and fine pores and few medium and few coarse pores; few worm casts and krotovinas; very strongly calcareous, lime is disseminated and in fine flakes and veins; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 10 inches thick)
A13b--30 to 37 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) finely stratified light silty clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; few fine distinct dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) mottles; weak medium prismatic structure; hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; very strongly calcareous, lime is disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
C3--37 to 41 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) mottles; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; very strongly calcareous, lime is disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 5 inches thick)
A14b--41 to 51 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and many fine pores; very strongly calcareous, lime is disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
C4--51 to 612 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silty clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many very fine pores; very strongly calcareous, lime is disseminated and in fine veins; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Sanpete County, Utah; northwest corner of Manti Airport, 1,150 feet west and 1,150 feet north of the SE corner section 18, T.17S., R.3E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are saturated during some period within 60 inches of the surface. They have chroma of 1 if not mottled or if mottled chroma of 2 at some depth between depths of 20 and 40 inches. Organic matter content either decreases irregularly with depth or remains above 0.35 percent to a depth of 50 inches. Calcium carbonate equivalent averages 40 to 55 percent in the control section. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 49 degrees F. at a depth of about 20 inches. The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is moderately or strongly alkaline. The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3. It ranges from silt loam to silty clay, but the average is silty clay loam with 27 to 35 percent clay and less than 15 percent sand coarser than very fine sand. The C horizon is moderately or strongly alkaline. Sand or loamy sand strata occur below 40 inches in some pedons. Buried A1 horizons are common.
COMPETING SERIES AND THEIR DIFFERENTIAE: These are the Abraham, Anco, Dyreng, Lahontan, Placeritos, Quaker, and Woodrow series. All of these soils except Quaker have less than 40 percent carbonates in the control section. Abraham soils have less than 18 percent clay in the control section. Placeritos soils have less than 27 percent clay in the control section and Lahontan and Dyreng soils have more than 35 percent clay. Quaker and Woodrow soils are usually dry and have a torric moisture regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Ephraim soils are on nearly level or gently sloping alluvial valley bottoms. They formed in alluvium from limestone. These soils occur at elevations of 5,200 to 5,800 feet in a semiarid climate. The mean annual temperature ranges from 45 to 48 degrees F. The average annual precipitation ranges from 9 to 12 inches. The frost free season is 110 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kjar, Poganeab, and Shumay soils, and the competing Anco, Dyreng, Quaker, and Woodrow soils. Kjar soils have histic epipedons. Poganeab soils have less than 40 percent carbonates. Shumway soils have more than 35 percent clay in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow runoff; moderately slow and slow permeability. Depth to water table ranges from 30 to 60 inches.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for irrigated crops of small grains, alfalfa, and improved pasture. Principal native vegetation is saltgrass, rabbitbrush, wiregrass, cheatgrass, and annual weeds.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Utah. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sanpete Soil Survery Area, Utah, 1971.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly classified as Alluvial soils.