LOCATION NAVIGON UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, siliceous, mesic Lithic Ustic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Navigon extremely stony fine sand, on an east facing, convex, 36 percent slope at an elevation of 7180 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on 9/17/1998 the soil was dry from 0 to 8 inches. The surface is covered by 35 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 20 percent stones, lithology is basalt.
A--0 to 4 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely stony fine sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grained ; loose, loose; nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; 15 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles and 30 percent stones, lithology is basalt; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary.
C--4 to 8 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very cobbly fine sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grained ; loose, loose; nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; 15 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones, lithology is basalt; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary
R--8 inches; Navajo Formation sandstone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Garfield County; USGS Escalante quadrangle; lat. 37 degrees 50 minutes 52.40 seconds N. and long. 111 degrees 36 minutes 45.70 seconds W., NAD 83
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Ustic aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 54 degrees F
Depth to lithic contact - 4 to 20 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average) -
Clay content: 0 to 8 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent gravel, cobbles, stones, and boulders of basalt
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Rock fragments: Basalt with some sandstone fragments; 35 to 70 percent total rock fragments that consist of gravel, cobbles, stones, and boulders).
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline
C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: fine sand or loamy sand
Rock fragments: Basalt with some sandstone fragments 35 to 70 percent total rock fragments that consist of gravel, cobbles, stones, and boulders.
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: eolian sand derived from Navajo sandstone
Landform: scree slopes on structural benches
Slopes: 30 to 60 percent
Elevation: 6,200 to 7,200 feet
Mean annual air temperature: 45 to 52 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 9 to 12 inches
Frost-free period: 120 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Nalcase series. Nalcase series has less than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained, rapid runoff, very rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for rangeland, recreation and wildlife. Potential native vegetation is Utah juniper, roundleaf buffaloberry, broom snakeweed, cliffrose, Bigelow sagebrush, two-needle pinyon, Indian ricegrass, and galleta. These soils have been correlated to the Semidesert Shallow Sand (Utah Juniper-Pinyon) 035XY227UT ecological site at the type location in Utah.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central Utah, LRR D, MLRA 35. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Garfield County, Utah, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument soil survey area, 2004. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 4 inch. (A horizon)
Particle-size control section: The zone from 0 to 8 inches. (A and C horizons)
Lithic contact: The contact with Navajo sandstone bedrock at 8 inches. (R horizon)
Taxonomic Version: Ninth Edition, 2003
ADDITIONAL DATA: Ecological Site-Semidesert Steep Shallow Sandy Loam (Juniper)