LOCATION SKYLICK                 UT+CO

Established Series
REV: RKT/RLS/RLM
05/2022

SKYLICK SERIES


The Skylick series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately slowly permeable soils that formed in glacial till and colluvium from sandstone. Skylick soils are on complex mountainsides. Slopes are 4 to 70 percent. Average annual precipitation is about 25 inches and mean annual temperature is about 40 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Pachic Palecryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Skylick silt loam, rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted)

A1--0 to 5 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; few fine, and very fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)

A2--5 to 17 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky parting to moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse medium, fine and very fine roots; few fine and very fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)

A3--17 to 27 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky parting to moderate fine granular structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse medium, fine and very fine roots; few fine and very fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 14 inches thick)

Bt1--27 to 42 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy clay loam; brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; weak medium prismatic, structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common very fine pores; common moderately thick clay films; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 18 inches thick)

Bt2--42 to 52 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) stony clay loam; brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; weak medium prismatic, structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common very fine pores; common moderately thick films; 25 percent cobbles and stones; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)

Bt3--52 to 66 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) stony sandy clay loam; brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few fine pores; common moderately thick clay films; 30 percent stones and cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)

BCt--66 to 69 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very stony clay loam; brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine pores; few thin clay films; 45 percent stones and cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Sanpete County, Utah; near North Creek above Buckhorn Flat; 700 feet east and 900 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 34, T. 14 S., R. 5 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is 20 to 60 inches thick. The solum is more than 40 inches thick and depth to the upper boundary of the Bt horizon ranges from 24 to 35 inches. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 40 to 47 degrees F. The mean annual summer soil temperature ranges from 53 to 57 degrees F.

The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR through 2.5Y, value of 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3. The reaction is slightly acid to mildly alkaline.

The Bt horizon has hue of 2.5Y, 10YR, or 7.5YR, value of 3 through 7 dry, 2 through 7 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Textures include sandy clay loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, loam, stony clay loam or stony sandy clay loam, gravelly sandy clay loam, gravelly clay loam or cobbly sandy clay loam and has 10 to 35 percent rock fragments. It is slightly acid to mildly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Red Spur and Yeljack series in the same family and the Robin, Routt and Seth series in different families. Red Spur soils have E horizons, bedrock below 40 inches and have redder than 5YR. Yeljack soils have hue redder than 5YR. Robin soils have fine-silty particle-size control sections. Routt and Seth soils have a fine, montmorillontic particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Skylick soils are on complex mountainsides at elevations of 6,600 to 9,500 feet. Slopes range from 4 to 70 percent. Parent material is glacial till and colluvium from sandstone. The climate is moist subhumid and the average annual precipitation ranges from 16 to 30 inches. The mean annual temperature is 38 to 42 degrees F. The mean summer temperature is 51 to 55 degrees F, and the freeze-free period ranges from 30 to 90 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Mortenson, Pritchett, Toze, and Zeesix soils. Mortenson soils have E horizons and lack mollic epipedons. Pritchett soils have clayey-skeletal particle-size control section. Toze soils lack argillic horizons and have less than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Zeesix soils have more than 35 percent coarse fragments in the argillic horizon and have carbonatic mineralogy.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for range. Potential vegetation is aspen, maple, snowberry, western coneflower, peavine, and Jacob's ladder.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Utah. The series is moderately extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sanpete Area, Utah, 1971.

REMARKS: The Skylick soils were formerly classified as Brunizems.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.