LOCATION HOLMES UT+ID
Established Series
Rev. TER/MJD
12/2022
HOLMES SERIES
The Holmes series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in mixed alluvium. Holmes soils are on stream terraces, fan terraces, and alluvial fans and have slopes of 0 to 15 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 20 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Holmes gravelly loam, irrigated. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly plastic; many fine and few medium roots; neutral (pH 6.9); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
A2--2 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and few medium roots; few fine pores; neutral (pH 6.9); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
Bt--11 to 21 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; few very fine pores; thin patchy organic stains and thin continuous clay films on faces of peds; 50 percent pebbles and cobbles; neutral (pH 6.7); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 21 inches thick)
BC--21 to 28 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; loose, very friable, slightly sticky; common fine and few medium roots; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; 65 percent pebbles and cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
C--28 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grained; loose; common fine and few medium roots; 80 percent pebbles, cobbles and stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5)
TYPE LOCATION: Wasatch County, Utah; about 2 miles south of Heber, 400 feet north of southwest corner of Heber airport; 1,070 feet north and 18 feet east of southwest corner of sec. 7, T. 4 S., R. 5 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is 9 to 20 inches thick. The A and Bt horizons ranges from 16 to 32 inches thick. Rock fragments are mostly gravel and cobbles but some are stones.
The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 42 to 47 degrees F. and the mean summer temperature is about 63 degrees F. The soils are are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 1 through 3 moist and 2 through 4 dry.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 to 4. It is very gravelly loam, very cobbly clay loam or very stony sandy clay loam and has 18 to 35 percent clay. Rock fragments range from 35 to 60 percent. It is slightly alkaline to medium acid.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 3 or 4. Clay content is 2 to 5 percent. Rock fragments range from 35 to 80 percent. It is slightly alkaline to slightly acid. Texture is extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, very gravelly loamy coarse sand, extremely gravelly sandy loam, extremely gravelly coarse sand or extremely stony loamy coarse sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Clanalpine (NV),
Heechee (NV),
Horrocks,
Hoskin,
Howcan (T ID),
Pequop (NV),
Moreypeak (NV),
Suak (NV),
Valmar (ID),
Vitale (ID) and
Wambolt (T NV) series. Clanalpine, Hoskin, Moreypeak, Suak, Valmar and Vitale soils are also less than 40 inches deep to bedrock. Horrocks and Hoskin soils have very cobbly sandy clay loam Bt horizons and lack underlying horizons that are very gravelly coarse sand or coarse sandy loam. Heechee, Howcan and Pequop do not have sand or loamy sand textures within a depth of 40 inches. Wambolt soils have 60 to 85 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Elevations range from 4,900 to 7,500 feet. Holmes soils occur on gently sloping to sloping stream terraces, fan terraces, and alluvial fans. Slopes are 1 to 15 percent. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous parent rocks. The climate is moist subhumid with an average precipitation of 14 to 24 inches. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. and a mean summer temperature is 62 to 64 degrees F. The freeze-free period is about 65 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Burgi,
Clegg,
Deer Creek,
Manila,
Nebeker and
Rasband soils and the competing
Horrocks and
St. Marys soils. Burgi and Nebeker soils have mollic epipedons more than 20 inches thick. Burgi soils lack Bt horizons. Clegg soils have calcic horizons and have a fine-loamy particle-size control section. Deer Creek, Manila and Nebeker soils have a fine particle-size control section. Rasband soils have a fine-loamy over fragmental particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff; moderate permeability in the upper part and rapid below.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and irrigated cropland producing alfalfa, small grain and pasture. Potential vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, bluegrasses, needleandthread grass, herbaceous sage, big sagebrush, serviceberry, and bitterbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountain valleys of north central and western Utah and southeastern Idaho. The series is moderately extensive. MLRA 13, 28A, 28B and 47.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Morgan County Area, Utah 1974.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 11 inches
Argillic horizon - 11 to 28 inches
The classification is based on the "Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eighth Edition, 1998". The Cation Exchange Activity Class is based on Utah State University lab data from 1960. The series has been correlated with Upland and Mountain ecological sites in Utah. In future correlation's the concept should be confined to the "Typic Xeric" concept in zones with about 16 to 22 inches of precipitation and correlated with Mountain ecological sites.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.