LOCATION BERTAG UTEstablished Series
SOIL FAMILY: Fine, montmorillonitic, frigid Pachic Ultic Argixerolls.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Pachic Ultic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Bertag silt loam, rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
O1--2 inches to 0; matted decaying leaves and twigs.
A11--0 to 11 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium and few coarse roots; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 13 inches thick)
A12--11 to 24 inches, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure that parts to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium and few coarse roots; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)
B21t--24 to 35 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine pores; common thin clay films; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual irregular boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
B22t--35 to 52 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) heavy silty clay loam, light grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; few fine medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine pores; many thin clay films; medium acid (pH 5.8); diffuse irregular boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
B23t--52 to 60 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) heavy silt clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, sticky and very plastic; few fine and medium roots; common fine pores; common thin clay films; medium acid (pH 6.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Weber County, utah; about 2 miles south and 1 mile west of Huntsville; 1,500 feet west and 600 feet north of the NE corner sec. 26, T.6N., R.1E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 20 to 38 inches thick and extends into the B2t horizon in most pedons. The combined thickness of the A1 and B2t horizons ranges from 50 to more than 66 inches. Base saturation is less than 75 percent in some or all parts of the upper 30 inches. The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 43 degrees to 46 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature ranges from 59 degrees to 67 degrees F. The soils are usually moist, but are dry for 50 to 85 consecutive days during the summer.
The A1 horizon has value of 2 through 4 dry and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry and 1 or 2 moist. It ranges from silt loam to loam or cobbly loam, and is 12 to 26 inches thick. Rock fragments range from 0 to 15 percent.
The B2t horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y, value of 3 through 6 dry, and 2 through 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4 dry and moist. It ranges from clay to heavy silty clay loam, heavy clay loam or silty clay. Individual subhorizons range from 30 to 45 percent clay, but the weighted average of the top 20 inches of the B2t horizon is 35 to 45 percent clay. Rock fragments range structure in the B2t horizon ranges from weak to moderate, medium to coarse prismatic, or fine to coarse, angular to subangular blocky. Clay films are few to continuous, thin. The B2t horizon ranges from medium acid to slightly acid, and from 24 to more than 47 inches thick.
Some pedons have a C horizon at depths below 50 inches, that have hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y, value of 6 through 8 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4 dry and moist. The C horizon ranges from clay or sandy clay to silty clay loam, or loam and is gravelly or cobbly in some pedons. It is medium acid to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Broadhead, Coburg, Cristo, Dixonville, Donner, Hankins, Henefer, Malabon, Silverton and Top series. Broadhead, Cristo and Henefer soils have base saturation of less than 75 percent in the upper 30 inches. Coburg, Dixonville, Malabon and Silverton soils have mesic temperature and mixed mineralogy. Dixonville and Silverton soils also have bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Donner soils have a paralithic contact with bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches and have mollic epipedons less than 20 inches thick. Hankins soils average 45 to 60 percent clay in the B2t horizon and have IIC horizons of very hard clayey sediments. Top soils have solums less than 40 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bertag soils are at elevations of 5,200 to 6,700 feet. They occur on foothill slopes. Slopes range from 10 to 50 percent. These soils formed in residuum, colluvium, and local alluvium weathered from tuffaceous sandstone and tuffaceous limestone. The climate is moist subhumid and the average annual precipitation ranges from 18 to 25 inches. The mean annual temperature is 42 degrees to 44 degrees F. The mean summer temperature is 57 degrees to 63 degrees F. and the frost-free period range from 80 to 100 days.
ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Causey, Donner, Hawkins, Manila, and Ostler soils. All these soils have mollic epipedons less than 20 inches thick. Causey and Ostler soils lack argillic horizons. Donner soils have a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for watershed, range and wildlife habitat. Present native vegetation is bigtooth maple, oakbrush, chokecherry, meadowrue, goldenrod, big sagebrush and bearded wheatgrass and bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Utah. This series is inextensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Lakewood, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Morgan Area, Weber County, Utah, 1974.