LOCATION HICKERSON UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustifluventic Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Hickerson loam, on a west facing 2 percent slope under shrubs and grasses at an elevation of 6,350 feet. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent (7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bw1--2 to 16 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine and fine, few medium tubular pores; slightly effervescent (11 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--16 to 27 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine, common medium tubular pores; slightly effervescent (12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary.
C1--27 to 37 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky geogenic structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine, common medium tubular pores; slightly effervescent (12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) redoximorphic concentrations; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary.
C2--37 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent (9 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; common fine and medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) redoximorphic concentrations; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Uintah County, Utah; located about 2,200 feet east, 1,300 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 32, T.15S., R.21E., SLBM; USGS Tenmile Canyon North, Utah quadrangle; 39 degrees, 28 minutes, 26 seconds north latitude and 109 degrees, 35 minutes, 28 seconds west longitude; NAD 027.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is affected by precipitation that falls throughout the year, with a slight increase in late summer and fall. The moisture regime is aridic bordering on ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 51 degrees F.
Depth to cambic horizon: 2 to 6 inches
Depth to redox concentrations: 25 to 40 inches
Depth to endosaturation: 42 to 60 to a saturated layer during the months of March through October
Flooding: rare during months of March through October
Particle size control section: 18 to 35 percent clay
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
Bw horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: silty clay loam, loam, or clay loam
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: loam, silty clay loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam or less commonly sandy loam, silt loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 2 to 4
Gypsum: 0 to 2 percent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: This the Docpar series. Docpar soils have a lithologic discontinuity with stratified coarse materials at 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium derived from sandstone, shale, limestone and quartzite rocks
Landform: flood plains and alluvial flats
Slopes: 1 to 4 percent
Elevation: 5,800 to 6,800
Mean annual precipitation: 8 to 12 inches
Mean annual air temperature: 45 to 49 degrees F.
Frost-free period: 110 to 140 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Uendal, Pherson, Towave, and the Walknolls soils.
Uendal soils are coarse-loamy and are on toeslopes and drainageways.
Pherson soils are loamy-skeletal and occur on flood plains and alluvial fans.
Towave soils are loamy-skeletal and occur on backslopes.
Walknolls soils are loamy-skeletal, have a lithic contact within 20 inches of the surface and occur on hillslopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: moderately well drained; low runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally for range and wildlife habitat, however, they are used as irrigated cropland in some localities. Potential vegetation consists of basin big sagebrush, basin wildrye, needleandthread, and Indian ricegrass. This soil has been correlated to Loamy Bottom (Basin Big Sagebrush) - 034XY009UT range site at the type location in Utah.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeast Utah; LRR D; MLRA 34. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Uintah County, Uintah Area Soil Survey, Utah, 1998.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (C1 through C4 horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from the surface to a depth of 2 inches. (A horizon)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 2 to 16 inches. (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons)
Redox concentration: The presence of redox concentrations in the zone from 27 to 60 inches. (C3 and C4 horizons)
Endosaturation: The presence of a saturated zone from 42 to 60 inches during the months of March through October.
Classification changed from Oxyaquic Torrifluvent to Ustifluventic Haplocambid 9/98.
Taxonomic version: Eighth Edition, 1998.
The CEC activity class was inferred from laboratory data from similar soils
in the Uintah Area Soil Survey.