LOCATION POINTLA UT

Established Series
Rev. GWL/MJD/SJJ
08/2016

POINTLA SERIES

The Pointla series consists of moderately deep to a petrocalcic horizon, somewhat poorly drained, moderately permeable soils formed in glaciofluvial deposits derived from sedimentary and quartzite rocks. Pointla soils are on outwash plains. Slopes are 2 to 4 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 10 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 47 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Petrocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Pointla loam on a southwest facing 4 percent slope under pasture grasses at an elevation of 5,585 feet. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 1 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; many very fine and fine, common medium tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; very slightly effervescent, (10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)

Btk--1 to 11 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, few fine roots; many very fine, common fine and medium tubular pores; common discontinuous faint clay skins on faces of peds; 15 percent gravel; very slightly effervescent, (1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated and segregated in 1 mm thick coatings on undersides of rock fragments; common fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) redoximorphic concentrations; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)

Bk1--11 to 18 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) cobbly sandy clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine, common medium tubular pores; 10 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent, (32 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated and segregated in common fine irregular shaped masses and in 1 mm thick coatings on rock fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)

2Bk2--18 to 39 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine, common medium tubular pores; 30 percent gravel, 40 percent cobbles; violently effervescent, (39 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated and segregated in many fine irregular shaped masses and in 1 mm thick coatings on rock fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (11 to 21 inches thick)

2Bkm--39 to 49 inches; calcium carbonate indurated hardpan; extremely hard dry, extremely firm moist; root penetration is inhibited except through a few vertical fractures that are 6 to 12 inches apart.

TYPE LOCATION: Uintah County, Utah; 2 miles southeast of Lapoint on the USGS Lapoint Quadrangle; about 300 feet north and 1,500 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 10, T.5S., R.19E. SLBM; 40 degrees, 23 minutes, 15 seconds north latitude and 109 degrees, 46 minutes, 18 seconds west longitude; NAD 27

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

The soil moisture control section is affected by precipitation that falls throughout the year, with a slight increase in late summer and fall. The soil moisture regime is aridic, transitional to aquic. This soil has an irrigation induced water table.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 51 degrees F.
Depth to calcic horizon: 7 to 16 inches
Depth to petrocalcic horizon: 20 to 40 inches
Depth to lithologic discontinuity: 13 to 24 inches to extremely cobbly materials
Depth to episaturation: 20 to 40 inches to an irrigation induced water table, March through October.

Particle-size control section (weighted average): 27 to 35 percent clay and 15 to 35 percent subrounded rock fragments

A horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 2 to 4
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Electrical conductivity: 4 to 8 mmhos/cm

Btk horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: gravelly sandy clay loam or gravelly clay loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent

Bk horizon:
Value: 4 or 5 moist
Texture: cobbly sandy clay loam or gravelly clay loam with clay content ranging from 27 to 35 percent and rock fragments ranging from 15 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 30 to 40 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline

2Bk horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 7 or 8 dry, and 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6
Texture: extremely cobbly sandy clay loam or extremely cobbly loam with clay content ranging from 20 to 35 percent and rock fragment content ranging from 60 to 75 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 30 to 40 percent

COMPETING SERIES: These are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:

Parent material: glaciofluvial deposits derived from sedimentary and quartzite rocks
Landform: outwash plains
Slopes: 2 to 4 percent
Elevation: 5,400 to 5,700 feet
Mean annual precipitation: 8 to 12 inches.
Mean annual air temperature: 45 to 49 degrees F.
Frost-free period: 110 to 140 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Clapper, Cobbra, Crib, and Paradox soils. All these soils are very deep and do not have a petrocalcic horizon. In addition Paradox soils are on stream terraces.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; low runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally for irrigated pasture.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Utah. LRR D, MLRA 34. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Uintah County, Uintah Area Soil Survey, Utah, 1998.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Particle-size control section: The zone from 1 to 11 inches (Btk horizon).
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 1 inch (A horizon).
Argillic horizon: The zone from 1 to 11 inches (Btk horizon).
Calcic horizon: The zone from 11 to 39 inches (Bk, 2Bk horizons).
Petrocalcic horizon: The zone from 39 to 49 inches (2Bkm horizon).
Episaturation: An irrigation induced saturated zone, 20 to 39 inches from the surface. The saturated zone is perched above the petrocalcic horizon.

The CEC activity class was inferred from laboratory data from similar soils in the Uintah Area Soil Survey.

Taxonomic version: Eighth Edition, 1998.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.