LOCATION MESPUN                  UT+AZ CO NM

Established Series
Rev. RLT/RSJ/RLB
10/2014

MESPUN SERIES

The Mespun series consists of very deep, excessively drained rapidly permeable soils that formed in eolian deposits derived mainly from sandstone. Mespun soils are on alluvial fans, fan remnants, fan piedmonts, cuestas, hillslopes and plateaus. Slope ranges 0 to 30 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 13 inches, and the mean annual air temperature is about 53 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Siliceous, mesic Ustic Torripsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Mespun fine sand--rangeland, (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).
A--0 to 11 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) fine sand, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; single grain; loose; common fine roots; few fine pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual smooth boundary. (2 to 11 inches)

C1--11 to 25 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) fine sand, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; single grain; loose; few fine roots; few fine pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary.

C2--25 to 60 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/6) fine sand, yellowish red (5YR 5/8) moist; single grain; loose; few fine roots; few fine pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Washington County, Utah; 1.2 miles south of Anderson Junction on Interstate 15, and 50 feet west of frontage road; 800 feet east of the west quarter corner of sec. 33, T. 40 S., R. 13 W; Pintura Quadrangle; lat. 37 degrees 16 minutes 14 seconds N. and long. 113 degrees 19 minutes 35 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - usually dry during the period the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F., but are moist more than 25 percent of this period. They are moist in some part of the moisture control section for 30 to 40 days during the summer and are dry for 70 to 85 days during the 120 days following the winter solstice. Ustic aridic moisture regime.

Mean annual soil temperature is estimated to range from: 47 to 61 degrees F.

Mean summer soil temperature ranges from: 65 to 70 degrees F.

Depth: more than 60 inches deep

Rock fragments: gravel content ranges from 0 to 15 percent

Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline

A horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6, dry to moist
Texture: dominantly fine sand, but includes loamy fine sand or loamy sand, sand

C horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 8, dry or moist
Texture: fine sand, loamy fine sand, sand, loamy sand
Other features: some pedons are slightly calcareous in the lower part of the C horizons

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Bispen (UT), Reepo (UT) and Santrick (UT). Bispen soils are 40 to 60 inches to Navajo sandstone bedrock. Reepo and Santrick soils are 20 to 40 inches to sandstone bedrock.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mespun soils are overlying alluvial fans, cuestas, fan remnants, fan piedmonts, hills, dunes, undulating benches and plateaus at elevations of 3,500 to 7,000 feet. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. These soils formed in deposits of wind blown sand from sandstone. The mean annual air temperature is 45 to 59 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature is 76 to 79 degrees F. The average annual precipitation is 8 to 14 inches. Freeze-free period is 110 to 170 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Redbank and Schmutz soils and the competing Pintura and Toquerville soils. Redbank soils have a fine sandy loam particle size control section. Schmutz soils have a loam particle control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; slow runoff; rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used as rangeland and irrigated cropland. Vegetation is sand sagebrush, Mormon-tea, snakeweed, wild alfalfa, desert marigold, pinyon pine, and juniper.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Utah, northern Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. The series is of moderate extent. MLRAs 35 and 36.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washington County, Utah 1972

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon the zone from 0 to 11 inches (A horizon)
Siliceous mineralogy - this soil contains more than 90 percent by weight silica minerals, the dominant mineral is quartz with very minor amounts of chalcedony. This soil series was previously classified with a mixed mineralogy.

Revisions and updates for the correlation of Navajo Mountain Area (AZ711), June 12, 2008, CEM
Revisions and updates for the correlation of SDJR - MLRA 35 - Mespun-Councelor-Mespun, limy substratum complex, 0 to 10 percent slopes, September 2014, LJG2

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.