LOCATION QUICHIPA UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Xeric Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Quichipa silty clay loam--on a 2 percent west facing slope-rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated).
A--0 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) silty clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse platy structure parting to weak fine granular; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; few medium and fine roots; many fine vesicular pores; strongly effervescent (9 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
C1--6 to 22 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) silty clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; few medium and fine roots; few medium and fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent (8 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); diffuse smooth boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)
C2--22 to 33 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) silty clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; few filaments of gypsum; strongly effervescent (15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary. (11 to 23 inches thick)
C3--33 to 51 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) silty clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; moderately calcareous (14 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 19 inches thick)
C4--51 to 60 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) silty clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; few filaments of gypsum; strongly effervescent (15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5).
TYPE LOCATION: Iron County, Utah; about 6.2 miles north of Kanarraville; 1,700 feet north and 2,000 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 35, T. 36 S., R. 12 W. Kanarraville Quadrangle; Latitude 37 degrees, 37 minutes, 26 seconds N.; Longitude 113 degrees, 10 minutes, 29 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 47 to 52 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature is 66 to 72 degrees F. This soil is dry for 50 to 60 percent of the time the soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is above 41 degrees F. It is usually dry in some part of the moisture control section for 55 to 70 days during the 120 days following June 21. The soil moisture regime is aridic bordering on xeric.
The particle size control section averages 35 to 50 percent clay and 3 to 35 percent calcium carbonate equivalent.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 5YR value of 4 or 5 dry and 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 to 4. It is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5YR, value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture is silty clay, silty clay loam and clay above a depth of 40 inches, but includes loam, clay loam, silty clay loam and silty clay below this depth. It is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES:
Bradford (T UT) soils have hue of 10YR and have stratified lake sediments at 20 to 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Quichipa soils are on alluvial flats and toeslopes of alluvial fans at elevations of 5,400 to 6,000 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in alluvium derived dominantly from sedimentary and igneous rocks. The mean annual air temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F. Average annual precipitation is 10 to 12 inches. The freeze free period is 120 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ashdown, Bullion, Calcross and Kanarra soils. Ashdown and Calcross soils average less than 35 percent clay in the particle size control section and occur on alluvial fans upslope of the Quichipa soils. Kanarra soils have a mollic epipedon, an argillic and a calcic horizon, and occur on gently sloping fan terraces upslope of the Quichipa soils. Bullion soils have a natric horizon and are moderately saline to strongly saline below the natric horizon. They occur on alluvial plains in concave positions downslope of the Quichipa soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff or ponded; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland and irrigated cropland. A few areas are used for rural subdivisions. The potential vegetation is basin big sagebrush, Douglas rabbitbrush, black greasewood, pricklypear and bottlebrush squirreltail. Principal crops grown include alfalfa hay and small grains.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Utah. MLRA 28. These soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Iron County (Iron-Washington Soil Survey Area), Utah, 1997. The series is named after Quichipa Lake near the type location.
REMARKS: The diagnostic features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to a depth of about 6 inches. (A horizon)
Classification is based on "Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eighth Edition, 1998". This series should be reviewed for possible inclusion in the Xeretic subgroup.