LOCATION GRASSYTRAIL UT

Established Series
Rev. LDS/RJL/JWB
03/2011

GRASSYTRAIL SERIES

The Grassytrail series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from sandstone and shale. Grassytrail soils are on drainageways near gypsiferous shale hills. Slopes range from 2 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 27 cm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Calcigypsids

TYPICAL PEDON: Grassytrail very fine sandy loam, on a southeast facing, concave, 2 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 1634 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on September 28, 1995 the soil was moist from 5 to 30 cm. The surface is covered by 2 percent gravel.

A--0 to 10 centimeters; light brown (7.5YR 6/4), very fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4), moist; weak thin platy structure, and weak very fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; fine roots and medium and coarse roots and common very fine roots; 2 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (10 percent carbonate); slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

Bw--10 to 28 centimeters; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4), very fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6), moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; fine roots and medium roots and common very fine roots; 1 percent gravel; slightly effervescent (10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 38 cm thick)

Bk--28 to 48 centimeters; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4), very fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6), moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; fine roots and medium and coarse roots and common very fine roots; 1 percent gravel; violently effervescent (11 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are segregated in common fine threads; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 64 cm thick)

Bky1--48 to 86 centimeters; pink (5YR 7/4), very fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6), moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; fine and medium roots and common very fine roots; 5 percent gravel; violently effervescent (13 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are segregated in many medium threads; many medium gypsum threads (4 percent gypsum); slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 38 cm thick)

Bky2--86 to 132 centimeters; pink (7.5YR 7/4), gypsiferous fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4), moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; fine and medium roots and common very fine roots; 10 percent gravel; slightly effervescent (7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are segregated in common fine threads; many medium gypsum threads and crystals (29 percent gypsum); slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (18 to 94 cm thick)

Bky3--132 to 150 centimeters; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4), gypsiferous very fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4), moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, soft, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots throughout and common very fine roots; 5 percent gravel; slightly effervescent (5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are segregated in common fine threads; many medium gypsum threads and crystals (31 percent gypsum); slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 38 cm thick)

2Bky4--150 to 165 centimeters; light gray (10YR 7/2), gypsiferous loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3), moist; single grain; loose, loose, slightly sticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots; 5 percent gravel; slightly effervescent (12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are segregated in common fine threads; many medium gypsum threads and crystals on bottom of rock fragments (28 percent gypsum); moderately alkaline (pH 7.9). (15 to 91 cm thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Emery County, Utah; about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) northwest of Dry Mesa; located in an unsurveyed area on Dry Mesa (UT) USGS quad; UTM 544263 meters E, 4337370 meters N, zone 12; lat. 39 degrees 11 minutes 11 seconds N. and long. 110 degrees 29 minutes 14 seconds W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is affected by precipitation that peaks from July to October and falls evenly throughout the remainder of the year; aridic (torric) moisture regime bordering on ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8.9 to 11.1 degrees C
Depth to cambic horizon: 5 to 13 cm
Depth to calcic horizon: 20 to 38 cm
Depth to gypsic horizon: 46 to 99 cm

Particle-size control section (weighted averages):
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Fine sand and coarser sand content: 30 to 40 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 15 percent gravel and channers
Gypsum content: less than 20 mm fraction: 5 to 15 percent

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Gypsum: 0 to 2 percent
SAR: 0 to 1
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Bw horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Gypsum: 0 to 4 percent
SAR: 0 to 1
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Bk horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry; 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 25 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
Gypsum: 0 to 4 percent
SAR: 0 to 2
Reaction: moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline

Bky, 2Bky horizon(s):
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry; 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, with or without gypsiferous modifiers
Clay content: 7 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent in Bky horizons; 0 to 30 percent in 2Bky horizon
Pararock fragments: 0 to 20 percent parachanners (in 2Bky horizon)
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 25 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 8
Gypsum: 3 to 30 percent
SAR: 0 to 4
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline

By horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry; 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
Gypsum: 5 to 35 percent
SAR: 0 to 2
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Jornaham (NM) series. Jornaham soils have a mean annual soil temperature greater than 11.1 degrees C. and average more than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium derived from sandstone and shale
Landform: drainageways
Slopes: 2 to 6 percent
Elevation: 1,463 to 1,890 meters
Mean annual temperature: 7.2 to 10 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation: 23 to 30 cm
Precipitation pattern: peak periods between July to October and evenly distributed throughout the remainder of the year
Frost-free period: 120 to 150 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Humbug and Mussentuchit series. The Humbug soils are on structural benches and have shale bedrock contact at 102 to 152 cm. The Mussentuchit soils are on rolling shale hills and have shale bedrock at 51 to 102 cm in depth.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained, slow to moderate runoff, moderate permeability, rarely flooded for very brief periods during the months of March to October.

USE AND VEGETATION: Grassytrail soils are used for rangeland and native pasture. Native vegetation is mainly winterfat, fourwing saltbush, Mormon-tea, rabbitbrush, Indian ricegrass, galleta, and sand dropseed.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Utah; LRR D, MLRA 34B; small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Emery County, Utah, Emery area soil survey area, 2011. The name Grassytrail comes from Grassy Trail Creek in northern Emery County.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Series control section: The zone from 0 to 200 cm.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 25 to 100 cm. (Bw, Bk, Bky1, Bky2 horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 10 cm. (A horizons)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 10 to 28 cm. (Bw horizons)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 28 to 165 cm. (Bk, Bky1, Bky2, Bky3, and 2Bky4 horizons)
Gypsic horizon: The zone from 86 to 165 cm. (Bky2, Bky3, and 2Bky4 horizons); the weighted average gypsum from 86 to 165 cm. is 29 percent compared to 7 percent in the PSCS.

The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is supported by lab sample number S95UT-015-002.

Taxonomic Version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.