LOCATION EIMARSH UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, calcareous, mesic Aeric Halaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Eimarsh silt loam--on a southeastern facing, linear slope of 1 percent under inland saltgrass at an elevation of 4,220 feet--wildlife habitat. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Azg--0 to 5 inches; 60 percent light olive gray (5Y 6/2) and 40 percent dark gray (5Y 4/1) silt loam, 60 percent light gray (5Y 7/2) and 40 percent gray (5Y 5/1) dry; moderate medium and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common coarse, common medium, many fine, and many very fine roots; few medium and many very fine and fine tubular pores; common fine masses of soluble salt in the matrix; few fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; 25 sodium adsorption ratio; moderately saline (EC 12 mmhos/cm); violently effervescent; 28 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; calcium carbonate disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bz1--5 to 10 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) silty clay, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) dry; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium and many very fine and fine roots; few medium, many very fine and fine tubular pores; common fine masses of soluble salt in the matrix; few fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; 10 percent organic stains; 56 sodium adsorption ratio; strongly saline (EC 23 mmhos/cm); strongly effervescent; 13 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; calcium carbonate disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary.
Bz2--10 to 15 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) silty clay, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) dry; moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few medium, many very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common fine masses of soluble salt in the matrix; 59 sodium adsorption ratio; strongly saline (EC 26 mmhos/cm); violently effervescent; 28 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; calcium carbonate disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bz horizons is 7 to 24 inches)
Czg1--15 to 34 inches; 60 percent olive gray (5Y 5/2) and 40 percent brown (7.5YR 5/4) silty clay, 60 percent light olive gray (5Y 6/2) and 40 percent light brown (7.5YR 6/4) dry; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 74 sodium adsorption ratio; strongly saline (EC 32 mmhos/cm); violently effervescent; 28 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; calcium carbonate disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear smooth boundary.
Czg2--34 to 45 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) silty clay, pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) dry; massive; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few fine faint gray (10YR 6/1) zones of iron depletion; common fine, medium, and coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; few fine distinct black (7.5YR 2.5/1) masses of manganese accumulation; 74 sodium adsorption ratio; strongly saline (EC 32 mmhos/cm); violently effervescent; 28 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; calcium carbonate disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear smooth boundary.
Czg3--45 to 60 inches; gray (5Y 6/1) silty clay, light gray (5Y 7/1) dry; massive; very hard very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common fine, medium, and coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; common fine, medium, and coarse prominent black (7.5YR 2.5/1) masses of manganese accumulation; 25 sodium adsorption ratio; strongly saline (EC 31 mmhos/cm); violently effervescent; 26 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; calcium carbonate disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4);. (Combined thickness of the Czg horizons is 20 to 45 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Box Elder County, Utah; about 0.25 miles north of the northeast shore of Pintail Lake in the state public shooting grounds; approximately 2,300 feet east and 2,600 feet north of the southwest corner of section 21, T. 10 N., R. 4 W.; USGS Public Shooting Grounds 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 41 degrees 35 minutes 09.71 seconds north latitude and 112 degrees 18 minutes 21.97 seconds west longitude, NAD83; UTM zone 12N 391131E, 4604617N, NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually wet in part of the moisture control section between March and October, moist during fall and winter; Seasonal periods of aquic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature - 49 to 54 degrees F.
Depth to base of cambic horizon - 10 to 20 inches.
Depth to salic horizon - 10 to 20 inches.
Depth to redoximorphic features - 0 to 28 inches.
Effervescence - Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 40 to 50 percent.
Azg horizon - Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y.
Value: 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry.
Chroma: 1 or 2, moist or dry.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 8 to 16 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 15 to 30.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 20 to 30 percent
Bz horizons - Hue: 10YR through 5Y.
Value: 5 or 6 moist, 6 or 7 dry.
Chroma: 1 through 3, moist or dry; dominant chroma of 3 is present in the matrix of at least one subhorizon at depths between 6 and 30 inches from the soil surface.
Texture: Silty clay loam or silty clay.
Salinity (EC): 16 to 35 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 30 to 70.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent.
Czg horizons - Hue: 7.5YR through 5Y.
Value: 4 to 6 moist, 5 to 7 dry.
Chroma: 1 through 3, moist or dry.
Salinity (EC): 30 to 80 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 50 to 100.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 25 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: Lacustrine deposits derived from limestone, shale, and quartzite.
Landform: Lake plains.
Slope: 0 to 1 percent
Elevation: 4,205 to 4,220 feet
Mean annual temperature: 48 to 52 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 12 to 16 inches.
Wettest months: October to May.
Driest months: June to September.
Frost-free period: 140 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Payson, Pintailake, and Saltair soils. Payson soils have natric horizons and do not have salic horizons. Pintailake soils do not have salic horizons. Saltair are fine-silty and have salic horizons within 10 inches of the soil surface.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; high surface runoff; slow permeability (moderately low or moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity). Endosaturation is present with an apparent seasonal high water table between 0.8 and 1.7 feet (shallow free water occurrence class) between March and October. Cumulative annual duration class is Persistent. These soils are susceptible to frequent ponding for long duration from March through September with water up to 0.5 feet deep.
USE AND VEGETATION: Eimarsh soils are used for wildlife habitat and rangeland. Some potential native plants are inland saltgrass, Nebraska sedge, alkali muhly, and alkali bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Utah. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Box Elder County, Utah, 2006.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 7 inches (Azg horizon and part of the Bz1 horizon).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 5 to 15 inches (Bz1 and Bz2 horizons).
Salic horizon - The zone from 15 to 60 inches (Czg1, Czg2, and Czg3 horizons).
Aquic conditions - The conditions of endosaturation, reduction, and redoximorphic features between 10 and 20 inches at certain times during normal years (parts of the Bz2 and Czg1 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (Bz2 and Czg1 horizons and part of the Czg2 horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: The typical pedon at the series type location has partial characterization data by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, as soil survey sample number S02UT-003-003 (pedon # 02N0156).