LOCATION RODROF             UT
Established Series
Rev. JCL/RLT
03/2003

RODROF SERIES


The Rodrof series consists of shallow over duripan, well drained, moderately permeable soils formed in mixed alluvium and colluvium from chert, limestone and quartzite. They are on dissected hillsides and footslopes. Slopes range from 5 to 40 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 14 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid, shallow Haploxerollic Durixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Rodrof extremely gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A1--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to weak very fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; 70 percent pebbles; slightly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary.

A2--2 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many fine and very fine vesicular pores; 70 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; slightly calcareous; carbonates are as very thin coatings on the underside of rocks; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 7 to 14 inches.)

Bk--10 to 19 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; 60 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; moderately calcareous; carbonates are disseminated and also occur as very thick coatings on undersides of rocks; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)

Bqkm--19 inches; continuous indurated duripan with common moderately thick silica pendants on undersides of coarse fragments.

TYPE LOCATION: Box Elder County, Utah; about 2 miles west of Meadow Creek Butte; 2,000 feet east and 1,500 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 10, T. 13 N., R. 19 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 40 to 46 degrees F. The moisture regime is xeric bordering on aridic.

Thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 15 inches. Depth to the duripan ranges from 10 to 20 inches. The particle-size control section averages 18 to 27 percent clay and 45 to 80 percent rock fragments.

The A horizon has value of 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist with chroma of 2 or 3. It is noncalcareous to slightly calcareous. It is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

The Bk horizon has value of 5 to 8 dry, 3 to 6 moist, with chroma of 2 to 4. It commonly is extremely gravelly loam, but the range includes very gravelly loam. It is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. The Jarab and Vil series are in similar families. Jarab soils have a mesic temperature regime. Vil soils are in a loamy family.

GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING: The Rodrof soils are on convex and concave dissected hillsides and footslopes. Slopes range from 5 to 40 percent. Elevations range from 6,000 to 6,600 feet. The soils formed in mixed alluvium and colluvium from chert, limestone and quartzite. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches and the mean annual temperature is 41 to 45 degrees F. The freeze-free period is 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Acord, Raftriver and Solak soils. Acord soils are deep and have an argillic horizon. Raftriver soils are on dissected bajadas and are moderately deep to a non-indurated hardpan. Solak soils are shallow to bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland. The potential vegetation is black sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass and Thurber needlegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Rodrof soils are located in northwestern Utah and are not extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Box Elder County, Utah (Box Elder - Western Part Soil Survey), 1985.

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

Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 10 inches. (A1, A2 horizons).

Duripan - an indurated layer of both silica and lime at a depth of about 10 to 20 inches (Bkqm horizon).

In Utah the soil is correlated with upland range sites.

The classification was changed from Orthidic Durixerolls to Haploxerollic Durixerolls in 9/94.

The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.