LOCATION WELBY UT+IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Calcixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Welby silt loam - cultivated
(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; common fine and few medium roots; few fine and few medium pores; moderately calcareous; disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
A--7 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; few fine and few medium roots; few fine pores; moderately calcareous; disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bk1--12 to 22 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; few fine and few medium roots; many fine and few medium pores; strongly calcareous; lime is disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 11 inches thick)
Bk2--22 to 40 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; few fine and few medium roots; many fine and few medium pores; strongly calcareous; lime is mainly disseminated, but with some fine veins; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); diffuse wavy boundary. (7 to 18 inches thick)
Bk3--40 to 54 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; soft, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine and few medium pores; strongly calcareous; lime is disseminated and in fine veins or threads of segregated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); diffuse wavy boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
C--54 to 65 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist, few faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) mottles; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; strongly calcareous; lime is disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Utah County, Utah; 1 1/2 miles west and 1 1/4 miles north of Lehi: 1,900 feet west and 230 feet south of the NE corner of sec. 12, T.55., R.lW.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 49 to 54 degrees. and the average summer temperature is about 70 degrees F. The soils are not usually dry but are dry in the 7 to 20 inch depth for more than 45 consecutive days. The soil moisture regime is Xeric bordering on Aridic.
The mollic epipedon is less than 20 inches thick and organic matter decreases regularly or reaches levels less than 0.5 percent within a depth of 50 inches. The 10 to 40 inch section is silt loam or loam containing less than 18 percent clay and less than 15 percent sand coarser than very fine sand.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3, dry or moist. It has weak, fine or medium granular or subangular blocky structure. This horizon is mildly or moderately alkaline.
The Bk1 horizon has value of 3.5 through 5 moist and 5.5 through 7 dry.
The Bk2 and Bk3 horizons have hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 3 through 6 moist, 6 through 8 dry, and chroma of 2 through 4, dry or moist. It contains 15 to 40 percent calcium carbonate. Texture is loam, very fine sandy loam, or silt loam. This horizon is slightly to strongly alkaline.
The C horizon is similar in color to the Bk horizon and ranges from fine sandy loam to silty clay loam. It is mildly to moderately alkaline and its lime content is at least 5 percent less than the maximum lime content in overlying Ck horizons. Dark yellowish brown mottles may occur below a depth of 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Welby soils are at elevations of 4,400 to 5,200 feet on nearly level to strongly sloping lake terraces with 0 to 50 percent slopes. They formed in lacustrine sediments derived from a mixture of limestone, sandstone, and shale. The climate is dry subhumid having a mean annual temperature of 47 to 52 degrees F., and an average summer temperature of 70 degrees F. Precipitation is 12 to 16 inches. Frost free period is 110 to 170 days.
PRINCIPAL ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hillfield, Taylorsville, and Vineyard soils. Hillfield and Taylorsville soils lack mollic epipedons. Taylorsville soils have more than 18 percent clay in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; slow and medium runoff; moderately permeable.
USE AND VEGETATION: Irrigated cropland producing small grains, corn, alfalfa, and orchards. Principal native plants are big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, western wheatgrass, perennial bunch grasses, and weeds. Ecological sites: Utah-Upland loam (Basin Big Sagebrush); Idaho-Loamy 12-16 ARTRT/PSSP6.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North Central Utah and Southeastern Idaho. MLRA 13 and 28A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Salt Lake Area, Utah, 1941.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon from the surface to a depth of 12 inches (Ap and A horizons).
Calcic horizon the zone from 22 to 54 inches (Bk2 and Bk3 horizons).
Classification is based on "Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eighth Edition, 1998". Superactive cation exchange activity class is estimated based on CEC-7 and clay data in NASIS.