LOCATION RANRUFF UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Lithic Xeric Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Ranruff gravelly loam , on a south-facing, convex, 30 percent slope in woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described the soil was dry throughout.
A--0 to 5 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) gravelly loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft; very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and few medium roots; many fine pores; 20 percent gravel; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
C--5 to 16 inches; light red (2.5YR 6/6) gravelly loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; common fine pores; 20 percent gravel; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
R--16 inches; fractured sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Rich County, Utah; about 4 miles west and 2 miles north of Woodruff; located about 1,000 feet east and 1,250 feet south of the NW corner of sec. 2, T. 9 N., R. 6 E.; Woodruff USGS quad; lat. 41 degrees 32 minutes 59 seconds N. and long. 111 degrees 14 minutes 33 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil is dry in all parts 50 to 55 percent of the time that the soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is warmer than 41 degrees F. Aridic moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 40 to 46 degrees F
Mean summer soil temperature: 61 to 65 degrees F
Thickness of the ochric epipedon: 4 to 6 inches
Depth to lithic contact: 10 to 20 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, or 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 4 to 8 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Rock fragment content: 15 to 30 percent, including 15 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent stones
Effervescence: moderately or strongly
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
C horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6, dry or moist
Rock fragment content: 20 to 35 percent, including 20 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Pararock fragment content: 0 to 4 percent, increasing with depth
Effervescence: moderately or strongly
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competitors currently recognized. The Gridge series in a closely related family has a xeric moisture regime bordering on aridic.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: colluvium and residuum derived from sandstone.
Landform: foothills
Slopes: 30 to 60 percent, dominantly convex
Elevation: 6,000 to 7,300 feet
Mean annual temperature: 38 to 44 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 11 to 14 inches
Frost-free period: 65 to 85 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Alhark,
Cutoff,
Dennot,
Duckree, Ellet,
Kearl,
Solak, and
Vanni soils.
Alhark, Cutoff, Dennot, Duckree, Kearl, Solak, and Vanni soils are more than 20 inches deep to bedrock.
Ellet soils are shallow or very shallow over soft weathered shale and have hue of 10YR or yellower.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained, high runoff, moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for woodland. Principal vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Utah juniper, antelope bitterbrush, and Indian ricegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Utah; MLRA 34A, 47; small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rich County, Utah, Rich County Area soil survey, 1980. The name is coined from the town names of Randolph and Woodruff.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: From 0 to 5 inches. (A horizon)
Lithic contact: The contact with sandstone at 16 inches. (R layer)
Series control section: The zone from 0 to 16 inches.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 16 inches. (part of the C horizon)
Taxonomic version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.