LOCATION PLITE UT+WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Cumulic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Plite sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thick platy structure that parts to single grained; soft, very friable,nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and few medium roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 3 inches thick)
A2--3 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine medium tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 20 inches thick)
A3--16 to 33 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
C--33 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Garfield County, Utah; 2 miles north and 1 mile east of Bear Valley Junction; 2,500 feet west of U. S. Highway 89 and 200 south of gravel pit in northeast quarter of section 34, T. 32 S., R. 5 W., SLBM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is 16 to 38 inches thick. The mean annual soil temperature at depth of 20 inches is 42 to 47 degrees F. The mean summer temperature is 60 to 63 degrees F. They are dry in parts of the moisture control section for 75 to 90 days during the winter, and are dry in all parts of the moisture control section 45 to 50 percent of the time when the soil temperature at 20 inch depth is more than 41 degrees F. The soil moisture regime is ustic bordering on aridic.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is sandy loam or clay loam and has 0 to 5 percent gravel. The clay loam surface layer where present is less than 15 inches thick. The A horizon is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is dominantly sandy loam with layers of loamy sand or loam, with 0 to 5 percent rock fragments and 5 to 18 percent clay. This horizon is neutral to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Sowcan (UT) and Telecan (WY) series. Sowcan soils have a typic ustic moisture regime with 16 to 22 inches annual precipitation. Telecan soils have secondary calcium carbonate accumulations.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Plite soils are at elevations of 6,400 to 7,200 feet. They occur on alluvial fans and narrow valley drainageways and formed in alluvium from intermediate and basic igneous rocks. Slopes range from 2 to 8 percent. The climate is semiarid to dry subhumid, the average annual precipitation is 12 to 14 inches. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F., and the freeze-free period is 70 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Comodore and Notter soils. Comodore soils are on ridges and mountainsides, are less than 20 inches to igneous bedrock, and have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section. Notter soils are on higher parts of alluvial fans, have an argillic horizon, a mollic epipedon less than 16 inches thick, and have more than 18 percent clay in the argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for irrigated cropland and range. The native vegetation is big sagebrush, grasses and forbs. Irrigated crops are alfalfa, oats and barley.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Utah, Western Garfield County, Utah. MLRA 35. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Garfield County (Panguitch Soil Survey Area), Utah, 1984.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 33 inches (A1, A2, A3 horizons)
Cumulic feature - a mollic epipedon thicker than 16 inches.
Haplo feature - a lack a diagnostic horizons below the mollic epipedon