LOCATION NORTHDALE          UT
Established Series
Rev. TBH/LW/MEO/AJE
12/2006

NORTHDALE SERIES


The Northdale series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in eolian deposits and material weathered from sandstone. Northdale soils are on undulating to rolling uplands and have slopes of 2 to 10 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 15 inches, and the mean annual air temperature is about 49 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Northdale loam, rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 3 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) dry; weak medium platy structure that parts to weak very fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 4 inches thick)

B--3 to 8 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) dry; weak medium prismatic structure that parts to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; few fine pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

Bt--8 to 19 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) heavy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) dry; weak medium prismatic structure that parts to moderate fine subangular blocky; hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; many fine roots; few fine pores; few thin clay films in channels and as bridges between sand grains; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)

Bk--19 to 28 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) heavy loam, pink (5YR 7/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)

Ck--28 to 31 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) light clay loam, pink (5YR 7/3) dry- weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; very strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

R--31 inches; fractured sandstone.

TYPE LOCATION: San Juan County, Utah; about 1.5 miles east of Montezuma weather station; 185 feet north 250 feet east of southwest corner of southeast 1/4 section 22, T.35S., R.26E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 7 to 18 inches

Solum thickness above the horizon of carbonate accumulation: 15 to 28 inches

Depth to bedrock: 21 to 40 inches

Mean annual soil temperature: 48 to 52 degrees F.

Soil moisture: Typic ustic moisture regime

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Texture: dominantly loam but ranges to very fine sandy loam
Very fine sand content: about 35 percent

Bt horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: dominantly loam but ranges to light loam or light sandy clay loam and usually has 30 to 35 percent very fine sand. This horizon has less than 15 percent sand coarser than very fine sand.

Ck horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: light clay loam, loam or light sandy clay loam
In places a thin layer, in the lower part of the Ck immediately above the bedrock, is weakly to strongly cemented.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Agar (SD), Eakin (SD), Fairlo (SD), Highmore (SD), Holdrege (NE), Monticello (UT), and Paka (NE), series. All of the above are more than 40 inches deep to bedrock and all except Scorup and Monticello soils have hue of 10YR or yellower. In addition Agar, Eakin, Fairlo, Highmore, Holdredge and Paka soils are in LRR-G and are moist in May and June.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Northdale soils are on undulating to gently rolling uplands at elevations of 5,800 to 7,500 feet. Slopes are 2 to 10 percent. These soils formed in eolian deposits and in part in material weathered from underlying sandstone. The mean annual temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F. The mean annual summer temperature is 65 to 67 degrees F., average annual precipitation is 13 to 17 inches. The frost-free season is 120 to 140 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hovenweep and Montvale soils and the competing Monticello soils. Hovenweep soils lack argillic horizons, and overlie shale. Montvale soils are less than 20 inches deep to bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability above the bedrock.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for-nonirrigated cropland. Crops are mainly small grains and pinto beans. Some areas are used for irrigated crops of small grains, alfalfa, pasture and gardens. Some areas are used for rangeland. The native vegetation is dominantly Indian ricegrass, western wheatgrass, big sagebrush, pinyon and juniper.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRAs 39 & 48A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Juan Area Utah, 1960.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon: 0 to 8 inches (A & B horizons)

Argillic horizon: 8 to 19 inches (Bt horizon)

Lithic contact: 31 inches (R horizon)


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.