LOCATION GARDNERS FORK UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive Pachic Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Gardners Fork channery loam - woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--O to 11 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) channery loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure that parts to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine, medium and coarse roots; few fine pores; 25 percent shale fragments; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 14 inches thick)
A2--11 to 20 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) channery loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure that parts to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine, medium, and coarse roots; common fine pores; 25 percent shale fragments; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
A3--20 to 35 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) channery sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; 40 percent shale fragments; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
C1--35 to 50 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) very channery sandy loam; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; many fine pores; 35 percent shale fragments; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
C2--50 to 60 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) very channery sandy loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; weak fine granular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; many fine pores; 50 percent shale fragments; neutral (pH 6.9).
TYPE LOCATION: Summit County, Utah; about .5 mile above Smithmorehead Guard station; NE 1/4 NE 1/4 SW 1/4 section 13, T. 1 S., R. 7 E .
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Some pedons have a thin organic layer at the surface. The moisture regime is udic. Thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to bedrock is 60 inches or deeper. The control section averages 20 to 35 percent shale fragments. Reaction is neutral or slightly acid throughout the soil. The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 38 to 45 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature ranges from 53 to 58 degrees F.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 3 through 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is channery light loam, heavy sandy loam or silt loam. Shale fragment content ranges from 20 to 30 percent in the upper part of the A horizon, 20 to 50 percent in the lower part.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 2 or 3. It has 35 to 60 percent shale fragments.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Aycab,
Cinderspring, Coffeepot,
Coutis,
Earcree,
Foxvire,
Grayhead,
Hailman,
Moonlight,
Naz,
Razorba,
Shook,
Skyway, and
Tosp series.
Aycab, Coffeepot, Grayhead, Hailman, and Shook soils have a paralithic contact.
Cinderspring soils have a lithologic discontinuity with cinders.
Coutis soils do not have a udic moisture regime.
Earcree soils do not have shale fragments.
Foxvire soils have a xeric moisture regime.
Moonlight and Naz soils have less than 20 percent rock fragments.
Razorba soils are calcareous.
Skyway and Tosp soils have a lithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils occur on mountain slopes and benches at elevations of 8,000 to 9,000 feet. Slopes range from 20 to 55 percent but are mainly 30 to 45 percent. These soils formed in alluvium and colluvium weathered from quartz diorite porphyry and shale. Mean annual temperature is 38 to 47 degrees F. and mean summer temperature is 54 to 58 degrees F. The frost-free period is 20 to 50 days. The average annual precipitation is 25 to 30 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bear Basin and Elder Hollow soils. Bear Basin soils have an E horizon, and a gravelly sandy clay loam Bt horizon with more than 18 percent clay. Elder Hollow soils have bedrock at a depth of less than 20 inches, and have a mollic epipedon less than 20 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to slow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used principally for forest, rangeland, watershed and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mainly aspen with some conifer, and a dense brush understory of snowberry, serviceberry, chokecherry and associated grasses and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Utah. Western Uinta Mountains. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Summit County, Utah, 1977.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon: from 0 to 35 inches (A1, A2, and A3 horizons)
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the A1, A2, A3, and part of C1 horizon)