LOCATION PICKRELL UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Lithic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Loamy fine sand, rangeland. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted)
A1--0 to 2 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) fine sand, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; single grained; loose; few fine roots; moderately calcareous, lime disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (O to 3 inches thick)
A2--2 to 5 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) loamy fine sand, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; few fine end very fine pores; moderately calcareous, lime disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--5 to 12 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) loamy fine sand, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and common fine roots; few fine pores; moderately calcareous, lime disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Bk--12 to 18 inches; pink (5YR 7/4) gravelly loamy fine sand, reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine pores; 30 percent lime nodules; strongly calcareous, with nodular, weakly to strongly cemented lime; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
R--18 inches; sandstone
TYPE LOCATION: San Juan County, Utah; one mile north and 3 miles west of Oljeto Trading Post; SW1/4 SW1/4 section 35, T.42S., R.14E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to bedrock: 12 to 20 inches
Mean annual soil temperature: 54 degrees to 59 degrees F.
Soil moisture: The soils are dry in all parts above the base of the moisture control section for 75 to 85 percent of the time. Typic aridic moisture regime.
A horizon
Color: yellowish red to reddish yellow
Hue: 5YR or 2.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 5 or 6
Texture: loamy fine sand to fine sand
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline.
Bw horizon
Color: yellowish red to reddish yellow
Hue: 5YR or 2.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 5 or 6
Texture: loamy fine sand to fine sand
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
Bk horizon
Color: pink to light reddish brown
Hue: 5YR or 2.5YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 4 through 6
Reaction: strongly or very strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pickrell soils are on mesas and benches at elevations of 4,800 to 5,500 feet. Slope gradients are 1 to 8 percent. These soils formed in eolian deposits and residuum from sandstone. The climate is arid and the average annual precipitation ranges from 6 to 8 inches. The mean annual temperature is 52 degrees to 56 degrees F. The mean summer temperature is 72 degrees to 77 degrees F., and the frost-free period ranges from 150 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nepalto and Neskahi soils. Nepalto and Neskahi soils lack a lithic contact within 60 inches of the surface and lack calcic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability above the bedrock.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used as rangeland. Vegetation is blackbrush, galleta grass, Indian ricegrass, Mormon tea, and a few scattered juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Utah. Pickrell soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Juan County, Utah, 1976
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from the soil surface to a depth of about 5 inches. (A1 and A2 horizons)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 5 to 12 inches. (Bw horizon)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 12 to 18 inches. (Bk horizon)
Lithic contact: Sandstone is at 18 inches. (R horizon)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999.