LOCATION FIELDING UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, mesic Typic Calcixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Fielding silt loam--irrigated cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap1--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Ap2--6 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--10 to 15 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few fine and medium discontinuous pores; strongly effervescent; 4 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bk1--15 to 19 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common fine and very fine discontinuous pores; violently effervescent; 27 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bk2--19 to 25 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common fine and very fine discontinuous pores; violently effervescent; 28 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; carbonates are blocky and cylindrical; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)
Bk3--25 to 34 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine discontinuous pores; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist masses of iron accumulation; violently effervescent; 35 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; carbonates are blocky and cylindrical; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 24 inches thick)
C1--34 to 52 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) silt loam stratified with 0.05 to 0.25 inch thick strata of very fine sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine discontinuous pores; few medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist masses of iron accumulation; violently effervescent; 31 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 17 inches thick)
C2--52 to 66 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) silty clay loam stratified with 0.5 to 2 inch thick strata of very fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; common very fine discontinuous pores; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist masses of iron accumulation; violently effervescent; 32 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Box Elder County, Utah; about one eighth of a mile northwest of the Fielding school; approximately 800 feet north and 850 feet west of the south quarter corner of section 31, T. 13 N., R. 2 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is about 50 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature is 73 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry less than 50 percent of the time the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. in all parts of the moisture control section. They are dry for 60 to 90 consecutive days in all parts of the moisture control section. Depth to the water table is 45 to 60 inches.
The mollic epipedon is 8 to 18 inches thick. The combined thickness of the Ap and Bw is 14 to 32 inches thick and is underlain by a calcic horizon. The control section averages silt loam with about 20 to 24 percent clay and less than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand.
The A horizons has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is loam or silt loam. It is slightly to strongly calcareous and neutral to strongly alkaline.
The Bk horizons has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry. The dry color changes from light gray or very pale brown to pale brown or light grayish brown. This horizon has faint mottles below 24 to 30 inches, in some pedons. Distinct mottles occur below 30 to 40 inches.
The Bk and C horizons contain 25 to 40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent.
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on nearly level and gently sloping low lake terrace and alluvial fans adjacent to the valley floor at elevations of 4,250 to 4,450 feet. Slopes are 0 to 3 percent and gently undulating where not leveled. These soils formed in lacustrine deposits and alluvium derived from limestone, sandstone, and quartzite. The climate is dry subhumid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 14 to 18 inches. The mean annual temperature is 48 to 51 degrees F. and the mean summer temperature is 71 to 73 degrees F. The potential evapotranspiration is about 25 inches. The frost-free period is 125 to 155 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Fridlo, Honeyville, Parleys, and Timpanogos soils. Fridlo soils have natric horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; low surface runoff; moderate permeability (moderately high or high saturated hydraulic conductivity).
USE AND VEGETATION: Fielding soils are used for irrigated cropland. The native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass and some big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Utah. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 28A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Box Elder County (Eastern Part), Utah, 1969.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 10 inches (Ap1 and Ap2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 15 to 34 inches (Bk1, Bk2, and Bk3 horizons).
Endosaturation feature - The condition of ground water with an upper boundary between 42 and 60 inches at certain times during normal years (parts of the C1 and C2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (Bw, Bk1, Bk2, and Bk3 horizons and part of the C1 horizon).
The active cation exchange activity class was added to the taxonomic classification in December 2002 based on soil property data.
ADDITIONAL DATA: The typical pedon at the series type location has partial characterization data by the Soils Laboratory from Utah State University (USU) Logan, UT and is published on pages 208-209, Table 9 of the Soil Survey of Box Elder County, Utah, Eastern Part. The pH values in the typical pedon are from saturated paste.