LOCATION MELLING UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Melling very gravelly loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse and medium, common very fine and fine roots; common fine and very fine random tubular pores; 2 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles, 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--6 to 12 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) very cobbly clay loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few medium and fine, common very fine roots; common fine and very fine random tubular pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds; 25 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear irregular boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
Bt2--12 to 17 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very cobbly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate very fine subangular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few fine and common random tubular pores; many moderately thick clay films on ped faces; 30 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (7.4); abrupt irregular boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
R--17 inches; fractured intermediate igneous bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Iron County, Utah; about 3 miles south of the Beaver-Iron County line and one mile east of the Poorman Ranch Canyon Road in the Black Mountains; 1,400 feet north and 700 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 17, T. 31 S., R. 8 W; Jack Henry Knoll Quadrangle; lat. 38 degrees 6 minutes 24 seconds N. and long. 112 degrees 46 minutes 32 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The soil moisture regime is typic xeric; the soil moisture control section is dry 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice.
Mean annual soil temperature is 41 degrees to 46 degrees F.
Depth to bedrock - 12 to 20 inches.
Mollic epipedon - Ranges from 7 to 19 inches, including the upper part of the argillic horizon.
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon - 12 to 20 inches.
Particle-size control section (weighted averages):
Clay content 27 to 35 percent
Rock fragment content: 35 to 60 percent gravel and cobbles
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: very gravelly loam, very gravelly sandy loam, gravelly loam, and extremely stony loam
Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: very cobbly clay loam, very gravelly clay loam, very cobble silty clay loam, or very gravelly silty clay loam
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent clay
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent gravel and cobbles
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Anaud T(NV), Bellenmine (NV), Cleavage (NV), Cleavmor (NV), Cropper (NV), Gabica (ID), Gaciba T(ID), Gidwin (WA), Grosschat T(NV), Hutchley (ID), Mascamp (NV), Pernog (NV), Pernty (NV), Poisoncreek (ID), Rozara (NV), Shalcleav (NV), Shalper (NV), Slatter, Tractuff, and Tweener (NV) series. Anuad soils have an aridic soil moisture regime. Bellenmine, Cropper and Pernty soils have a mollic epipedon that is 12 inches thick or less and an aridic soil moisture regime. Cleavage soils have a mollic epipedon that is 12 inches thick or less and a xeric soil moisture regime that borders on aridic. Cleavmor soils have secondary carbonates in the argillic horizon and an aridic soil moisture regime. Gabica have a xeric soil moisture regime that borders on aridic. Gaciba soils have 16 to 24 percent clay in the particle size control section and an aridic soil moisture regime. Gidwin soils have 18 to 24 percent clay in the particle size control section and a xeric soil moisture regime that borders on aridic. Grosschat soils have a mollic epipedon that is 12 inches thick or less and an aridic soil moisture regime. Hutchley soils are formed in metasedimentery rocks and loess and have a xeric soil moisture regime that borders on aridic. Mascamp soils have an aridic soil moisture regime. Pernog soils have a particle size control section dominated by stones and a xeric soil moisture regime that borders on aridic. Poisoncreek soils have a paralithic contact over the lithic contact. Rozara, Shalcleav, Shalper, Slatter, and Tweener soils are less than 14 inches deep to a lithic contact. Tractuff soils have less than 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Melling soils are on mountain slopes and ridgetops. Slopes are 5 to 60 percent. Elevations are 5,200 to 8,100 feet. These soils formed in slope alluvium, colluvium, and residuum from intermediate and basic igneous bedrock. The soils are in a typic xeric climate with annual precipitation ranging from 16 to 22 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 39 degrees to 45 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature is about 64 to 67 degrees F. The frost-free season is about 60 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Pioche soils. Pioche soils are clayey-skeletal and lower on the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or rapid runoff; moderate or moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland; Important plants are mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, and bluebunch wheatgrass. In Utah this series is correlated with the Mountain Shallow Loam (Mountain Big Sagebrush) ecological site.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Utah; MLRA 47. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Iron County, Utah; Iron-Washington Area Soil Survey, 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 17 inches (A, Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - from 6 to 17 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Lithic contact - 17 inches (R layer).
Keys to Soil Taxonomy: Classified according to the Eighth Edition, 1998.
ADDITIONAL DATA: