LOCATION MIRROR LAKE UT
Established Series
REV: MEO/LW/SJJ
11/2013
MIRROR LAKE SERIES
The Mirror Lake series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained, moderately rapidly permeable soils that formed in glacial till derived mainly from quartzite and sandstone. Mirror Lake soils are on ground and lateral moraines, and have slopes of 10 to 70 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 35 inches, and the mean annual air temperature is about 38 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed Typic Dystrocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Mirror Lake extremely cobbly sandy loam--woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) extremely cobbly sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak coarse and moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many coarse, medium and common fine roots; 20 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
EB1--4 to 12 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) very cobbly sandy loam, pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) dry; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many coarse, medium and common fine roots; 15 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, 2 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear irregular boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
EB2--12 to 16 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very cobbly loamy sand, pink (5YR 7/3) dry; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many coarse medium and common fine roots; 15 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, 2 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear irregular boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
C1--16 to 33 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) extremely cobbly loamy sand, pink (5YR 7/3) dry; single grained; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine, very fine and few medium and coarse roots; 30 percent gravel, 40 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones, strongly acid (pH 5.2) clear smooth boundary. (8 to 25 inches thick)
C2--33 to 60 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) extremely cobbly loamy sand, pink (5YR 7/3) dry; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and fine roots; 20 percent gravel, 40 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Summit County, Utah; near Trial Lake dam; SE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of sec. 6, T.2 S., R.9 E. (About 22 miles east of Coalville, Utah)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Some pedons have an organic layer at the surface as much as 2 inches thick. The mean annual soil temperature at depth of about 20 inches ranges from 36 to 43 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature ranges from 52 to 57 degrees F. The 10 to 40 inch particle size control section averages very cobbly loamy sand, very gravelly loamy sand or extremely cobbly loamy sand.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 6 or 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture of the fine-earth is sandy loam or loam, with gravelly or cobbly modifiers. It has 20 to 65 percent total fragments composed of gravel, cobbles and stones. Reaction is moderately acid or strongly acid.
The EB horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value of 6 to 8 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture of the fine-earth is sandy loam, with some pedons having loamy sand in the lower part. It has gravelly or cobbly modifiers with 35 to 70 percent total rock fragments, composed of gravel, cobbles and stones. Reaction is strongly acid or very strongly acid.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value of 6 to 8 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture of the fine-earth is loamy sand or sand, with gravelly, cobbly or stony modifiers. It has 35 to 75 percent total rock fragments. Reaction is strongly acid or very strongly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Elting,
Priestlake and
Tolby series. Elting soils have mean annual soil temperatures less than 36 degrees F.. Priestlake soils have horizons of illuvial clay accumulation. Tolby soils are loamy to a depth of 18 to 32 inches, and are formed in colluvium from acid igneous rocks.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mirror Lake soils are on ground and lateral moraines on mountainsides with slopes of 10 to 70 percent. Elevations range from 8,500 to 10,500 feet. These soils formed in light colored acid glacial till derived mainly from quartzite and sandstone. The mean annual air temperature is 35 to 42 degrees F., and the mean summer air temperature is 50 to 55 degrees F. The average annual precipitation is 25 to 42 inches, most of which falls as snow. The freeze-free period is 30 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Duchesne and
Marsell soils. Duchesne soils have glossic horizons and argillic horizons. Marsell soils are loamy-skeletal and have cambic (Bt) horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium or slow runoff; rapid or moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for woodland, water supply and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mainly Engelmann spruce, Lodgepole pine, Subalpine fir, and understory of Huckleberry and Sedge.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Utah, LRR-E, MLRA 47. These soils are of small extent, less than 10,000 acres.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kamas Area, Summit County, Utah, 1959.
REMARKS: Prior to 2000, the type location was moved from Rich County, Utah to Summit County, Utah to better represent the central concept of the series, which occurs in glacial till.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from the surface to a depth of 4 inches. (A horizon)
Cambic horizon - from a depth of 4 to 12 inches. (EB1 horizon)
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the EB1, EB2, C1 and part of C2 horizon)
Soil Moisture Regime is Udic.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.