LOCATION SANDYRANCH              UT

Established Series
Rev. CES/VLP
07/2013

SANDYRANCH SERIES

The Sandyranch series consists of very deep, excessively drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from sandstone. Sandyranch soils are on flood-plain steps. Slopes range from 1 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 9 inches (229 mm)and the mean annual temperature is about 51 degrees F.(10.5 degrees C.).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Ustic Torripsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Sandyranch fine sand - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 2 inches (0 to 5 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4), moist; 3 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and many very fine roots throughout; very fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches (0 to 15 cm ) thick)

C1--2 to 9 inches (5 to 23 cm); fine sand, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist; 2 percent clay; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots throughout; many very fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline, pH 8.2; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 21 inches ( 5 to 53 cm) thick)

C2--9 to 33.5 inches (23 to 85 cm); sand, brown (7.5YR 5/4), moist; 1 percent clay; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; many very fine interstitial pores; 2 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline, pH 8.2; clear wavy boundary. (9 to 25 inches (23 to 64 cm) thick)

C3--33.5 to 43.5 inches (85 to 110 cm); fine sand, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist; 2 percent clay; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots throughout; many very fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline, pH 8.2; abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 34 inches ( 25 to 86 cm) thick)

C4--43.5 to 59 inches (110 to 150 cm); gravelly sand, brown (7.5YR 5/4), moist; 1 percent clay; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots throughout; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline, pH 8.2.

TYPE LOCATION: Soil Survey of Capitol Reef National Park; Garfield County, Utah; lat. 37 degrees 54 minutes 38 seconds N. and long. 111 degrees 3 minutes 1 second W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section from December to March and July to September. Driest during May and June. Ustic Aridic moisture regime. These soils periodically flood as a result of late summer thunderstorms in July, August, and September.

Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 53 degrees F. (8.3 to 11.7 degrees C.)

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 1 to 6 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent

A horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 5, dry or moist
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist
Texture: sand, fine sand, very fine sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 1 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 3 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline (7.4 to 8.4)

C horizons
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Texture: coarse sand, sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand
Clay content: 1 to 6 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent gravel, cobbles, stones, or boulders
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Reaction: moderately alkaline (7.9 to 8.4)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Calladito (NM), Curtis Siding (I) (WY), Dwyer (WY), Karval (CO), Mido (UT), Orpha (WY), Pensom (AZ), Pinavetes (NM), Tullock (WY), Valent (CO), and Wigton (CO) series. The Curtis Siding soil is inactive. The Dwyer, Karval, Orpha, Tullock, Valent, and Wigton soils are moist in some part periodically during May and June, and reflect the soil forming conditions of the Great Plains. Pensom soils are deep to sandstone. The Calladito series is noneffervescent in the particle-size control section and is not periodically flooded. The Pinavetes and Mido series do not have an irregular decrease in organic matter indicated by fine stratification and are not periodically flooded.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Sandyranch soils are on flood-plain steps at elevations of 3,910 to 6,300 feet (1,193 to 1,920 m). Slopes range from 1 to 15 percent. These soils formed in alluvium derived from sandstone. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 13 inches (229 to 330 mm) with high intensity thunderstorms between July and September. The mean annual air temperature is 46 to 52 degrees F. (7.8 to 11.1 degrees C.). The average frost-free period is 140 to 160 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Begay and Mido series, and Oxyaquic Torrifluvent soils. The Begay soils are on higher stream terraces and contain a cambic horizon. The Mido soils are on eolian deposits on higher stream terraces and do not experience flooding. The Oxyaquic Torrifluvents are on flood-plain steps and are saturated below 20 inches.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained, very low runoff, very high permeability, frequently or occasionally flooded for very brief periods during the months of July to September.

USE AND VEGETATION: Sandyranch soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation includes basin big sagebrush, Wyoming big sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, Fremont cottonwood, and rubber rabitbrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Capitol Reef National Park, Utah; MLRA 35, LRR D. Sandyranch soils are of limited extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Garfield County, Utah; Capitol Reef National Park Soil Survey, 2013.

REMARKS: Sandyranch soils, with a texture class of loamy fine sand or coarser in all layers within the particle-size control section, are too sandy to classify as Fluvents according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999 and Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010; they do, however, have an irregular decrease in organic carbon with depth as a result of their fluvial origin.
This is indicated by the fine stratification, most evident in the upper part of the soil profile; the presence of discontinuous lenses of gravel; and adjacent horizons often vary in the dominant sand fraction present.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Entisol feature - lack of diagnostic horizons

Psamment feature - less than 35 percent (by volume) rock fragments and a texture class of loamy fine sand or coarser in all layers within the particle-size control section

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.