LOCATION MOEPITZ UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Typic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Moepitz very fine sand-rangeland. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
C1--0 to 10 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/8) very fine sand; yellowish red (5YR 5/8) moist; single grained; loose, few fine roots; slightly calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
C2--10 to 30 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/8) very fine sandy loam; yellowish red (5YR 5/8) moist; single grained; loose; few fine roots; slightly calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (16 to 28 inches thick)
R--30 inches; sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: San Juan County, Utah; seven miles north of Navajo Mountain School; NW 1/4 NW 1/4 sec. 27, T. 42 S., R. 10 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The soils are dry in all parts above the base of the moisture control section for 75 to 85 percent of the time. Typic aridic moisture regime.
The soil is 20 to 40 inches deep over bedrock.
Mean annual soil temperature ranges from - 53 to 59 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from - 74 to 79 degrees F.
A horizon
Hue: 5YR or 2.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 8
Reaction: moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline
C horizon
Hue: 5YR or 2.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: very fine sandy loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam to loamy very fine sand
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Apron (WY),
Fang (NV),
Fruitland (NM),
Ganaflan (NV),
Geer (NV),
Jeddito (AZ),
Jenrid (UT),
Kumiva (NV),
Marcou (AZ),
Mazuma (NV),
Piltdown (NV),
Shotnick (UT),
Sodaspring (NV),
Tooele (UT),
Trachute (UT),
Vanderhoff (ID),
Wentridge (UT) and
Worland (WY) series.
Apron, Fang, Fruitland, Ganaflan, Geer, Jeddito, Jenrid, Kumiva, Mazuma, Marcou, Piltdown, Sodaspring, Shotnick, Trachute and Tooele soils are more than 40 inches deep to bedrock.
Apron, Fang, Fruitland, Ganaflan, Geer, Mazuma, Vanderhoff, and Worland soils have 10YR hue or yellower.
Vanderhoff and Wentridge soils have paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Moepitz soils are on rolling uplands hill slopes on structural benches, and breaks at elevations of 4,000 to 5,200 feet. Slope gradients are 1 to 30 percent. These soils formed in mixed alluvium, eolian material weathered from sandstone and shale. The climate is arid and the average annual precipitation ranges from 6 to 9 inches. The mean annual temperature is 51 to 57 degrees F. The mean summer temperature is 75 to 79 degrees F. and the freeze-free period ranges from 150 to 190 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aneth, Begay, Delco and Nepalto soils. Aneth, Begay and Nepalto soils are deeper than 40 inches to a lithic contact. Delco soils have a petrocalcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderately rapid to rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used only as rangeland. Potential vegetation is blackbrush, Mormon-tea, spike dropseed, mesa dropseed, galleta and Indian ricegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Utah. The series is inextensive. MLRA 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Juan County, Utah, 1976.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 10 inches (C1 horizon)
Particle size control section - the zone from 10 to 30 inches (C2 horizon)