LOCATION PARKAY                  UT+ID NM

Established Series
Rev. RLT-VLP-JVC
08/2014

PARKAY SERIES

The Parkay series consists of deep and very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium, colluvium, or residuum derived from intermediate and basic igneous rocks or from mixed rock sources. Parkay soils are on mountains, hills, plateaus, structural benches and fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 70 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 21 inches (53 cm) and the mean annual temperature is about 39 degrees F (3.9 degrees C).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Pachic Argicryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Parkay cobbly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 12 inches (0 to 30 cm); gravelly loam, black (7.5YR 2.5/1), moist; moderate medium granular structure; very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine roots throughout and many fine roots throughout and common medium roots throughout and common coarse roots throughout and few very coarse roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores and common fine tubular pores and few medium tubular pores; 15 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary.

A2--12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm); very stony loam, very dark gray (7.5YR 3/1), moist; moderate medium granular structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine roots throughout and common medium roots throughout and few coarse roots throughout and few very coarse roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores and common fine tubular pores and few medium tubular pores; 10 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, 15 percent stones; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of A horizons are 8 to 20 inches (20 to 51 cm) thick)

Bt--18 to 60 inches (45 to 152 cm); very cobbly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4), moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine roots between peds and common medium roots between peds; few very fine tubular pores and few fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on all faces of peds; 10 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6). (7 to 42 inches (18 to 107 cm) thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Sevier County, Utah; about .75 miles north of Killian Spring on Cove Mountain; about 2,525 feet west and 980 feet south of the northeast corner of Sec. 8, T. 25 S., R. 1 W.; USGS Water Creek Canyon, Utah 7.5 minute quadrangle; 38 degrees 39 minutes 13 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 55 minutes 56 seconds west longitude; NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter and spring; dry in summer and fall; Typic xeric moisture regime
Mean annual soil temperature - 35 to 44 degrees F (2.0 to 6.7 degrees C)
Mean summer soil temperature - 52 to 58 degrees F (11.1 to 14.4 degrees C)
Mollic epipedon thickness - 20 to 45 inches (51 to 114 cm); includes subdivisions of the argillic horizon
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 20 to more than 60 inches (51 to more than 152 cm)
Depth to bedrock - 40 to more than 60 inches (102 to more than 152 cm)
Particle-size control section (weighted average) - Clay content: 27 to 35 percent; Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent, mainly cobbles or gravel
Reaction - Neutral through moderately alkaline

A horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 to through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent
Organic matter content: 1 to 6 percent

Bt horizons - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: Very gravelly loam, very gravelly clay loam, very gravelly sandy clay loam, cobbly clay loam, very cobbly loam, very cobbly clay loam, extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, or extremely cobbly clay loam
Structure: Weak or moderate subangular blocky or angular blocky
Organic matter content: 1 to 4 percent

C horizon (present in some pedons) - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist
Texture: Extremely cobbly loam, extremely gravelly clay loam, very gravelly loam, very gravelly sandy clay loam, very cobbly sandy clay loam, extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, very cobbly clay loam, extremely cobbly clay loam, or very cobbly loam

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Angelwhine, Aspetill, Badwater, Bickmore, Bluebell, Booneville, Buena Vista, Dab, Dailybasin (T), Delhew, Hawkinspeak, Keman, Littlemud (T), Lostcannon, Monibasin, Panin, Parkalley (T), Rangertaft (T), Redbird, Rutherford, Sweetmount, and Woodhurst series.
Angelwhine and Dab soils average 18 to 25 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
Aspetill soils average 18 to 25 percent clay in the particle-size control section and have mean summer soil temperature of 47 to 52 degrees F (8 to 11.1 degrees C).
Badwater soils are dominated by boulders in the particle-size control section.
Bickmore, Bluebell, Buena Vista, Hawkinspeak, Littlemud, Rangertaft, Rutherford, and Woodhurst soils have lithic contacts at 20 to 40 inches (51 to 102 cm) in depth.
Booneville soils have slightly acid reaction in the argillic horizon and have thin O horizons.
Dailybasin soils have an ustic moisture regime.
Delhew and Lostcannon soils have less than 18 percent clay, are dominated by fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter) in the particle-size control section, and have rock fragments that are granitic rocks.
Keman soils average 18 to 24 percent clay in the particle-size control section and are strongly acid through slightly acid.
Monibasin soils average 18 to 25 percent clay and are dominated by stones in the particle-size control section.
Panin soils have lithic contacts at 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 cm) in depth.
Parkalley soils are dominated by flagstones.
Redbird soils have horizons with identifiable secondary carbonates within 40 inches (102 cm) of the soil surface.
Sweetmount soils have paralithic contacts at 40 to 60 inches (102 to 152 cm) in depth and have subhorizons of the argillic horizon with 27 to 50 percent clay.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: mountains, plateaus, structural benches, and fan remnants - typically occur on backslope positions
Parent material: alluvium, colluvium, or residuum derived from intermediate and basic igneous rocks, or mixed rocks
Slopes: 2 to 70 percent
Elevation: 7,750 to 10,650 feet (2,362 to 3,246 meters), and as low as 5,200 feet (1,585 meters) in Idaho
Climate: subhumid with cold, moist winters and cool, dry summers
Mean annual precipitation: 16 to 26 inches (41 to 66 cm)
Mean annual temperature: 33 to 42 degrees F (.5 to 5.6 degrees C)
Mean summer temperature: 52 to 55 degrees F (11.1 to 12.8 degrees C)
Frost-free period: 30 to 80 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Faim and Forsey soils. Faim soils have more than 35 percent clay and less than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Forsey soils have mollic epipedons less than 16 inches thick.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or high surface runoff; moderate or moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Parkay soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, lupine, Letterman's needlegrass, Idaho fescue, dryland sedge, tall native bluegrass species, and quaking aspen.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and southern Utah, southern Idaho, and northern New Mexico. These soils are moderately extensive. The central concept for this series is in MLRA 47 in Utah, although most acres have been mapped in MLRAs 12 and 25 in Idaho. Minor acreage (3,404 ac.) also occurs in MLRA 39 in New Mexico.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fairfield-Nephi Area (Parts of Juab, Sanpete, and Utah Counties), Utah, 1981.

REMARKS: Type location was moved in 9/2009 to Sevier County, Utah to be located in an area with less summer precipitation and more in line with original xeric concept.

Changes in the definition of the series control section and inclusion of the soil moisture regime in the series concept will make a thorough review of the use the Parkay series a necessity in MLRA updates. The Parkay soil mapped in New Mexico needs future recorrelation to another series. The soils mapped as Parkay in MLRA 25 appear to be outside the series range in soil depth and may need future recorrelation as well. Parkay mapped in Wyoming is a family level component; it was dropped from the range of distribution for this series.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 30 inches (76 cm) (A, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 8 to 30 inches (20 to 76 cm) (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 8 to 28 inches (20 to 71 cm) (Bt1 horizon and part of the Bt2 horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.