LOCATION WALLSBURG UT
Established Series
Rev: RLT/RJL/JWB
04/2011
WALLSBURG SERIES
The Wallsburg series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium, colluvium or residuum from sandstone and shale, with minor amounts of limestone. These soils are on steep mountain slopes and have slopes of 15 to 70 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F (6.1 degrees C.), and the mean annual precipitation is about 20 inches (508 mm).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Lithic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Wallsburg extremely cobbly sandy clay loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches (0 to 5 cm); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) extremely cobbly very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; 65 percent cobbles, gravel and stones; neutral (pH 7.1); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches (5 to 18 cm) thick)
Bt1--2 to 8 inches (5 to 20 cm); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; common fine and medium pores; 65 percent cobbles and stones; neutral (pH 7.1); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 11 inches (15 to 28 cm) thick)
Bt2--8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/3) extremely cobbly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine and medium pores; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; 65 percent cobbles and stones; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) thick)
R--12 to 16 inches (30 to 41 cm); fractured sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Wasatch County, Utah; about 10 miles southwest of Heber; 0.2 miles north of Wallsburg Junction on U.S. Highway 189, then 4 miles east on side road; 1,840 feet south and 360 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 1, T. 5 S., R. 4 E.; USGS Charleston 7.5 minute quadrangle; lat. 40 degrees 24 minutes 54 seconds N. and long. 111 degrees 26 minutes 5 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist during late fall to late spring, continuously dry in all parts for at least 45 days during the summer and early fall, but intermittently moist due to convection storms. (Xeric soil moisture regime).
Mean annual soil temperature: 43 to 47 degrees F (6.1 to 8.3 degrees C)
Mean summer soil temperature: 59 to 65 degree F (15.0 to 18.3 degrees C)
Base saturation: More than 75 percent
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 7 to 16 inches (18 to 41 cm)
Depth to lithic contact: 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 cm)
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: More than 50 percent
A horizon:
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Textures: Extremely cobbly very fine sandy loam, very cobbly loam, cobbly silt loam, or extremely stony clay loam
Rock fragments: 30 to 80 percent
Structure: Weak fine and medium granular or subangular blocky structure
Bt horizon:
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 2 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Texture: Very cobbly clay loam, very cobbly clay, extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, extremely cobbly clay loam, very stony clay, very stony clay loam, extremely stony clay, extremely stony clay loam, or very gravelly silty clay loam and in some pedons this material occurs in pockets and as filling in rock fractures
Structure: Weak to moderate coarse to fine angular and subangular blocky structure
Clay films: Thin and patchy to moderately thick continuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores
Reaction: Moderately acid to slightly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Ateron (OR),
Camool T (OR),
Canest (OR),
Chen (NV),
Douhide (NV),
Graley (NV),
Harlow (WA),
Itca (NV), and
Vennob (UT) series. Ateron soils have rock fragments that are mostly basalt, andesite, tuff or greenstone lithologies. Camool soils contain 7 to 25 percent volcanic glass in the top 5 to 9 inches. Canest, Douhide, and Harlow soils have less than 50 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Chen soils have an abrupt textural A-B boundary. Graley soils have a mollic epipedon that does not include the argillic and the particle-size control section contains dominantly gravel size rock fragments. Itca soils have an abrupt boundary between the A and Bt horizon with prismatic structure in the Bt horizon. Vannob soils have less than 50 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wallsburg soils are on gently sloping ridges and steep to very steep mountain slopes at elevations of 5,500 to 9,400 feet (1,676 to 2,870 m). Commonly they occur on south exposures. Slopes are 15 to 70 percent. These soils formed in slope alluvium, colluvium or residuum derived from sandstone and shale but include some limestone and basic igneous rocks. The climate is moist subhumid. The mean annual air temperature is 38 to 45 degrees F (3.5 to 7.2 degrees C.), and the mean summer temperature is 56 to 65 degrees F (13.3 to 18.3 degrees C.) Mean annual precipitation is 16 to 25 inches (406 to 635 mm). The frost-free period is 60 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Agassiz,
Bagard,
Bradshaw,
Burgi,
Cloud Rim, Gappmeyer,
Hades,
Harter,
Henefer, and
Yeates Hollow soils. All of these soils lack a lithic contact at a depth of 20 inches (51 cm) or less. Bradshaw soils have very cobbly very fine sandy loam weak B horizons. Burgi soils have mollic epipedons more than 20 inches (51 cm) thick, lack argillic horizons and have gravelly loam particle-size control section. Cloud Rim soils have loam argillic horizons with less than 20 percent coarse fragments. Hades soils have mollic epipedons thicker than 51 cm. Harter soils have more than 35 percent clay in the fine particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability; Ksat class is moderately high or moderately low.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for watersheds and for wildlife habitat. The native plants are mostly oakbrush, big sagebrush, birchleaf mountain mahogany, snowberry, yellowbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, native bluegrass, and associated forbs. These soils are correlated to Mountain ecological sites in Utah.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountain slopes in central and northern Utah. MLRA 47. This series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sanpete Area, Utah 1971.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: The zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of approximately 12 inches (30 cm). (A, Bt1, Bt2 horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from approximately 2 to 12 inches (5 to 30 cm). (Bt1, Bt2 horizons)
Taxonomic Version: Eleventh Edition, 2010.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.