LOCATION HORROCKS UT
Established Series
Rev: RLT/RJL/JWB
12/2022
HORROCKS SERIES
The Horrocks series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in glacial deposits, slope alluvium, colluvium and residuum from andesite, dacite, basalt, tuff, sandstone and quartzite. These soils are on mountain slopes and terminal moraines. Slopes range from 5 to 70 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 40 degrees F. (4.4 degrees C.), and the mean annual precipitation is about 22 inches (559 mm).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Horrocks very cobbly sandy clay loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 5 inches (0 to 13 cm); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very cobbly sandy clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; 25 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 18 inches (13 to 46 cm) thick)
Bt1--5 to 14 inches (13 to 36 cm); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very cobbly sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine, medium and large roots; few fine pores; common faint clay films; 15 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, and 15 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6); clear irregular boundary. (0 to 10 inches (0 to 25 cm) thick)
Bt2--14 to 27 inches (36 to 69 cm); brown (10YR 4/3) extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine pores; distinct continuous clay films; [TWCI1]25 percent gravel, 35 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear irregular boundary. (8 to 15 inches (20 to 38 cm) thick)
C--27 to 41 inches (69 to 104 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely cobbly sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; loose, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; 20 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles, and 15 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear irregular boundary. (12 to 36 inches (30 to 91 cm) thick)
R--41 to 51 inches (104 to 130 cm); bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Wasatch County, Utah; about 15 miles southwest of Heber; at a point at the south end of Deer Creek Reservoir, [TWCI2]1.9 miles east along side road; located about 2,575 feet south and 940 feet east of northwest corner of sec. 32, T. 4 S., R. 4 E.; Aspen Grove USGS quad; lat. 40 degrees 25 minutes 41 seconds N. and long. 111 degrees 31 minutes 29 seconds W., NAD 83
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist during late fall to late spring, continuously dry in all parts for at least 45 days during the summer and early fall, but intermittently moist due to convection storms. (Xeric soil moisture regime).
Mean annual soil temperature: 37 to 47 degrees F. (2.8 to 8.0 degrees C.)
Mean summer soil temperature: 60 to 66 degrees F. (15.6 to 18.9 degrees C.)
Depth to lithic contact: 40 to 60 inches (100 to 150 cm)
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 cm)
Lithology of rock fragments: rounded or angular cobbles and gravel, of basic or intermediate igneous rocks, or quartzite or sandstone
Depth to base of the argillic horizon: 14 to 40 inches (36 to 100 cm).
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Rock fragments: 20 to 70 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately acid
Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: very gravelly or very cobbly sandy clay loam or clay loam to extremely gravelly or extremely cobbly loam
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately acid
C horizon:
Hue: of 10YR to 5YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: very cobbly sandy loam, very cobbly loam, very gravelly loam, very gravelly sandy clay loam, very gravelly sand
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Clanalpine (NV),
Devaul (T)(OR),
Elaero (CA),
Glideski (T)(NV),
Heechee (NV),
Heenlake (CA),
Holmes (UT),
Hoskin (UT),
Howcan (ID),
Longday (CA),
Pequop (NV),
Moreypeak (NV),
Suak (NV),
Valmar (ID),
Vitale (ID) and
Wambolt (NV) series.
Clanalpine,
Elaero,
Heenlake and
Moreypeak: have a paralithic contact at depths of 50 to 100 cm
Devaul: have a paralithic contact with basalt or tuff at depths of 100 to 152 cm
Heechee,
Holmes,
Howcan,
Glideski,
Pequop, and
Wambolt: very deep
Heechee: have a lithologic discontinuity in the argillic horizon
Hoskin,
Valmar and
Vitale: have lithic bedrock at a depth of 50 to 100 cm
Longday: have a lithic contact at 150 to 200 cm and 18 to 25 percent clay in the particle-size control section
Suak: have bedrock at a depth of 50 to 100 cm
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Horrocks soils are on moderately sloping to very steep dominantly south and west facing mountain slopes and terminal moraines at elevations of 5,300 to 9,290 feet (1,615 to 2,830 meters). Slopes range from 5 to 70 percent. These soils formed in glacial deposits, residuum, slope alluvium and colluvium from andesite, dacite, basalt, tuff and some conglomerate, sandstone, limestone and quartzite. The climate is moist subhumid with warm dry summers and cold moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 16 to 27 inches (406 to 686 mm) falling mostly as snow. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 35 to 45 degrees F. (1.7 to 7.2 degrees C.), and the mean summer temperature ranges from 60 to 63 degrees F. (15.6 to 17.2 degrees C.) Freeze-free period is 60 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Broadhead,
Condie,
Geertsen,
Henefer,
Little Pole and
Yeates Hollow soils. Broadhead and Henefer soils have clay argillic horizons that contain less than 35 percent rock fragments. Condie soils do not have a mollic epipedon. Geertsen soils have mean summer temperature less than 59 degrees F (15 degrees C). Little Pole soils are 10 to 20 inches deep (25 to 50 cm) over bedrock. Yeates Hollow soils contain more than 35 percent clay in the fine particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well to somewhat excessively drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly as watershed and spring to fall grazing for livestock and wildlife. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, bitterbrush, tall native bluegrass, prairie junegrass, slender wheatgrass, oniongrass, basin wildrye, balsamroot, buckwheat, herbaceous sage, big sagebrush, serviceberry, snowberry, and oakbrush. These soils are correlated to Mountain ecological sites in Utah.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountain areas in northern Utah. This series is moderately extensive. MLRA 47.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Heber Valley Area, Utah, 1972.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section - the zone from 5 to 27 inches (13 to 69 cm).
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 14 inches (0 to 36 cm). (A, Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon - from 5 to 27 inches (13 to 69 cm). (Bt1, Bt2 horizons)
Lithic contact: The contact with bedrock at 41 inches (104 cm). (R layer)
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.
Classification: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.