LOCATION FREECE UTTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, frigid, shallow Typic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Freece cobbly clay loam, rangeland. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) cobbly clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; 20 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
C1--3 to 16 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) clay , light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; strong coarse angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
C2--16 to 19 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clay, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; common medium distinct light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) mottles; weak medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine pores; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
C3r--19 to 30 inches; soft weathered shale.
TYPE LOCATION: Sevier County, Utah; about 18 miles west of Salina, 200 feet west of Salina Creek; approximately on the southwest corner of section 1, T.22S., R.3E., SLM; Water Hollow Ridge USGS quad; lat. 38 degrees 55 minutes 07 seconds N. and long. 111 degrees 32 minutes 01 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to shale is 12 to 20 inches. The mean annual soil temperature at depth of 20 inches ranges from 44 to 47 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature ranges from 61 to 64 degrees F. The soil is dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 50 to 75 consecutive days or more within the 4 months following the summer solstice.
The A1 horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2 dry and moist. It is cobbly clay loam or sandy loam and has 0 to 40 percent rock fragments. This horizon is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
The C1 and C2 horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3 dry, 2 or 3 moist. They are clay loam or clay and average 38 to 50 percent clay. These horizons are moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline and 10 to 17 inches thick. Mottles with 2.5Y hue occur in some pedons and range from none to common.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Dimya series in another family. Dimya soils have an ustic moisture regime and lack a paralithic contact within a depth of 20 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Freece soils are on rolling hillsides and mountain slopes. Slopes range from 5 to 50 percent. These soils formed in residuum weathered from shale. Elevation is 7,000 to 8,400 feet. The climate is dry subhumid, with an average annual precipitation of 14 to 18 inches. The mean annual temperature is 41 to 46 degrees F. The frost free season is 75 to 85 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ellett, Hume and Isbell soils. Ellett soils have loam texture and have an aridic moisture regime, marginal or xeric. Isbell and Hume soils have a mollic epipedon and an argillic horizon, and are deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for range. The native vegetation is Utah juniper, pinyon pine, birchleaf mountain mahogany, bluebunch wheatgrass and Indian ricegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Utah, Salina Canyon and Lost Creek in Sevier County. MLRA 47. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Loa-Richfield Soil Survey, Sevier County, Utah, 1959.
REMARKS: The 10/2005 revision changed the classification from fine, smectitic, calcareous, frigid, shallow Typic Xerorthents to clayey, smectitic, frigid, shallow Typic Haploxerepts.