LOCATION MINERAL MOUNTAIN UT+IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Mollic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Mineral Mountain very cobbly - rangeland (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A11--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure that parts to weak fine granules; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
A12--3 to 8 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 5 inches thick)
B21t--8 to 22 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) cobbly heavy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate coarse, medium and fine subangular blocky structure; firm, sticky, plastic; common medium roots; few medium and common fine tubular pores; thin continuous clay films on peds; neutral (pH6.6); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 18 inches thick)
Cca--34 to 46 inches; pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) light loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/3) moist; massive; very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Beaver County, Utah; west side of the Mineral Mountains; 1/2 mile northwest of Kirk Canyon junction; 2,000 feet north and 1,340 feet east of the SW corner of sec.27, T.27S., R.9W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum is 24 to 47 inches thick. The Cca horizon is 12 to 30 inches thick. The mean annual soil temperature is 42 degress to 46 degress F., and the mean summer soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 60 degrees to 63 degrees F. These soils are moist in some part of the moisture control section more than 50 percent of the time the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F., but are continually dry for 50 to 70 consecutive days during the summer months in more than 7 our of 10 years. The Al horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR and chroma of 2 or 3. It has weak medium platy to weak or moderate fine granular structure and is 6 to 9 inches thick. The B2t horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4. It ranges from cobbly heavy clay loam to light clay and has 35 to 50 percent clay and 0 to 35 percent cobbles. This horizon is hard, firm or very firm, sticky or very sticky, and plastic or very plastic. It is neutral or mildly alkaline. The Cca horizon has high lime accumulation and is cobbly in dome pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Deer creek, Flowell, Red Butte, and Rob Roy series. These soils have mollic epipedons. Also, Flowell soils lack rock fragments. Red Butte soils have less than 35 percent clay in the B2t horizon and lack a calcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on steep to very steep mountain slopes. Slopes are 30 to 60 percent. The soil formed in deep soil material from alluvium or colluvium of igneous origin. The climate is moist subhumid. Mean annual temperature is 40 to 44 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 13 to 16 inches. Freeze-free period is about 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Snake Hollow soils which have less than 18 percent clay, lack rock fragments in the B2 horizons, and lack calcic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally for rangeland for cattle and wildlife. Potential vegetation consists of Pinyon, juniper, big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, and cheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western side of the Mineral Mountains and possibly other areas in southwestern Utah. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Beaver County, Utah, 1972.
REMARKS: Last updated by state 9/72