LOCATION SUGARLOAF UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Xeric Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Sugarloaf sandy loam - rangeland (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; many fine and very fine vesicular pores; moderately calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 9 inches thick)
A2--2 to 10 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine, very fine and few medium roots; few very fine pores; slightly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bk--10 to 19 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine, very fine and few medium roots; few fine pores; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
C1--19 to 31 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loamy fine sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable; few very fine and fine roots; moderately calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 19 inches thick)
C2--31 to 51 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy fine sand; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grain; loose, very friable; few very fine roots; moderately calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 14 inches thick)
2C--51 to 58 inches; volcanic cinders, mostly gravel size, single grain; loose; moderately calcareous, lime occurs as coating on cinders; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 24 inches thick)
3C--58 to 84 inches; black (10YR 2/1) gravelly sand, black (10YR 2/1) moist; single grain; loose; 20 percent gravel; noncalcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Millard County, Utah; approximately 2 miles east of Clear Lake waterfowl management area and 700 feet north of Pavant Butte; sec. 30, T.19S., R.6W.; Pahvant Butte North USGS quad; lat. 39 degrees 8 minutes 3.56 seconds N. and long. 112 degrees 33 minutes 43.01 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Usually dry; continually moist in all parts of the moisture control section for 60 to 70 days during the winter months and are dry for 60 to 90 consecutive days in all parts of the moisture control section during the summer months. Aridic bordering xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 51 to 54 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 69 to 72 degrees F.
Depth to Bk horizon: 5 to 14 inches.
Depth to 2C horizons (when present): 40 to 60 inches or more.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline throughout.
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Texture: Loamy sand or loamy fine sand; subhorizons of sandy loam are in the upper part of some pedons.
Rock fragments: 0 to 14 percent gravel.
A horizon:
Value: 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
A thin mantle of basalt gravel or cinders covers much of the surface.
Bk horizon:
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 to 4.
Texture: Sandy loam, loamy sand or loamy fine sand.
Clay content: 5 to 12 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 14 percent gravel.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Clay content: 2 to 8 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 14 percent gravel.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
2C horizon (when present):
Value: 2 through 7 dry, 2 through 5 moist; dark color values are lithochromic.
Chroma: 0 through 3; low chromas are lithochromic.
Texture: Sand, subhorizons of cinders are in some pedons.
Rock fragments: 15 to 34 percent average, mainly gravel or cinders.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 15 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Fathom (ID) series. Fathom soils are 15 to 27 inches deep to the Bk horizon and are noncalcareous in the upper part.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sugarloaf soils are on gently sloping to steep lake terraces and stream terraces at elevations of 4,650 to 4,980 feet. Slope gradients range from 1 to 30 percent. The soils formed in alluvium, colluvium and lacustrine deposits derived mainly from basic igneous and sedimentary rocks. The climate is arid, the mean annual temperature ranges from 48 to 52 degrees F., the mean summer temperature ranges from 70 to 73 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 100 to 120 days. Average annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Yuba and Yenrab soils. Yuba soils have strong salic horizons and have more than 35 percent clay in the control section. Yenrab soils are sand or loamy sand throughout and lack calcic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; low runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used as rangeland. The native vegetation is shadscale, big sagebrush, horsebrush, bud sagebrush, halogeton, Brigham tea, and cheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central Utah. This series is moderately extensive. MLRA 28A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Millard County (Delta Area), Utah, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from the soil surface to 10 inches. (A horizons)
Calcic horizon: The zone of secondary carbonate accumulation from a depth of 10 to 19 inches. (Bk horizon)
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches (Bk and C horizons).