LOCATION SWELL UT

Established Series
Rev. LDS/CSW/JWB
03/2011

SWELL SERIES

The Swell series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium derived from gypsiferous sandstone and shale. Swell soils are on backslopes and toeslopes of hills. Slopes range from 2 to 12 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 17 cm and the mean annual temperature is about 10 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Typic Calcigypsids

TYPICAL PEDON: Swell very fine sandy loam, on a southeast facing, convex, 5 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 1,753 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on May 22, 1993 the soil was moist from 0 to 91 cm. The surface is covered by about 2 percent gravel.

A--0 to 13 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4), moist; weak fine granular structure; very friable, soft, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few coarse, common medium, fine and very fine roots; 2 percent gravel; very slightly effervescent (6 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are finely disseminated; 3 percent gypsum content; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 13 cm thick)

Bw--13 to 41 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very fine sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few coarse, common medium, fine and very fine roots; 2 percent gravel; very slightly effervescent (8 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are finely disseminated; 3 percent gypsum content; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 28 cm thick)

Bk1--41 to 69 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few coarse, common medium, fine and very fine roots; 2 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (18 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), common threadlike carbonate masses in matrix, carbonates are finely disseminated in matrix; 4 percent gypsum content; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary.

Bk2--69 to 81 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4), moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few coarse and medium and common fine and very fine roots; 2 percent gravel; violently effervescent (22 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are finely disseminated in matrix, common threadlike carbonate masses in matrix; 4 percent gypsum content, few threadlike gypsum masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 40 to 51 cm)

Bky--81 to 112 cm; pink (7.5YR 7/4) gypsiferous fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4), moist; massive; very friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few medium and common fine and very fine roots; 5 percent gravel; violently effervescent (25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are finely disseminated in matrix, common threadlike carbonate masses in matrix; 20 percent gypsum content, common threadlike gypsum masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (31 to 85 cm thick)

By--112 to 191 cm; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) gypsiferous fine sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist; single grain; loose, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; 10 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are finely disseminated; 25 percent gypsum content, many irregular gypsum masses and crystals; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3).

TYPE LOCATION: Emery County, Utah; about 29 kilometers (18 miles) east of Fremont Junction along Interstate 70; located in an unsectionized area about 1,200 feet south and 2,600 feet west of the NW corner of sec. 3, T. 23 S., R. 8 E.; Big Bend Draw, Utah USGS quad; lat. 38 degrees 50 minutes 54 seconds N. and long. 111 degrees 2 minutes 22 seconds W., NAD 83

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is usually dry, but intermittently moist during late summer and early fall. Aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 10 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to cambic horizon: 8 to 13 cm
Depth to calcic horizon: 28 to 41 cm
Depth to gypsic horizon: 79 to 81 cm
Thickness of the ochric epipedon: 8 to 13 cm
Thickness of the cambic horizon: 20 to 28 cm
Thickness of the calcic horizon: 71 to 136 cm
Thickness of the gypsic horizon: 110 to 125 cm or more

Particle-size control section (weighted averages):
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent noncarbonate clay; 8 to 19 percent total clay
Fine sand and coarser sand content: 30 to 50 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 15 percent gravel
Gypsum content, less than 20mm fraction: 5 to 12 percent

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR
Value: 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6 dry or moist
Texture: loamy very fine sand, very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 2 to 19 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
Gypsum: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Bw horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR
Value: 4 to 8 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6 dry or moist
Texture: very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 6 to 19 percent
Carbonate clay content: 0 to 2 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 14 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
Gypsum: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Bk horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6 dry or moist
Texture: very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam
Clay content: 8 to 19 percent
Carbonate clay content: 1 to 5 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
Gypsum: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Bky, BCky horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam; with or without gypsiferous modifiers
Clay content: 8 to 20 percent
Carbonate clay content: 0 to 5 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 12
Gypsum: 10 to 35 percent
SAR: 0 to 13
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

By horizon (not always present):
Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry or moist
Texture: gypsiferous fine sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 19 percent
Carbonate clay content: 0 to 2 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 14 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 2 to 10
Gypsum: 15 to 35 percent
SAR: 3 to 12
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Series in a closely similar family are the Brimhall (NM), Peagre (T)(CO) and Robroost (UT) series. These soils have a superactive CE activity class. In addition, Robroost soils have mean annual soil temperature higher than 11 degrees C. (52 degrees F.).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium derived from gypsiferous and calcareous sandstone and shale, principally from the Jurassic age Carmel and/or Summerville formations
Landform: backslopes and toeslopes of hills, alluvial fans
Slopes: 2 to 12 percent
Elevation: 1,311 to 1,890 meters
Mean annual temperature: 8.9 to 11.7 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation: 15 to 23 cm
Precipitation pattern: Wettest months are July to October and driest months are December and June.
Frost-free period: 130 to 150 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Goblin and Mussentuchit series. The Goblin soils are shallow to a paralithic contact, have gypsic mineralogy, do not have a calcic or gypsic horizon and are on hill summits. The Mussentuchit soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact, do not have a calcic horizon and are on hills upslope from the Swell soils.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderate permeability, high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation includes Indian ricegrass, fourwing saltbush, rabbitbrush, winterfat, galleta and sand dropseed. This soil is correlated to Desert Gypsum R034XY105UT ecological site in Utah.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Utah Desertic Basins; LRR D, MLRA 34B; moderate extent; about 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres) in Emery County, Utah.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Emery County, Utah, Emery soil survey area, Utah, 2011, Parts of Emery, Carbon, Grand and Sevier Counties soil survey area. Named after a prominent local geographic feature, the San Rafael Swell. This series was proposed as a cooler competitor to the Robroost series.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Series control section: The zone from 0 to 200 cm.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 25 to 100 cm. (Bw, Bk1, Bk2, Bky horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 13 cm. (A horizon)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 13 to 41 cm. (Bw horizon)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 41 to 112 cm. (Bk1, Bk2, Bky horizons)
Gypsic horizon: The zone from 81 to 191 cm. (Bky, By horizons)

The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is supported by lab sample number 84UT015008, about 7 km (4.5 miles) north of the type location.

Taxonomic Version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.