LOCATION MCQUARRIE               UT+CA NV

Established Series
Rev. MEO-AJE-MJD-JBF
07/2011

MCQUARRIE SERIES

The McQuarrie series consist of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum derived from basic igneous rock. The McQuarrie soils are on hills and ridges. Slope ranges from 2 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 330 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Lithic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: McQuarrie loam - rangeland (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered with 35 percent cobbles and 5 percent gravel.

A1--0 to 5 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common fine tubular pores; few fine and medium roots; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 15 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine tubular pores; few fine and medium roots; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

Bt--15 to 36 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and medium roots; thin continuous clay films; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 23 cm thick)

Bk--36 to 48 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine tubular pores; few fine roots; slightly calcareous, segregated lime occurs as splotches in the soil mass and coatings on cobbles; 35 percent cobbles and 5 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 30 cm thick)

R--48 cm; fractured basalt bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Millard County, Utah; 8 miles east and 3.5 miles north of Antelope Springs; 1/4 mile southeast from NW corner of section 22, T.24S., R.8W.; latitude 38 degrees 42 minutes 44 seconds N and longitude 112 degrees 44 minutes 26 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, intermittently moist in winter and spring; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 9 to 10 degrees C
Depth to argillic: 8 to 20 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 25 to 50 cm.
Other features: Some pedons have 10 to 15 percent fine gravel throughout. Profiles with A horizons less than 15 cm thick have moist color value of 3 in the upper portion of the Bt horizon.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 20 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3.

Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 1OYR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Loam or clay loam .
Structure: Moderate medium granular and subangular blocky .
Reaction: Neutral through moderately alkaline.

Bk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 1OYR.
value: Lighter than 5.5 dry and 3.5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Clay loam or loam.'
Modifiers: Cobbly or very cobbly.
Rock fragments: 30 to 70 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Other features: Secondary lime occurs as splotches in the soil mass and coatings on the rock fragments.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Adinot, Cooperopolis, Laric, Marlic, and Terca series.

Adinot, Laric, Marlic and Terca soils lack a Bk horizon with secondary carbonates. Cooperopolis have less than 300 mm average annual precipatation, formed in ash and loess over fractured volcanic tuff, and the A horizon has vitrandic properties.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: McQuarrie soils are on ridges and hills at elevations of 1,650 to 1,830 meters. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. McQuarrie soils formed in residuum derived from basic igneous rock. The climate is dry subhumid. Mean annual temperature is 8 to 9 degrees C, the average annual precipitation is 300 to 360 mm, and the frost-free period is 100 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gleason, Kessler, Hiko Peak, Firmage, Lorella, and Oakden soils. Gleason soils are more than 100 cm deep to bedrock and are influenced by pyroclastic materials. Kessler, Hiko Peak, and Firmage soils are more than 100 cm deep to bedrock, have calcic horizons, and lack argillic horizons. Hiko Peak soils are gravelly and very gravelly. Lorella soils are clayey-skeletal. Oakden soils are less than 50 cm deep over an indurated lime-cemented hardpan and lack argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well-drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for rangeland, grazing for sheep in winter and spring, and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mainly black sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, antelope bitterbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, squirreltail, and juniper.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Utah and northeastern California. This series is moderately extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Beaver-Cove Fort Area, Utah, 1972.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to 15 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 15 to 36 cm (Bt horizon).
Zone of carbonate accumulation - The zone from 36 to 48 cm (Bk horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 15 to 36 cm (Bt horizon).

Classification was updated to 11th edition on 07/2011 changed Lithic Argixerolls to Aridic Lithic Argixerolls.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.