LOCATION SAIN               UT
Tentative Series
Rev. HKS/TER/MJD
11/98

SAIN SERIES


The Sain series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately slow permeable soils on lake terraces, lake plains and low lying dissected alluvial fans. They formed in lacustrine and alluvium from mixed sedimentary rocks. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual temperature is 49 degrees F. and the mean annual precipitation is about 7 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Typic Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Sain silt loam - irrigated cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

Ap--0 to 7 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam; brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent; carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 11 inches thick)

Bw1-- 7 to 12 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very fine sandy loam; brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 18 inches thick)

Bw2-- 12 to 21 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam; brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)

C1-- 21 to 28 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silty clay loam; brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, sticky, plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual smooth boundary. (7 to 20 inches thick)

C2-- 28 to 36 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silty clay loam; brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, sticky, plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 24 inches thick)

C3-- 36 to 49 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silty clay loam; brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, sticky, plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 24 inches thick)

C4-- 49 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) silty clay loam; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm,sticky, plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine pores; strongly effervescent; carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9).

TYPE LOCATION: Millard County, Utah; Gandy Ranch; 2,100 feet south and 2,100 feet east of the northwest corner of section 3, T. 16S., R. 19W.; 39 degrees and 27 minutes north latitude and 113 degrees and 57 minutes west longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The particle-size control section averages 27 to 35 percent clay with less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. The mean annual soil temperature is is 50 to 53 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature is 69 to 72 degrees F. The soil is dry more than 75 percent of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. They are moist in the moisture control section for fewer than 10 days between July and October. Calcium carbonate equivalent is 15 to 40 percent.

The A horizon has value of 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist and chroma of 2 to 4. It is slightly effervescent or strongly effervescent. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

The Bw and C horizons have value of 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 2 to 4. Clay content is 27 to 35 percent with a few thin strata of soils that have 18 to 27 percent clay. Texture is dominantly silty clay loam but has layers of silt loam or very fine sandy loam. The Bw and C horizons are slightly effervescent or strongly effervescent. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline. Conductivity of the saturation extract is less than 4 millimhos/cm.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blueagle (T), Chumall, Easychair, Killpack, Littlehat (T), Rosney, Sagers, Sagrlite (T), Sondoa, Swingler, Timpie, and Tocito (T) series. Blueagle and Sagers soils are moist in some part of the moisture control section for more than 10 days between July and October. Chumall and Rosney soils have relict mottles and are influenced by gypsum in the control section. Easychair soils have less than 25 percent clay in the control section. Killpack and Littlehat soils have a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Sondoa soils have manganese oxide stains. Swingler soils are moderately well drained with relict mottles at a depth that ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Sagrlite and Timpie soils have 18 to 27 percent in the control section. Tocito soils have secondary gypsum in the control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sain soils are on lake plains, lake terraces and low lying dissected alluvial fans at elevations of 4,300 to 5,800 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in alluvium and lacustrine from mixed sedimentary rocks. The climate is arid. Average annual precipitation is 5 to 8 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 48 to 51 degrees F., and the freeze-free period is 115 to 145 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nilda(T), Norland(T), Piltdown, Skumpah and Timpie soils. Nilda soils are poorly and somewhat poorly drained. Norland soils have more 15 percent fine or coarser sand in the particle-size control section. Piltdown soils have less than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Skumpah soils have a natric horizon. Timpie soils have less than 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly as irrigated cropland. Irrigated crops include alfalfa, small grains and corn.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West Central Utah This series is not extensive.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Millard County, (Millard-Juab Soil Survey), Utah 1989. The name is coined.

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

Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 7 inches.

Bw horizon - the zone of structural development with no evidence of either removal of carbonates or clay accumulation from 7 to 21 inches. (Bw1 & Bw2 horizons).

C horizon - the zone from 21 inches to 60 inches. (C1, C2 & C3 horizons).

The classification is based on the "Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eighth Edition, 1998".


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.