LOCATION MINCHEY UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Typic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Minchey loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; common medium vesicular pores; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are finely disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--3 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few medium and fine roots; many medium pores; 2 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (4 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are finely disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
Bk1--12 to 20 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; 2 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (14 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonate coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments, carbonates are finely disseminated in matrix; carbonates are fine nodules and disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 13 inches thick)
Bk2--20 to 32 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) sandy clay loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; 5 percent gravel; very strongly effervescent (44 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonate coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments, carbonates are finely disseminated in matrix and fine carbonate nodules; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); diffuse wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Bk3--32 to 48 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; 2 percent stones, 3 percent cobbles, 20 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonate coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments, carbonates are finely disseminated in matrix); moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
C--48 to 64 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grain; loose, very friable, slightly plastic; few fine roots; 2 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, 30 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (14 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are finely disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Emery County, Utah; 4 miles north and 1 mile east of Elmo; 1,980 feet south and 140 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 9, T. 16 S., R. 10 E., lat. 39 degrees 26 minutes 54 seconds N. and long. 110 degrees 47 minutes 50 seconds W. NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is usually dry, but intermittently moist during late summer and early fall. Aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 54 degrees F.
Depth to the calcic horizon: 10 to 30 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam, gravelly sandy loam, or gravelly sandy clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Sand content: more than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent gravel and cobbles, these increase in the lower one third of the particle-size control section.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Below 40 inches, textures range from very gravelly sandy loam to extremely gravelly loamy sand, with 40 to 80 percent rock fragments.
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 4 dry or moist
Bk and C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Similar soils include the Avalon, Kilroy, Pariette, Redhouse and Siltcliffe (T) series. These soils have a superactive CEC class.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on mesas or benches, fan remnants and old alluvial fans. Slope gradients are from 0 to 10 percent. Parent material is alluvium, slope alluvium and glacial outwash derived dominantly from sandstone, quartzite and shale. Elevation is 4,200 to 6,500 feet. The climate is semiarid, with mean annual temperatures of 45 to 53 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 5 to 9 inches. Wettest months are July to October and driest months are December and June. The freeze-free period is 110 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blackston, Hostage, Sagers, Stent and Vickel soils. Blackston and Minchey soils are loamy-skeletal and occur in more convex positions. Hostage, Sagers and Vickel soils do not have calcic horizons and are on dissected shale hills and benches downslope.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low or medium runoff; moderate or moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cultivated areas are used for corn for silage, alfalfa, grain and improved irrigated pasture. Potential vegetation is galleta, blue grama, shadscale, needleandthread, Indian ricegrass, and winterfat.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Plateau areas in Utah and Colorado. LRR D, MLRA 34 and 35. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Emery County, Utah, 1972.
REMARKS:
These soils have been correlated to desert range sites in Utah.
Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon: from 0 to 3 inches. (A horizon)
Cambic horizon: from 3 to 12 inches (Bw horizon)
Calcic horizon: from 12 to 32 inches. (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
Laboratory samples from Utah State University, Profile No. 420, Lab Nos. U572077-U572081.
Classification change from Typic Calciorthids to Typic Haplocalcids on 11/94.
Last updated by the state: 12/2000.