LOCATION SPLIMO UT+COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, mesic Lithic Ustic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Splimo very cobbly loam on a west facing, convex-concave, 12 percent slope in black sagebrush, galleta and shadscale rangeland at an elevation of 5,750 feet. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Forty percent of the surface is covered with stones, cobbles and gravel derived from limestone, sandstone and conglomerate.
A--0 to 3 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very cobbly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to moderate very fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium common fine and very fine roots; few fine and very fine vesicular pores; 5 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; slightly effervescent, (9 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated and in few fine masses; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 3 inches thick)
Bk1--3 to 9 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; few medium common fine and very fine roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; 5 percent cobbles and 40 percent gravel; strongly effervescent, (26 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated and in common fine and very fine masses and 1 to 3 mm thick coatings on rocks; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary.
Bk2--9 to 15 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; 5 percent cobbles and 70 percent gravel; strongly effervescent, (45 percent calcium carbonate equivalent), carbonates are disseminated and in many very fine masses and veins and 1 to 3 mm thick coatings on rocks; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bk horizons 8 to 19 inches)
R--15 inches; fractured conglomerate bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Uintah County, Utah; about 4 miles southwest of Vernal, Utah; located about 1,300 feet north and 200 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 5, T.5S., R.21E., SLBM; Vernal NE, Utah USGS quadrangle; 40 degrees, 24 minutes, 29 seconds north latitude and 109 degrees, 35 minutes, 34 seconds west longitude. NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture : The soil moisture control section is affected by precipitation that is evenly distributed throughout the year with only a slight increase during late summer. Aridic moisture regime bordering on ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 51 degrees F.
Depth to calcic horizon: 2 to 10 inches.
Depth to lithic contact: 8 to 20 inches.
Surface rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent channers, flagstones, gravel, stones and cobbles.
Particle size control section: 18 to 27 percent clay and a calcium carbonate equivalent greater than 40 percent in the less-than-20 mm fraction.
A horizon:
Hue: of 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, and 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 5
Rock fragments: 25 to 65 percent channers, flagstones, stones, gravel, and cobbles
Texture: loam and fine sandy loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
SAR: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Bk horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, and 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent channers, flagstones, stones, gravel, and cobbles
Texture: loam and sandy loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 25 to 60 percent
Gypsum: 0 to 3 percent
SAR: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Winona and Yaki series. Winona soils are warmer and have a soil moisture control section that is driest during May and June. Yaki soils have mean annual soil temperatures that range from 54 to 59 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium and colluvium derived from limestone and calcareous sandstone
Landform: bedrock controlled hillslopes
Slopes: 8 to 50 percent
Elevation: 5,000 to 6,800 feet
Mean annual air temperature: 45 to 49 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 8 to 12 inches
Freeze-free period: 110 to 140 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Abracon, Chew, Honlu, Milok, and Polychrome soils. Abracon, Milok, and Honlu soils are very deep and have less than 35 percent rock fragments. Chew soils are fine-loamy and moderately deep over bedrock. Polychrome soils are moderately deep over soft shale bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained; medium to high runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Potential vegetation consists of black sagebrush, Utah juniper, Indian ricegrass, galleta, bluebunch wheatgrass, saline wildrye, and Mormon tea. This soil has been correlated to the Semidesert Shallow Loam (Black Sagebrush) - 034XY227UT range site at the type location in Utah.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado. LRR D, E, MLRA 34, 47. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Lakewood, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Uintah County (Dinosaur National Monument Area, Colorado and Utah) Utah, 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: the zone from the surface to a depth of 3 inches (A horizon).
Calcic horizon: the zone from 3 to 15 inches (Bk horizon).
Lithic contact: the contact with conglomerate bedrock at 15 inches (R layer).