LOCATION HUMBUG                  UT

Established Series
Rev. LDS/CSW/JWB
03/2011

HUMBUG SERIES

The Humbug series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium and eolian deposits overlying residuum derived from interbedded sandstone, shale and gypsum bedrock. Humbug soils are on rolling shale hills and structural benches. Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 10 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-gypseous, hypergypsic, mesic Ustic Calcigypsids

TYPICAL PEDON: Humbug very fine sandy loam, on a northwest facing, concave, 3 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 5,362 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on May 5, 1995 the soil was moist to 35 inches and dry below. The surface is covered by about 2 percent gravel.

A--0 to 3 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; weak thin platy structure on surface with weak fine granular structure below; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, and common medium roots; few fine vesicular, common very fine and fine tubular pores and common very fine interstitial pores; 1 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (11 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are finely disseminated; 2 percent gypsum; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)

Bw--3 to 8 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores and common very fine interstitial pores; 1 percent gravel; strongly effervescent(6 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are finely disseminated; 1 percent gypsum; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8);clear wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)

Bk--8 to 14 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) very fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium roots; common very fine, few fine tubular and interstitial pores; 1 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (13 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), common calcium carbonate veins; moderately alkaline, (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)

Bky--14 to 25 inches; pink (7.5YR 8/3) fine gypsum material, light brown (7.5YR 6/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine, few fine tubular and interstitial pores; 1 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), common calcium carbonate veins; many gypsum veins (66 percent gypsum); slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 30 inches thick)

By1--25 to 33 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) fine gypsum material, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine, few fine tubular and interstitial pores; 5 percent channers, 8 percent shale parachanners, 1 percent gravel; slightly effervescent (4 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are finely disseminated; many gypsum veins and crystals (69 percent gypsum); slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 34 inches thick)

By2--33 to 37 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) fine gypsum material, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and few fine interstitial pores; 10 percent channers, 10 percent shale parachanners, 6 percent gravel; slightly effervescent (4 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are finely disseminated; many gypsum veins and crystals (68 percent gypsum); slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)

Cy--37 to 44 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) gypsiferous very channery silt loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; 25 percent angular sandstone channers, 25 percent shale parachanners, 16 percent angular sandstone gravel; slightly effervescent (14 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are finely disseminated; many gypsum veins and hard crystals (25 percent gypsum); slightly alkaline (pH 7.8). (0 to 24 inches thick)

Cr--44 to 54 inches; weathered gypsiferous shale interbedded with sandstone.

TYPE LOCATION: Emery County, Utah; about 3 miles north of Dry Mesa; located about 1,400 feet north and 150 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 32, T. 18 S., R. 13 E.; Dry Mesa USGS quad; lat. 39 degrees 12 minutes 29 seconds N. and long. 110 degrees 29 minutes 32 seconds W., NAD 27

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Soil moisture control section is usually dry, but intermittently moist during late summer and early fall. Aridic moisture regime bordering on ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 54 degrees F
Depth to paralithic contact: 40 to 60 inches to paralithic shale
Depth to calcic horizon: 2 to 12 inches
Depth to gypsic horizon: 8 to 18 inches

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Sand content, fine sand and coarser: 30 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent total; 0 to 35 percent channers and/or gravel, 0 to 35 percent parachanners and/or paragravel
Gypsum content, less than 20 mm fraction: 40 to 60 percent

A horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture: very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam or gravelly fine sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent gravel and channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 12 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
Gypsum: 0 to 4 percent
SAR: 0 to 2
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

Bw horizon, where present:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry or moist
Texture: very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 12 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
Gypsum: 0 to 4 percent
SAR: 0 to 2
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

Bk horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry or moist
Texture: very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent channers and/or gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 25 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
Gypsum: 0 to 4 percent
SAR: 0 to 2
Reaction: slightly to strongly alkaline

Bky horizon, where present:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry or moist
Texture: very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam or fine gypsum material
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 25 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
Gypsum: 5 to 70 percent
SAR: 0 to 3
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

By or BCy horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6 dry or moist
Texture: very fine sandy loam, fine gypsum material, fine sandy loam, channery fine sandy loam, or parachannery loam
Clay content: 3 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent channers and/or gravel
Pararock fragments: 0 to 35 percent weakly cemented shale or sandstone
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 15 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 8
Gypsum: 30 to 75 percent
SAR: 0 to 4
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

Cy horizon, where present:
Hue: 5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6 dry or moist
Texture: parachannery loam, gypsiferous very channery silt loam, channery fine sandy loam channery very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 22 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 60 percent
Pararock fragments: 0 to 35 percent weakly cemented shale or sandstone
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 15 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 2 to 8
Gypsum: 15 to 45 percent
SAR: 0 to 4
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. The Andergeorge, Dutchman and Tulargo are similar, but are very deep. In addition, Andergeorge soils have a loamy-skeletal particle-size class. Dutchman soils have a typic aridic soil moisture regime. Tulargo soils do not have a calcic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium and eolian deposits over residuum derived from interbedded sandstone, shale and gypsum bedrock.
Landform: shale hills, gypsum hills, and structural benches
Slopes: 2 to 15 percent
Elevation: 4,800 to 7,200 feet
Mean annual temperature: 45 to 52 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 9 to 12 inches
Precipitation pattern: Wettest months are July to October and driest months are Deember and June.
Frost-free period: 110 to 160 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Grassytrail, Lemrac, Mussentuchit and Simel series. The Grassytrail soils are very deep and are in concave areas and on stream terraces. The Lemrac and Mussentuchit soils do not have calcic horizons, are moderately deep and are on steeper areas of shale hills. The Simel soils are shallow to shale bedrock and are on breaks and near shale outcrops.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, very low to medium runoff, moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Humbug soils are used for wildlife and livestock grazing. Native vegetation is mainly Mormon tea, winterfat, fourwing saltbush, galleta, sand dropseed, Indian ricegrass and rabbitbrush. Small areas in higher elevations on the San Rafael Swell have scattered Utah juniper and pinyon pine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Utah; LRR D, MLRA 34B and 35; moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grand Staircase-Escalante soil survey area, Utah. The series was proposed in Emery County, Utah, Emery area soil survey, Utah. Named for Humbug Wash and Humbug Flat in the area of the type location.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (Bk, Bky, By1, By2 and Cy horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 3 inches. (A horizon)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 8 to 25 inches. (Bk and Bky horizons)
Gypsic horizon: The zone from 14 to 44 inches. (Bky, By1, By2 and Cy horizons)
Paralithic contact: The contact with shale at 44 inches. (Cr horizon)

Remarks: National Soil Survey Laboratory sample S95UT-015-003.

The wide range of soil color in the lower profile reflects the light gray to red colors of the shale layers of the parent material. A lithologic discontinuity is not recognized in this series due to the inherent interbedded nature of the parent material. The Cy horizon typically effervesces slowly for a long period of time as does the shale bedrock.

The lab data indicates that Humbug is well into fine-gypseous particle size class, however, other field data may indicate coarse-gypseous.

Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.