LOCATION SOMORENT UT+AZ

Established Series
Rev. KDS/RSJ/RLB/LJGII
11/2011

SOMORENT SERIES

The Somorent series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in alluvium, eolian sand, and local residuum derived from the Morrison and Entrada formations. Somorent soils are on hillslopes on escarpments and structural benches. Slopes range from 15 to 40 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 8 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 54
degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic, shallow Typic Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Somorent sandy loam, 28 percent slope at an elevation of 5,240 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered by 2 percent gravel, and 6 percent cobbles.
A--0 to 5 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 2 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
C--5 to 12 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 14 inches thick)
Cr--12 inches; soft Morrison Formation sandstone bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Kane County, Utah; Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, about 3 miles south of Red Well; located about 1,700 feet north and 1,300 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 32, T. 39 S., R. 7 E.; Blackburn Canyon USGS quad; lat. 37 degrees 22 minutes 28 seconds N. and long. 111 degrees 10 minutes 30 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Typic aridic moisture regime
Mean annual soil temperature: 54 to 59 degrees F
Depth to paralithic contact: 10 to 20 inches to soft Morrison and Entrada formation sandstone and shale
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent sandstone gravel

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist

C horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Birdsley (WY), Celeton (NV), Goldyke (NV), Oceanet (WY), Perlor (NV), Roic (NV), and Slatery (NV) series. Birdsley soils have more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Celeton soils formed in residuum weathered from diatomite and have 60 to 80 percent pararock fragments of diatomite. Goldyke soils have hard bedrock within 40 inches of the soil surface. Perlor and Oceanet soils have mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 52 degrees F. Roic soils have a mean annual precipitation range of 4 to 6 inches and a frost-free period of 120 to 150 days. Slatery soils have a frost free period of 100 to 130 days, have 15 to 35 percent rock fragments after wetting, and 35 to 50 percent rock fragments before wetting in the particle size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Somorent soils are found on hillslopes on escarpments and structural benches. They formed in alluvium, eolian deposits, and local residuum derived from soft Morrison and Entrada formation sandstone and shale. Slopes are 15 to 40 percent. Elevations range from 4,500 to 5,500 feet. The
mean annual air temperature is 52 to 57 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation is 6 to 9 inches
and the frost-free period is 160 to 190 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Dient series. The Dient soils are very deep and are on steep colluvial slopes.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium to very high runoff, moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat and recreation. Potential native vegetation includes blackbrush, galleta, Indian ricegrass, and Cutler mormontea. These soils have been correlated to the Desert Shallow Sandy Loam (Blackbrush) 035XY133UT ecological site at the type location in Utah.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central, Utah; MLRA 35; This series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kane County, Utah, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument soil survey area. 2004. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: the zone from 0 to 5 inches. (A horizons)
Paralithic contact: the contact with soft Morrison formation sandstone at 12 inches. (Cr horizons)
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010
Update and revisions for the correlation of Chinle Area (AZ713), August 2011, LJGII
________________________________________

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.