LOCATION YELJACK UT+COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Pachic Palecryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Yeljack loam, rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
All--0 to 6 inches, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) dry; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine, very fine, and few medium roots; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
A12--6 to 22 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
B1--22 to 34 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) very fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; many very fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear irregular boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
B21t--34 to 43 inches; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) sandy clay loam, red (2.5YR 4/6) dry; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; many fine and very fine pores; common thin clay films; 10 percent cobbles and 5 percent gravel; matrix noncalcareous but rock fragments are moderately calcareous; neutral (pH 7.3); gradual irregular boundary. (9 to 13 inches thick)
B22t--43 to 60 inches; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) sandy clay loam, red (2.5YR 4/6) dry; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; many fine and very fine pores; common thin clay films; 10 percent cobbles, 5 percent gravel; matrix is slightly calcareous and rock fragments are moderately calcareous; neutral (pH 7.3).
TYPE LOCATION: Morgan County, Utah; 10 miles north of Lost Creek Dam; 700 feet north and 800 feet west of the SE corner of sec. 17, T.7N., R.5E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 20 to 32 inches thick. The depth to the upper boundary of the B2t horizon is 24 to 39 inches. The combined thickness of the Al, Bl and B2t horizons ranges from 45 to more than 60 inches thick. Some pedons are underlain by sandstone or conglomerate at depths of 55 to more than 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature at depth of 20 inches ranges from 41 to 43 degrees F. The mean summer temperature ranges from 54 to 59 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days during the late summer. Rock fragments range from 0 to 5 percent in the Al horizon, 0 to 15 percent in the Bl horizon, and 0 to 20 percent in the B2t horizon.
The Al horizon has hue of 10YR through 5YR, value of 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist. It is medium acid to neutral and is 20 to 32 inches thick.
The Bl horizon has hue of 7.5YR through 2.5YR; value of 4 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 6 moist. It is loam or very fine sandy loam. This horizon is slightly acid or neutral .
The B2t horizon has hue of 5YR or 2.5YR, value of 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 4 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist. It ranges from clay loam, silty clay loam or sandy clay loam to cobbly clay loam in the lower portion. Structure ranges from weak medium prismatic or weak to strong, fine through coarse subangular blocky. Clay films are few through many thin through moderately thick. This horizon is noncalcareous to moderately calcareous, medium acid through neutral and is 10 to 30 inches or more thick.
In some pedons a C horizon occurs at depths of 45 to more than 60 inches below the mineral soil surface. It has hue of 5YR or 2.5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 4 through 8 dry and moist.
The C horizon where present ranges from loam or light clay loam. It is noncalcareous to strongly calcareous and slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ercan, Red Spur and skylick series. Ercan soils have mollic epipedons less than 20 inches thick. Red Spur soils have A2 horizon and have 20 to 35 percent rock fragments in the B2t horizon. Skylick soils have hue of 2.5Y, 10YR, or 7.5YR in the B2t horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Yeljack soils are at elevations of 6,500 to 8,500 feet. They occur on mountain slopes and broad mountain tops. Slopes are 6 to 30 percent. These soils formed in residuum and local alluvium from sandstone. The climate is humid and the average annual precipitation ranges from 25 to 35 inches. The mean annual temperature is 39 to 41 degrees F. The mean summer temperature is 50 to 55 degrees F., and the frost-free period ranges from 50 to 60 days.
ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Ercan soils and the Charcol and Lucky Star soils. Charcol soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section. Lucky Star soils have mollic epipedons less than 20 inches thick and have loamy-skeletal B2t horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for range, wildlife habitat and watershed. The present native vegetation is big sagebrush, serviceberry, snowberry, mountain bromegrass, needle-and-thread grass, yellowbrush and buckwheat.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Utah. This series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Morgan County, Morgan Area, Utah, 1974.
OSED scanned by NSSQA. Last revised by state 11/74.