LOCATION HARTER UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Typic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Harter gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated).
A1--O to 5 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) dry; weak thin platy and weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, and few medium roots; common very fine and fine pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 11 inches thick)
A2--5 to 12 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak, medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; many very fine and fine pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
AB--12 to 19 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
Bt1--19 to 24 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; few thin clay film on faces of peds; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
Bt2--24 to 33 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) gravelly clay, reddish brown (5YR 5/3) dry; strong medium subangular blocky structure that parts to moderate medium subangular blocky; extremely hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (9 to 14 inches thick)
Bt3--33 to 60 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) gravelly clay, light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) dry; strong medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Summit County, Utah, about 6 miles east of Hoytsville, Utah and one mile north of Spring Canyon, 500 feet east and 800 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 32, T. 2 N., R. 6 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is 11 to 19 inches thick and extends into the argillic horizon in some pedons. The combined thickness of the A and Bt horizons range from 40 to more than 60 inches. The particle size control section averages 35 to 50 percent clay and 15 to 35 percent rock fragments.
The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 47 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature is 61 to 65 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 45 or more consecutive days within the 4 months following the summer solstice and moist for 45 or more consecutive days within the 4 months following the winter solstice in 6 out of 10 years.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma is 2 or 3 moist and dry..
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5YR, value of 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma is 2 to 4 dry and moist. Texture is gravelly clay loam or gravelly clay. It has moderate, medium prismatic or weak to strong, medium and fine, subangular blocky structure. Reaction is neutral or slightly acid.
There is a BC or C horizon below 50 inches in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are Booford, Manila, Marsden (T), Observation (T), Ostler, Rob Roy, Shagnasty, and Tatouche (T) series. Booford, Observation (T), and Rob Roy soils are moderately deep. Manila, Marsden (T), Ostler and Shagnasty soils have less than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section. Tatouche (T) soils have O horizons developed under conifers and have a lithologic discontinuity in the Bt horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Harter soils are on fan remnants, footslopes, and mountain slopes. Slope gradients range from 2to 40 percent. Elevations range from 5,700 to 8,000 feet. The average annual precipitation is 16 to 22 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. and the freeze-free period is 60 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Ant Flat, Henefer, Yeates Hollow and the competing Manila soils. Ant Flat soils have calcic horizons and less than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section. Henefer soils are Pachic. Yeates Hollow soils have very cobbly clay argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for irrigated cropland, pasture, rangeland, watershed and in places for homesites. Vegetation is slender wheatgrass, bluegrass, needlegrass, mountain big sagebrush, Gambel oak, and snowberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountain areas of north-central Utah. The series is moderately extensive. MLRA 47.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Summit Area (Summit County), Utah, 1986.
REMARKS: The diagnostic features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 19 inches (A1, A2 and AB horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from approximately 19 inches to 60 inches (Bt horizon).
Classification: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eighth Edition, 1998.