LOCATION GORING UT+ID
Established Series
Rev. VLM/MEO/AJE/JMW
10/2025
GORING SERIES
The Goring series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium and residuum from sandstone and quartzite. Goring soils are on mountains. Slopes range from 3 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 22 inches (570 mm) and the mean annual air temperature is about 49 degrees F (4 degrees C).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Pachic Palexerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Goring silt loam - native grasses and shrubs (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 inches (0 to 8 cm); brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak thick platy structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine roots; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
A2--3 to 7 inches (8 to 18 cm); brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky. slightly plastic; many fine roots; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
BA--7 to 13 inches (18 to 33 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/3) light silty clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and fine angular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky, plastic; many fine roots; common fine discontinuous interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 11 inches thick)
Bt1--13 to 22 inches (33 to 56 cm); reddish brown (5YR 4/3) heavy silty clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure that parts to fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky, plastic; common fine roots; common fine discontinuous interstitial pores; moderately thick continuous clay films; slightly acid (pH 6.3); diffuse wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Bt2--22 to 35 inches (56 to 89 cm); reddish brown (5YR 4/4) silty clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; strong coarse subangular blocky structure that parts to medium and fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; common fine discontinuous interstitial pores; moderately thick continuous clay films; slightly acid (pH 6.1); diffuse wavy boundary. (8 to 19 inches thick)
Bt3--35 to 55 inches (89 to 140 cm); red (2.5YR 4/6) silty clay loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure that parts to fine and medium subangular blocky; extremely hard, very firm, sticky, plastic; few fine roots; common fine discontinuous pores; moderately thick continuous clay films; slightly acid (pH 6.3).
TYPE LOCATION: Cache County, Utah; about 2 1/2 miles northeast of Hardward Ranch headquarters; about 1,000 feet south and 1,400 feet west of the NW corner of sec. 7, T.10N., R.4E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Typically, Goring soils have brown, slightly acid, silt loam A horizons and thick, reddish brown, slightly acid, silty clay Bt horizons with prismatic structure. The mollic epipedon is 20 to 32 inches (50 to 80 cm) thick. The combined thickness of the A1, BA and Bt horizons is 45 to 60 inches (114 to 150 cm) or more. The mean annual soil temperature is 39 to 44 degrees F (4 to 7 degrees C), and the mean summer temperature at about 20 inches (50 cm) depth is 60 to 65 degrees F (16 to 18 degrees C). The cation exchange capacity/clay ratio is about 0.6 to 0.8. The soils are usually moist but are dry in the 4 to 12 inch (10 to 30 cm) depth for 60 days or more during the summer months.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It has weak to moderate, fine to medium granular or thin to thick platy structure in the upper part. It is slightly acid to neutral and is 6 to 14 inches thick.
The BA horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3. It is silt loam or light silty clay loam, with up to 20 percent gravel and cobble. It has weak to strong, fine to coarse angular or subangular blocky structure. It is slightly acid to neutral.
The Bt horizon(s) has hue of 7.5YR, 5YR, or 2.5YR, value of 3 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist and chroma of 3 through 6 and only the upper 5 to 15 inches (13 to 38 cm) has the combined dark color and required organic matter content for a mollic epipedon. It is clay, silty clay or heavy silty clay loam. It has weak to strong, medium to coarse prismatic, angular or subangular blocky structure. It is slightly acid to neutral. Clay films are common to many, thin to moderately thick.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Greentimber,
Letavaria,
Maughan,
Prag, and
Skullgulch series. Greentimber soils have buried argillic horizons and an abrupt texture change at the top of the argillic. Letavaria soils contain carbonates in the lower part of the argillic horizon. Maughan soils have an E horizon. Prag soils are moderately deep to partially consolidated sediments. Skullgulch soils have more than 45 percent clay in the Bt horizon and secondary carbonates in the lower part of the argillic at a depth of 40 to 60 inches (100 to 150 cm).
Similar soils include the
Ant Flat,
Broadhead,
Deer Creek,
Henefer, Nebecker, and
Yeates Hollow series. Ant Flat soils have mollic epipedons less than 20 inches (5o cm) thick and have horizons of carbonate accumulation. Broadhead soils have argillic horizons with 10YR hue. Also,
Prag soils have an abrupt boundary at the top of the argillic horizon. Deer Creek soils have strong horizons of carbonate accumulation and have cobbly argillic horizons. Henefer soils have cobbly clay argillic horizons.
Nebeker soils have mean annual soil temperatures of 47 degrees F (8 degrees C) or more. Yeates Hollow soils have mollic epipedons less than 20 inches (50 cm) thick and have very cobbly clay argillic horizons with more than 35 percent coarse fragments.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Goring soils are at elevations of 5,300 to 7,200 feet (1605 to 2180 m) on strongly sloping to very steep mountain slopes; gradients range from 6 to 60 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and alluvium from sandstone and quartzite. The climate is moist subhumid, mean annual temperature is 38 to 42 degrees F (3 to 6 degrees C), mean summer temperature is 60 to 63 degrees F (16 to 17 degrees C), and the average annual precipitation is 18 to 24 inches (460 to 610 mm). The frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Curtis Creek,
Hoskin,
Lucky Star,
Obray,
Scave, and
Yeates Hollow soils. Curtis Creek soils formed on steep mountain slopes and have a lithic contact between 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 cm), mollic epipedons less than 20 inches (50 cm) thick, and have loamy argillic horizons. Hoskin soils formed on south-facing slopes have mollic epipedons less than 20 inches (50 cm) thick, and very cobbly loam argillic horizons with more than 35 percent coarse fragments. Obray soils formed on gently sloping to moderately steep north-facing slopes and are calcareous in the lower part and have cracks that are open for more than 60 days and extend to 40 inches (100 cm) or more when the soils are dry. Scave soils on steep mountain slopes and Lucky Star soils on mountain slopes and moraines have albic horizons and average summer temperatures of less than 59 degrees F (15 degrees C). Yeates Hollow soils are on hills, fan remnants, and mountain slopes and have a lithic contact between 40 and 60 inches (100 to 150 cm).
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium or slow runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for rangeland and are grazed by livestock and wildlife. The native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, Letterman's needlegrass, mulesear dock, sagebrush, and service berry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountain areas of northern Utah, MLRA 47. The series is moderately extensive.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cache County (Cache Area), Utah, 1969.
REMARKS: The Goring soils were formerly classified as Brunizems.
OSED scanned by NSSQA. Last reviewed by the state on 3/71.
09/2025--Competing series checked and updated. -JBB
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.