LOCATION ERCAN UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Pachic Palecryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ercan loam, woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A11--0 to 5 inches; very dark brown (7.5YR 2/2) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine and few medium and coarse roots; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 11 inches thick)
A12--5 to 18 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/3) dry; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure that parts to weak fine granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 13 inches thick)
A2--18 to 27 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) heavy fine sandy loam, pink (5YR 7/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 18 inches thick)
B&A--27 to 35 inches; about 30 percent A2 materials, same as above A2 horizon; 70 percent B2t as follows: red (2.5YR 4/8) clay loam, light red (2.5YR 6/6) dry; moderate coarse prismatic structure that parts to strong medium subangular blocky; extremely hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine fine and medium roots; common very fine pores; common thin clay films on peds; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary.
B2t--35 to 56 inches; red (10R 4/6) clay loam, red (10R 4/6) dry; strong coarse prismatic structure that parts to strong medium subangular blocky; extremely hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; few fine and medium roots; many very fine pores; many moderately thick clay films on faces of peds; medium acid (pH 6.0); diffuse irregular boundary. (10 to 21 inches thick)
R--56 to 60 inches; fractured, weakly consolidated, weathered sandstone with B2t materials as above tonguging into cracks.
TYPE LOCATION: Weber County, Utah; 8 miles northeast of Causey Dam; 1,600 feet west and 800 feet south of the NE corner of section 24, T.7N., R.4E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 12 to 19 inches thick. The upper boundary of the B2t horizon ranges from 24 to 39 inches. The combined thickness of the A1, A2, and B2t horizons ranges from 47 to 60 inches or more over bedrock. The mean annual soil temperature at depth of 20 inches ranges from 47 to 60 inches or more over bedrock. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 55 to 58 degrees F. The soils are usually moist, but are dry for 30 to 45 days during the late summer. Rock fragments consist of rounded sandstone pebbles and cobbles, and range from 0 to 10 percent in the A1 horizon, 0 to 20 percent in the A2 horizon, and 0 to 25 percent in the B2t horizon.
The A1 horizon has hue of 10YR to 5YR, value of 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist. It ranges from slightly to medium acid, and is 12 to 19 inches thick.
The A2 horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5YR, value of 4 to 8 dry, 3 to 6 moist, and chroma of 3 to 6 dry and moist. It ranges from sandy loam or loam to light clay loam. This horizon ranges from slightly to medium acid. It generally tongues into the B2t horizon and ranges from 6 to 20 inches thick.
The B2t horizon has hue of 5YR through 10R, value of 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 4 to 6 dry, 4 to 8 moist. It ranges from clay loam to silty clay loam and has 30 to 35 percent clay. Structure ranges from weak to strong, medium or coarse, subangular blocky or prismatic. Clay films are common to many, thin to moderately thick. Reaction ranges from medium acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alpon, Baird Hollow, Flygers, Lucky Star, Pintler, Pritchett, Red Spur and Skylick series. Alpon and Skylick soils have hue of 7.5YR or 10YR in the B2t horizon. Baird Hollow, Flygare, Lucky Star and Pritchett soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section. Flygare, Red Spur, and Skylick soils have mollic epipedons more than 20 inches thick. Pintler soils have 20 to 35 percent rock fragments in the B2t horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ercan soils are at elevations of 6,000 to 8,700 feet. They occur on mountain slopes. Slopes range from 3 to 60 percent but are dominantly 3 to 30 percent. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium weathered from sandstone. The climate is humid, and the average annual precipitation ranges from 20 to 35 inches. The mean annual temperature is 32 to 44 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature is 53 to 56 degree F. The frost free season ranges from 30 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Condie, Herd and Yeljack soils, and the competing Lucky Star soils. Condie and Herd soils lack mollic epipedons. Yeljack soils have mollic epipedons more than 20 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for watershed, range and wildlife habitat. The present native vegetation is aspen, with an understory of mountain bromegrass, yarrow, snowberry, horsemint, and western coneflower.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Utah. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Morgan County, Morgan Area, Utah., 1974.