LOCATION HARKERS UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Typic Palexerolls
Typifying Pedon: Harkers loam - native rangeland
(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Al--0 to 14 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure that parts to fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky, plastic; common coarse medium, fine and very fine roots; common very fine and few fine pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 17 inches thick)
Bl--14 to 19 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky, plastic; common coarse, medium, fine and very fine roots; few very fine pores; 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (O to 8 inches thick)
B21t--19 to 42 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist ped; brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; strong medium prismatic structure that parts to strong medium blocky structure; very hard, extremely firm, very sticky, very plastic; few coarse medium fine and very fine roots; few very fine pores; clay films are moderately thick continuous on faces of peds; 30 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.Z); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 24 inches thick)
B22t--42 to 58; Brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist ped, brown (7.5YR 4/3) crushed moist; strong medium prismatic structure that parts to strong medium blocky structure; very hard, extremely firm, very sticky, very plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few very fine pores; clay films are moderately thick continuous on faces of peds; 55 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (12 to 24 inches thick)
Clca--58 to 80 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; hard, very firm, very sticky, few fine and very fine roots; few fine pores; 60 percent gravel; slightly calcareous; neutral (pH 7.0).
Type Location: Salt Lake County, Utah; about 4.5 miles west of Bingham-Magna highway along KCPX T. V. tower road and 500 feet west up the slope from this road; near the center of sec. 36, T.2S., R.3W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum ranges in thickness from 40 inches to more than 5 feet. The mollic epipedon ranges from 10 to 20 inches thick. The mean annual soil temperature is about 43 to 47 degrees F. and the mean summer temperature at 20 inches is about 59 to 65 F. The soils are usually moist but are dry for more than 60 consecutive days in all parts of the soil between 4 and 12 inches in more than 7 out of 10 years.
The Al horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. The upper portion of the A horizon has moderate to strong, medium to fine granular structure or moderate medium, thin platy structure and the lower portion of the Al horizon ranges from weak medium to fine subangular blocky structure.
The B2t horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 5YR or 2.5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is gravelly heavy clay loam to gravelly clay with 20 to 35 percent cobble and gravel. This horizon has moderate to strong prismatic parting to angular blocky structure. Splotches of lime may occur in pockets of disintegrating rocks at depths of below 36 inches in the Bt horizon. The horizon is neutral or slightly acid and the matrix is noncalcareous. A weak lime horizon occurs at depths of 5 feet or more in some pedons. The Bt horizon extends to depths of 48 inches or more. The C horizons are cobbly, very cobbly or very gravelly clay loams containing less clay than the Bt horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Broadhead,
Cloud Rim,
Deer Creek,
Henefer
Horrocks,
Manila,
Rob Roy, and
Yeates Hollow soils. Broadhead and Henefer soils have mollic epipedons more than 20 inches thick. Cloud Rim soils have less than 20 percent coarse fragments and less than 35 percent clay in the argillic horizons. Deer Creek soils have 30 to 65 percent lime in the Cca horizon. Horrocks soils have more than 35 percent coarse fragments and less than 35 percent clay in the argillic horizon. Manila soils have less than 20 percent coarse fragments in the argillic horizon within 40 inches of the surface. Rob Roy soils have bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Yeates Hollow soils have more than 35 percent coarse fragments. Harkers Series
2
SETTING: Harkers soils are on short to long sloping alluvial fans to very steep mountain slopes at elevations between 5,500 and 7,500 feet. Slope gradients are 6 to 50 percent. The soils formed in alluvium and colluvium from mixed sedimentary rocks. The climate is moist subhumid. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The mean summer temperature is about 64 degrees F. Average annual precipitation is 20 to 25 inches coming mostly as snow. The frost-free period is less than 100 days.
Principal Associated Soils: These are the Copperton, Deer Creek, Dry Creek, Gappmayer, Lucky Star, and Wallsburg soils and the competing Broahead, Horrocks, and Yeates Hollow soils. Copperton soils lack B horizons, have mean annual soil temperatures more than 47 degrees F. and have lime accumulations within 40 inches. Deer Creek soils have a calcic horizon within depths of 40 inches. Dry Creek soils have mean annual soil temperature of more than 47 degrees F. and have calcic horizons within depths of 40 inches. Gappmayer soils have albic horizons. Lucky Star soils have mean summer soil temperature at 20 inches of less than 59 degrees F. Wallsburg soils are less than 20 inches deep over bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium to rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for spring and fall range, wildlife, and watershed. Vegetation is mainly oakbrush, black sagebrush, big sagebrush, mulesear dock, yellowbrush, and cheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and northern Utah. Harkers series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sanpete Area, Utah, 1971.
REMARKS: Harkers soils were formerly classified as Brunizems.
OSED scanned by NSSQA. Last reviewed by state 9/71.