LOCATION SANPITCH UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Calcixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Sanpitch very stony loam - rangeland (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
All--0 to 2 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very stony loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; common fine pores; 10 to 25 percent of the surface is covered by stone and cobble; moderately calcareous, lime is disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
A12--2 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky, plastic; common medium and fine roots; few fine pores; 25 percent gravel; strongly calcareous, lime is disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Clca--7 to 13 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky, plastic; few large medium and fine roots; common fine pores; 20 percent gravel; very strongly calcareous, lime is disseminated and accumulated in veins and soft rounded accretions; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 inches thick)
C2ca--13 to 20 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) gravelly light clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky, plastic; few fine and few medium roots; common fine pores; 20 percent gravel; strongly calcareous, lime is disseminated and accumulated in soft rounded accretions; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
C3ca--20 to 24 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, sticky, plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; 25 percent gravel; strongly calcareous, lime is disseminated and in veins; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
C4--24 to 37 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, sticky, plastic; common fine, few medium roots; few fine pores; 35 percent gravel; strongly calcareous, lime is disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (13 to 25 inches thick)
C5--37 to 42 degrees; pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) gravelly loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/3) moist; moderate medium platy structure; very hard, friable, slightly sticky, plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; 35 percent gravel; very strongly calcareous, lime is disseminated and accumulated in soft rounded accretions; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (O to 6 inches thick)
C6--42 to 60 inches; pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; 20 percent gravel; strongly calcareous, lime is disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7).
TYPE LOCATION: Utah County, Utah; about 1 mile south of Birdseye; about 300 feet southeast of a steel gate on the east side of the highway; 330 feet south and 165 feet east of NW corner of sec. 1, T.11S., R.3E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is 7 to 16 inches thick above the calcic horizon. The mean annual soil temperature at 20 inches ranges from 45 to 47 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature ranges from 60 to 63 degrees F. In more than 7 out of 10 years the soils are dry in the moisture control section for 60 to 80 consecutive days after June 21, and are dry in the moisture control section about 55 percent of the time the soil temperature at 20 inches is above 41 degrees F. in most years, and are moist for 60 to 70 consecutive days during the 120 days after the winter solstice.
The Al horizon has value of 3 through 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is neutral to moderately alkaline and is moderately to strongly calcareous.
The Cca horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 6 through 8 dry and 4 through 7 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It ranges from loam to clay loam with 18 to 30 percent clay, more than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand, and 15 to 35 percent gravel and cobbles. This horizon is moderately to very strongly alkaline and contains 20 to 40 percent lime.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y, value of 6 through 8 dry and 5 through 7 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It ranges from loam to clay loam and contains 20 to 50 percent gravel and cobbles. It is moderately to strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Abela, Blackett, Calita, Donnardo, Emmons, Fontreen, Mill Hollow, Mower, Rozlee, Stan, and Watkins Ridge series. Abela, Blackett, Calita, Donnardo, Mill Hollow and Rozlee soils have mean annual soil temperature of more than 47 degrees F. Abela, Donnardo, Fontreen, and Rozlee soils have more than 35 percent coarse fragments in their control section. Blackett and Stan soils have less than is percent clay in the control section. Fontreen, Mower, and Mill Hollow soils have carbonatic mineralogy. Emmons soils have less than 15 percent coarse fragments, hue of 5YR and ustic moisture regime. Mower and Watkins Ridge soils are moist in the control section more than half the time that the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F.
SETTING: Sanpitch soils are on moderately steep to very steep hillside slopes at elevations of 5,700 to 7,000 feet. They formed in alluvium from mixed igneous, limestone, and shale rocks. The climate is dry subhumid and the average annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 14 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 43 to 45 degrees F. Frost-free period is 90 to 110 days.
PRINCIPAL ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ant Flat, Atepic, Bagard, Bezzant, Borvant, Moroni and Obrast soils and the competing Mower soils. Ant Flat and Bagard soils have argillic horizons. Atepic soils are less than 20 inches deep over bedrock. Borvant soils have petrocalcic horizons above 20 inches. Bezzant soils have more than 35 percent coarse fragments in the control section. Moroni and Obrast soils have more than 35 percent clay in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained medium runoff moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for range. Principal vegetation is juniper, big sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, yellowbrush, bitterbrush, and phlox.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Utah. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sanpete Survey Area, Utah, 1971.
REMARKS: In the 1938 classification these soils were classified as Calcisols.
OSED scanned by NSSQA. Last revised by state 8/71.
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 Lakewood MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.