LOCATION PATHEAD UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Pathead extremely stony loam, rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely stony loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine pores; 5 percent angular gravel, 15 percent cobbles, 40 percent stones, and 5 percent boulders; strongly effervescent; carbonates are disseminated, (13 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
Bw--3 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine pores; 20 percent angular gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; strongly effervescent; carbonates are disseminated, (10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 21 inches thick)
Bk--14 to 26 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky, and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine roots; few very fine pores; 20 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; strongly effervescent; carbonates are disseminated and segregated as common thin coatings on lower sides of rock fragments, (12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 26 inches thick)
R--26 inches; sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Carbon County, Utah; about 2 miles north and 4 miles west of Helper; 1,100 feet north and 400 feet west of the SE corner of sec. 6, T. 13 S., R. 9 E.; Standardville USGS quad; lat.39 degrees 43 minutes 12 seconds N. and long. 110 degrees 57 minutes 5 seconds W., NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Soil moisture control section is usually moist in some part during late spring to early fall, and intermittently dry in late fall. Ustic moisture regime.
Depth to lithic contact: 20 to 40 inches to sandstone or shale
Depth to cambic horizon: 2 to 6 inches
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 10 to 28 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent
Rock fragment content: 35 to 80 percent indurated stones, flagstones, cobbles, channers and gravel derived from sandstone and shale
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 15 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
Bw horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture: very stony loam, very cobbly loam, cobbly fine sandy loam, very stony fine sandy loam, extremely channery loam, very channery loam, stony loam or gravelly loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 15 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
Bk horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6 dry or moist
Texture: channery loam, cobbly clay loam, very cobbly loam, very cobbly clay loam, extremely cobbly loam, very channery loam, extremely channery loam, extremely stony loam, very stony loam, very flaggy loam or very stony fine sandy loam, thin strata of gravelly loam or gravelly fine sandy loam are in the upper part of this horizon in some pedons.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 15 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Some pedons have a BCk or 2Bk horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Calaveras,
Kadygulch,
Kingspoint,
Mowbray,
Repkie,
Specie,
Wilde, and
Wilspring series.
Calaveras, Kadygulch, Kingspoint, Mowbray, and Specie: do not have a lithic contact within 60 inches of the mineral surface.
Wilde: has reaction more acid than pH 7.4.
Wilspring: have soil moisture control sections that are affected by peak precipitation during the spring.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium and colluvium over residuum derived from sandstone and shale
Landform: benches and mountain slopes
Slopes: 20 to 80 percent
Elevation: 6,600 to 9,400 feet
Mean annual air temperature: 38 to 45 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 16 to 22 inches
Precipitation pattern: Wettest months are May to October and driest months are February to April.
Frost-free period: 60 to 110 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Doney, Grobutte, Guben, Rabbitex, and Sheepcan soils. Doney soils are fine-loamy. Grobutte soils do not have bedrock within a depth of 40 inches. Guben soils have a mollic epipedon, a calcic horizon, and do not have bedrock within 40 inches. Rabbitex soils have a mollic epipedon, a calcic horizon, and are fine-loamy. Sheepcan soils are fine-loamy and do not have bedrock within a depth of 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very high runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Present vegetation is Salina wildrye, black sagebrush, winterfat, bluegrass, pinyon, Utah juniper, curlleaf mountainmahogany, and some poor quality Douglas-fir.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Utah. LRR E, MLRA 47 and 48A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Carbon County, Utah, 1982.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 26 inches.
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 3 inches. (A horizon)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 3 to 26 inches. (Bw and Bk horizons)
Secondary calcium carbonate: The zone from 14 to 26 inches. (Bk horizon)
Lithic contact: The contact with sandstone bedrock at 26 inches. (R layer)
The cation exchange activity class was inferred from laboratory data from similar soils in the soil survey area.
The classification was changed from Typic Ustorthent to Typic Haplustept May 1999.
Taxonomic version: Tenth Edition, 2006.