LOCATION PARLEYS UT+IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Loam, 0 to 1 percent slopes - cultivated (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine pores; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
A--6 to 15 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; common medium and fine pores; neutral (pH 7.1); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Bt--15 to 26 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many fine roots in cleavage planes; few fine pores; common thin patchy clay films on vertical and horizontal surfaces of peds; neutral (pH 7.3); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
Bk--26 to 33 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; strongly calcareous, lime disseminated and in veins moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
Ck--33 to 48 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; few medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) mottles; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); diffuse wavy boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
C--48 to 60 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) stratified silty clay loam, very fine sandy loam, silty clay and fine sand, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; common coarse faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) mottles massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Davis County, Utah; 850 feet north and 700 feet west of the 51/4 corner of sec. 14, T.4N., R.IW.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick. The combined thickness of the A and Bt horizons ranges from 18 to 40 inches. Depth to the horizon of carbonate accumulation is 18 to 40 inches; Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 15 to 40 percent. Most commonly the depth to water table is more than 72 inches, but some soils with water table at depths of 40 to 72 inches are within the range of the series (see remarks).
The moisture regime is xeric bordering on aridic. These soils are are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for over 60 consecutive days in the 4 months following the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature at depth of 20 inches is 47 to 58 degrees F. and the mean summer soil temperature is 60 to 70 degrees F.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3 moist, 3 through 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture of the surface horizons is loam, silt loam, clay loam or silty clay loam. It is slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 through 5 moist, 4 through 7 dry, and chroma of 2 through 6. It is most commonly clay loam with less than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand, but ranges to silty clay loam or to very fine sandy clay loam. Structure ranges from weak to strong, prismatic or blocky. Clay films range from thin to moderately thick, few to continuous. This horizon is slightly acid to slightly alkaline. Some pedons have Btk horizons.
The Bk and Ck horizons range from 20 to 45 percent calcium carbonate equivalent. Hue is 10YR or 2.5Y, value 6 or 7 dry and 4 to 6 moist, chroma 2 to 4. It is moderately to strongly alkaline.
The C horizon is stratified and ranges from loam, silt loam or fine sandy loam, to clay loam or silty clay loam. In places mottles occur in the lower C horizons at depth below 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES:
Broadax (WA): Bt horizon includes moderately alkaline reaction; lacks calcic horizon
Mckay (OR): have E horizons and gravelly 2C horizons
Morrow (OR): 20 to 40 inches to Basalt bedrock
Nephi (UT): include hue of 5YR; Bt includes moderately alkaline reaction
Wannacott (WA): Bt horizon includes moderately and strongly alkaline reaction; has gravelly and very gravelly 2C horizons
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Parleys soils occur on smooth, nearly level to very steep lake terraces, terrace escarpments, stream terraces, and foothills having slopes ranging from 0 to 40 percent. The climate is dry or moist subhumid. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 45 to 53 degrees F., the average summer temperature ranges from 65 to 73 degrees F., and the frost-free season ranges from 100 to 175 days. The average annual precipitation ranges from 14 to 18 inches. Elevation is 4200 to 5700 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Eastcan, Hillfield, Kidman and Stoda soils and the competing Timpanogos soils. Eastcan soils have mollic epipedons more than 20 inches thick and lack both calcic horizons and argillic horizons. Hillfield soils lack both mollic epipedons and argillic horizons. Kidman soils lack argillic horizons and have fine sandy loam textures in the 10- to 40-inch control section. Stoda soils lack argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well and moderately well drained; low to rapid runoff; moderately slow to slow permeability in the B horizon but slow to rapid in the C horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for cropland. Alfalfa, small grains, sugar beets, corn for silage and orchards are the main crops on irrigated areas; alfalfa and small grains on dry-farmed areas. The native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, junegrass, western wheatgrass, gumweed, balsamroot, big sagebrush, and oakbrush. In Utah this series is correlated with Upland loam (Basin Big Sagebrush) and Upland Stony Loam (Wyoming Big Sagebrush) ecological sites. In Idaho this series is correlated with Loamy 12-16 ARTRT/PSSP6 ecological site.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Bonneville Basin in central and northern Utah and southern Idaho. The soil is of large extent and is important to agriculture.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Salt Lake Area, Utah 1936.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to 15 inches (Ap and A horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 15 to 26 inches (Bt horizon).
Calcic horizon - the zone from 26 to 48 inches (Bk and Ck horizon).
The classification is based on the "Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eighth Edition, 1998". There is a need for additional field work to refine the drainage class.