LOCATION TUSHER                  UT

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

TUSHER SERIES

The Tusher series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium, slope alluvium and/or eolian sands derived from sedimentary rocks. Tusher soils are on alluvial fans, alluvial flats, fan remnants, stream terraces, or structural benches. Slopes range from 1 to 30 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 18 cm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

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

TYPICAL PEDON: Tusher very fine sandy loam, on a northeast facing, convex, 4 percent slope in an irrigated pasture at an elevation of 1830 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on March 7, 1996 the soil was moist from 0 to 30 cm. The surface is covered by 10 percent gravel.

A--0 to 7 centimeters; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine medium and coarse roots; slightly effervescent, (9 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; 10 percent gravel and 1 to 2 percent small cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 centimeters thick)

Bw--7 to 22 centimeters; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine, medium and coarse roots; strongly effervescent, (12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; 5 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 25 centimeters thick)

Bk1--22 to 34 centimeters; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and few coarse roots; strongly effervescent, (18 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), few fine calcium carbonate veins and thin pendants on rock fragments; 10 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 56 centimeters thick)

Bk2--34 to 76 centimeters; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) gravelly loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; violently effervescent, (35 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), many calcium carbonate veins and moderately thick coatings and pendants on rock fragments; 15 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 76 centimeters thick)

Bk3--76 to 99 centimeters; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; violently effervescent, (32 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), many calcium carbonate veins and moderately thick coatings and pendants on rock fragments; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 64 centimeters thick)

Bk4--99 to 116 centimeters; light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; single grained; loose, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; violently effervescent, thin calcium carbonate pendants on rock fragments, 30 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 20 percent gravel; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 38 centimeters thick)

Bk5--116 to 161 centimeters; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure and single grained; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; violently effervescent, (30 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), thin calcium carbonate pendants on rock fragments; 35 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 51 centimeters thick)

C--161 to 204 centimeters; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grained; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; strongly effervescent, (17 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated; 45 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3). (25 to 71 centimeters thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Emery County, Utah; located about 1,150 feet east and 900 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 10, T. 20 S., R. 7 E.; Ferron USGS quad; lat. 39 degrees 6 minutes 2 seconds N. and long. 111 degrees 7 minutes 42 seconds W., NAD 83

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is affected by precipitation that peaks from July to October and falls evenly throughout the remainder of the year; typic aridic moisture regime.
Depth to calcic horizon: 15 to 30 cm
Thickness of the calcic horizon: 76 to 152 cm

Particle-size control section (weighted averages):
Non carbonate Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragment content: 15 to 35 percent

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 60 percent; dominantly gravel, few cobbles and stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 15 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 8
SAR: 0 to 8
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 9.0

Bw horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam
Clay content: 10 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent; dominantly gravel; few cobbles and stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 20 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 8
SAR: 0 to 8
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 9.0

Bk horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 6 to 8 dry; 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam, or sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 25 percent (weighted average less than 18 percent)
Rock fragments: 0 to 60 percent; dominantly gravel, few cobbles and stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 8
Gypsum: 0 to 3 percent
SAR: 0 to 8
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 9.0

C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 8 dry; 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 8
Texture: loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, loamy sand, sandy loam, or very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 1 to 19 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 60 percent; dominantly gravel; few cobbles and stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 25 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 8
Gypsum: 0 to 5 percent
SAR: 0 to 10
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 9.6

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Wingrock (NM) series.
Wingrock soils formed in alluvium from volcanic rocks and have a mean annual soil temperature of greater than 54 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium or slope alluvium sometimes influenced by eolian sands in the upper profile
Landform: alluvial fans, alluvial flats, fan remnants, stream terraces, structural benches
Slopes: 1 to 30 percent
Elevation: 1,250 to 2,012 meters
Mean annual temperature: 7.2 to 11.7 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation: 127 to 229 cm
Precipitation pattern: peak periods from July to October and has even distribution throughout the remainder of the year
Frost-free period: 120 to 180 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Green River, Glenton, Toddler, and Chipeta series. The Green River soils have a water table at 20 to 60 inches in depth, and are under Fremont Cottonwoods. The Glenton soils have less salinity and sodocity and are under basin big sagebrush. The Toddler soils are fine-loamy and are under black greasewood. The Chipeta soils are shallow to weathered shale and are on shale hills under mat saltbush.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, low runoff, moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Cultivated areas are used for growing alfalfa, grains and pasture. Vegetation on rangeland is shadscale, galleta, Indian ricegrass, needleandthread grass, fourwing saltbush, globemallow and winterfat.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Utah; LRR D, MLRA 34B; moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Emery County, Utah, Emery area soil survey area, Utah, 2011.The name Tusher comes from a canyon in the survey area.

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. (Bk1, Bk2, and Bk3 horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 7 cm. (A horizon)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 7 to 22 cm. (Bw horizon)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 22 to 161 cm. (Bk1, Bk2, Bk3, Bk4, and Bk5 horizons)

The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is supported by lab sample number 86UT015003 and lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.

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

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.