LOCATION LUCERO UT

Established Series
Rev. GCC/AJE/MJD
08/2013

LUCERO SERIES

The Lucero series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium from mixed igneous and sedimentary rocks. Lucero soils occur on fan remnants, hills, and mountain slopes. Slopes range from 2 to 40 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 13 inches (33 cm) and the mean annual temperature is 47 degrees F (8 degrees C).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Lucero very cobbly loam - range. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.

A--0 to 3 inches (0 to 8 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/3) very cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak thick platy parting to weak fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few medium, common fine and very fine vesicular pores; 10 percent stones, 15 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)

BA--3 to 10 inches (8 to 25 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/3) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky parting to moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm sticky and moderately plastic; common fine, few medium and common very fine roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

Bt--10 to 17 inches (25 to 43 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; strong medium subangular blocky parting to strong fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few medium, common fine and very fine roots; few medium, common fine and very fine pores; common moderately thick clay films on peds; 5 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)

Btk--17 to 21 inches (43 to 53 cm); light brown (7.5YR 6/3) gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky parting to moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few coarse and medium, common fine and very fine roots; few medium, common fine and very fine pores; few faint clay films in pores; 15 percent gravel; strongly effervescent, lime as filaments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)

Bk1--21 to 36 inches (53 to 91 cm); very pale brown (10YR 8/2) gravelly loam, pink (7.5YR 7/3) moist; massive; discontinuously weakly cemented, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine pores; 15 percent gravel; violently effervescent, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (14 to 25 inches thick)

Bk2--36 to 60 inches (91 to 152 cm); pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) gravelly loam, pink (7.5YR 7/3) moist; massive; discontinuously weakly cemented, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few fine and very fine pores; 15 percent gravel; violently effervescent, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Iron County, Utah; about 4.5 miles south of Minersville; about 830 feet south and 2,600 feet west of the northeast corner of section 1, T. 31 S., R. 10 W.; Minersville USGS quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 8 minutes 45 seconds N and longitude 112 degrees 55 minutes 38 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture regime is Xeric bordering Aridic
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 50 degrees F (8 to 10 degrees C)
Mean summer soil temperature: 67 to 69 degrees F (19 to 21 degrees C)
Mean winter soil temperature:

Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 8 to 16 inches (20 to 41 cm)
Depth to calcic horizon: 15 to 33 inches (38 to 84 cm)

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 20 to 35 percent

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

BA or Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: clay loam.
Rock fragments: 20 to 35 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
Thickness: the Bt is 6 to 12 inches thick

Btk horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 3 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: clay loam
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline

Bk horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: loam or sandy loam; some pedons have clay loam in the lower part
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Colockum (WA), Doyce (UT), Hack (OR), Pollynot (ID), Timpanogos (UT), and Tirod (ID) series. Colockum soils have a lithologic discontinuity at 47 inches and are formed in loess and volcanic ash. Doyce, Hack, and Tirod soils have 0 to 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Pollynot soils have a lithologic discontinuity at 44 inches of loamy fine sand. Timpanogos soils have a water table at 40 to 60 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lucero soils occur on fan remnants, hills and mountain slopes. Slope ranges from 2 to 40 percent. The aspect is variable and elevations range from 5,500 to 7,415 feet (1,676 to 2,260 meters). These soils formed in alluvium from mixed igneous and sedimentary rocks. The average annual precipitation is 12 to 14 inches (304 to 356 mm). The mean annual temperature is 45 to 51 degrees F (7 to 11 degrees C). The mean summer temperature is 69 to 70 degrees F (20.6 to 21.1 degrees C). The frost free period is 90 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Motoqua, Pavant, Sevy and Taylorsflat soils. Motoqua soils have bedrock at depths of 10 to 20 inches and more than 35 percent rock fragments in the series control section. Pavant soils have a lime cemented hardpan at depths of 10 to 20 inches. Sevy and Taylorsflat soils do not have a mollic epipedon. Taylorsflat soils do not have an argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland, recreation and wildlife habitat. The natural vegetation is dominantly pinyon, juniper, big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, squirreltail, hawksbeard, woody phlox and prairie junegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Utah. This series is not extensive. MLRA 28A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Iron County, Utah, (Iron-Washington Area), 1997.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:

Mollic epipedon: the zone from the surface to 10 inches (0 to 25 cm) (A and Bw horizons)

Argillic horizon: the zone from 10 to 21 inches (25 to 53 cm) (Bt and Btk horizons)

Calcic horizon: the zone from 21 to 60 inches (53 to 152 cm) (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)

The cation exchange activity class is an estimate based on NASIS data and NSSL sample S77UT-021-007.

Revised for the correlation of SDJR - MLRA 28A - Pass Canyon-Lucero complex 4 to 40 percent slopes, 03/13, LJG2

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 11th Edition, 2010

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.