LOCATION UTALINE CO+UT
Established Series
Rev. AJC/CSW/JWB
04/2011
UTALINE SERIES
The Utaline series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvial and colluvial materials derived from basalt. Utaline soils are on mesas, high terraces, and fan remnants. Slopes range from 1 to 30 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 7 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 51 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Utaline cobbly loam in grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) cobbly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium granular structure, weak platy structure in surface two inches; 30 percent basalt cobbles moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
ABk--4 to 9 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) very cobbly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; 50 percent basalt cobbles; calcium carbonate as soft concretions; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bk1--9 to 18 inches; pink (7.5YR 8/4) very cobbly loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable; 50 percent basalt cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary.
Bk2--18 to 40 inches; pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) very cobbly loam, pink (7.5YR 7/4) moist; massive; slightly hard; friable; 75 percent basalt cobbles; violently effervescent; calcium carbonate in finely divided form; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); diffuse wavy boundary.
Bk3--40 to 60 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) very cobbly loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable; 80 percent basalt cobbles; strongly effervescent; calcium carbonate in finely divided form. (Total thickness of the Bk horizons is 30 to 54 inches)
TYPE LOCATION: Delta County, Colorado; about 500 feet south of the Delta-Mesa County line; SE1/4 NW1/4 Sec. 13, T. 4 S., R. 3 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts for more than 3/4 of the time that the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F.; Typic aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 58 degrees F
Mean annual summer soil temperature: 60 to 78 degrees F
Depth to calcic horizon: 3 to 12 inches
Thickness of the Ochric epipedon: 3 to 12 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Silt content: 20 to 50 percent
Sand content: 20 to 60 percent with less than 35 percent being fine or coarser
Rock fragments: 35 to 85 percent basalt gravel and cobbles
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Bw horizon (present in some pedons)
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: gravelly loam
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Fragment content, total: 15 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 20 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 5
Reaction: moderately alkaline
Bk horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 4 or 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: L, SCL, or CL modified by 35 to 85 percent gravel or cobbles
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 4
Sodium adsorption ratio: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
BCky horizon (present in some pedons):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: very cobbly sandy loam
Clay content: 15 to 20 percent
Fragment content, total: 35 to 60 percent (gravel and cobbles, few stones)
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 35 percent
Gypsum content: 1 to 4 percent
EC: 0 to 4 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 5
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
2C horizon(s) (present in some pedons):
Hue: 10YR to 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Fragment content, total: 0 to 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 8 to 15 percent
Gypsum content: 0 to 3 percent
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 4 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 5
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Blackston,
Clifsand,
Seeg, and
Stent series.
Blackston,
Clifsand,
Seeg, and
Stent: less than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvial and colluvial materials derived from basalt
Landform: mesas, high terraces, and fan remnants
Slopes: 1 to 30 percent
Elevation: 4,000 to 6,400 feet
Mean annual temperature: 45 to 56 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 5 to 10 inches
Precipitation pattern: Wettest months are July to October and driest months are December and June.
Frost-free period: 110 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Avalon and Orchard series. The Avalon soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments. The Orchard soils have an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, low to high runoff, moderate to moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly as rangeland. A few areas are under irrigation. Potential native vegetation is galleta, Indian ricegrass, mutton grass, squirreltail, sage, winterfat, cactus, and shadscale.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Colorado and northeastern Utah; LRR D, MLRA 34B; this series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Delta county, Colorado (Lower Colorado Area), 1970.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 9 inches. (A and ABk horizons)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 4 to 60 inches. (ABk, Bk1, Bk2, and Bk3 horizons)
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.
Taxonomic Version: Eleventh Edition, 2010.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.