LOCATION VEYO UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, mesic, shallow Ustalfic Petrocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Veyo cobbly sandy loam - rangeland (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) cobbly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
BA--2 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) cobbly clay loam; brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky, plastic; common fine and medium roots; 30 percent cobbles and gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bt1--6 to 12 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) cobbly clay; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium prismatic structure; very hard, very firm, sticky, plastic; common fine and medium roots; 40 percent cobbles and gravel; many thin clay films; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)
Bt2--12 to 17 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very cobbly clay; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium prismatic structure that parts to strong medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky, plastic; common fine and medium roots; 50 percent cobbles and gravel; many thin clay films; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8)); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bk--17 to 19 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very cobbly sandy clay loam; brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky, plastic; few fine and medium roots; 50 percent cobbles and gravel; strongly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8. 4); abrupt wavy boundary . (0 to 7 inches thick)
Bkm--19 to 23 inches; idurated carbonate cemented hardpan.
TYPE LOCATION: Washington County, Utah; 300 feet east of Jim Brown's blackbrush enclosure, 3 miles northwest of Gunlock; near the north quarter corner of sec. 9, T.40 S., R.17 W; Gunlock Quadrangle; 37 degrees 19 minutes 41 seconds N. and long. 113 degrees 45 minutes 35 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 54 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature ranges from 65 to 75 degrees F. The soils are usually dry during the period the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. They are moist in some parts of the moisture control section for 30 to 40 days during the summer months and are dry for 70 to 85 days during the 120 days following the winter solstice. The soil moisture regime is aridic bordering on ustic.
Depth to the petrocalcic horizon ranges from 15 to 20 inches. About 30 to 50 percent of the soil surface is covered with gravel and cobbles or stones. The soil is slightly or moderately alkaline.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is cobbly sandy loam, cobbly loam, or extremely stony sandy loam and contains 35 to 50 percent rock fragments.
The Bt horizon has hue of 5YR or 2.5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 4 through 6. It is dominantly very cobbly clay but ranges to very stony clay loam, or stony sandy clay. The horizon has weak to strong, prismatic or subangular blocky structure. In most pedons a thin Bk horizon occurs just above the indurated carbonate cemented hardpan.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Veyo soils are on gently sloping to strongly sloping old lava flows or old alluvial fans of igneous origin. Elevations range from 3,500 to 5,000 feet. Slopes range from 2 io 10 percent. Mean annual temperature is 45 to 52 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature is 70 to 75 degrees F. Average annual precipitation is 10 to 12 inches and the frost-free period is 120 to 160 days.
PRINCIPAL ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Curhollow soils. Curhollow soils lack argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used as rangeland. Vegetation is blackbrush, desert almond, sagebrush, yellowbrush, galleta and scattered juniper and pinyon.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Utah. MLRA 35. These soils are inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: The Virgin River Valley Area, 1937
REMARKS: This soil was reclassified from a Petrocalcic Ustollic Paleargids to an Ustalfic Petrocalcids.
Diagnostic horizons and features found in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 0 to 2 inches.
Argillic horizon - from a depth of 6 to 17 inches.
Petrocalcic horizon - from a depth of 19 to 23 inches.