LOCATION FRANDSEN UT

Established Series
REV: MM/LHS/SJJ
10/2020

FRANDSEN SERIES

The Frandsen series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately slowly permeable soils that formed from alluvium and colluvium derived from sandstone, limestone and shale. Frandsen soils are on dissected alluvial fans and mountain footslopes and have slopes of 1 to 50 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 14 inches and mean annual temperature is 42 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Haplustepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Frandsen loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 3 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine medium and coarse roots; common fine pores; 10 percent pebbles; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)

Bw--3 to 21 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly plastic; few fine medium and coarse roots; few coarse and very fine pores; 5 percent pebbles; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 22 inches thick)

Bk1--21 to 37 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few very fine pores; 10 percent pebbles; few fine carbonate flakes; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (12 to 18 inches thick)

Bk2--37 to 43 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common fine pores; 10 percent pebbles; few fine carbonate flakes; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

C--43 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam; brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; 10 percent pebbles; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Garfield County, Utah; 3 miles northwest of the Pink Cliffs Motel; 1,600 feet south and 2,600 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 3, T. 36 S., R. 3 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature is 60 to 62 degrees F. The soils are dry in some or all parts of the moisture control section for 90 to 110 consecutive days in most years, but are moist in some parts 50 to 60 percent of the time the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F., at a depth of 20 inches.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR to 5YR, value of 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 to 4 dry and moist.

The Bw and Bk horizons have hue of 10YR to 5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist and chroma of 2 to 4 dry, 2 to 5 moist. They are loam or clay loam. Clay content averages from 20 to 35 percent. Rock fragments range from 0 to 10 percent. Reaction is moderately or strongly alkaline.

The C horizon has hue of 10YR to 5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist and chroma of 2 to 4 dry, 2 to 5 moist. It is typically loam, but includes fine sandy loam below 40 inches. Rock fragments range from 0 to 10 percent. This horizon is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no competing series in this family. ( Sheepcan and Zahill series were re-classified)

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Frandsen soils are at elevations of 6,800 to 8,000 feet. Slopes are 1 to 50 percent. These soils occur on fan terraces, dissected alluvial fans and mountain footslopes and formed in colluvium and alluvium weathered from sandstone, limestone, and shale. The climate is dry subhumid, average annual precipitation is 12 to 20 inches. The mean annual temperature is 38 to 45 degrees F., and the freeze-free period is 60 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cooney, Guben, Luhon, and Panguitch soils. Cooney soils have carbonatic mineralogy and have a fine-silty particle-size control section. Guben soils have a mollic epipedon and have a calcic horizon. Luhon soils have a calcic horizon. Panguitch soils have a mollic epipedon, a cambic horizon and a calcic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland, woodland and wildlife habitat. The potential vegetation is mountain big sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, and yellowbrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central and central Utah. The series is not extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Carbon County, Utah, 1982.

REMARKS:
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 Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data.
Previous classification: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Typic Ustorthents.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.