LOCATION STRELL UT+COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Frigid, coated Lithic Quartzipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Strell sand, on south facing, convex-concave 15 percent slope under ponderosa pine at an elevation of 7,520 feet. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described soil was dry.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to moderate very fine granular; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium, coarse, fine and very fine roots many fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (l to 8 inches thick)
C1--3 to 13 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium and fine and many very fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 19 inches thick)
C2--13 to 14 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sand, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium and fine and many very fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
R--14 to 18 inches; sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Uintah County, Utah; about 9 miles north of Vernal; about 2,400 feet north and 200 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 4, T.3S., R.21E., SLBM; USGS Steinaker Reservoir, Utah quadrangle; 40 degrees 35 minutes 10 seconds north latitude and 109 degrees 33 minutes 26 seconds west longitude, NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is affected by precipitation that falls evenly throughout the year with a slight increase in the late summer and fall. Typic ustic moisture regime due to high infiltration rates and perching of water.
Mean annual soil temperature: 42 to 47 degrees F.
Depth to lithic contact: 5 to 20 inches to sandstone.
Rock Fragments: 0 to 15 percent.
Particle-size control section: 0 to 5 percent clay.
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6. Note--decomposing root material often causes value of 5 dry, 3 moist and chroma of 2 to occur 1 to 2 inches above the sandstone.
Texture: loamy sand, sand, coarse sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: eolian deposits overlying sandstone
Landform: hillslopes, mesas, cuestas.
Slopes: 2 to 40 percent
Elevation: 6,200 to 8,000 feet
Mean annual air temperature: 40 to 45 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 12 to 16 inches.
Frost-free period: 70 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hideout, Ironco, Reepo and Tyzut soils.
Hideout soils are on hillslopes and have a loamy particle-size control section.
Ironco soils are on mountain slopes and more than 60 inches deep.
Reepo soils are on structural benches and 20 to 40 inches deep over sandstone.
Tyzut soils are on hillslopes and have a calcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; negligible to medium runoff; and rapid or very rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for woodland, rangeland, wildlife habitat and recreation. Potential native vegetation consists of ponderosa pine, birchleaf mountainmahogany, mountain big sagebrush, elk sedge and Indian ricegrass. This soil has been correlated to Mountain Shallow Sandy Loam (Ponderosa Pine) - 047CY453UT range site at the type location in Utah.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado. LRR E, MLRA 47. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Uintah County, Dinosaur National Monument Soil Survey, Utah, 1998. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from the surface to 14 inches. (A, C1, and C2 horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from the surface to 7 inches after mixing (A and C horizons).
Lithic contact: The contact with sandstone at 14 inches. (R layer)
Quartzitic material - laboratory data shows more than 90 percent silica and other extremely durable minerals present.
Additional data: NSSL sample # S89UT-047-1.
Taxonomic version: Seventh Edition, 1996.