LOCATION BRAD UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Lithic
Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Brad very cobbly loamy sand--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
01--2 inches to 0; organic litter, leaves, twigs, etc.
A1--0 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) very cobbly loamy sand, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; single grain; loose; many fine and common medium roots; 50 to 90 percent angular gravel, cobbles and stones; neutral (pH 6.9); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
A2--3 to 10 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) very cobbly loamy sand dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; single grain; loose; many fine and common medium roots; 50 to 90 percent gravel, cobbles and stones; neutral (pH 6.7); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
R--10 inches; sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Wasatch County, Utah; 9.4 miles east from center of Heber on Lake Creek Road; 1,480 feet west and 1,400 feet north of southeast corner of sec., 4, T. 4 S., R. 6 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is 10 to 16 inches thick. The soil is 10 to 20 inches deep over sandstone. The mean annual soil temperature is about 45 degrees F. and the mean summer temperature is about 63 degrees F. The soil is usually moist but is dry for more than 60 consecutive days in all parts of the moisture control section in more than 7 out of 10 years. The particle size control section averages 35 to 80 percent coarse fragments. Textures are very cobbly loamy sand, very cobbly loamy fine sand or extremely stony loamy sand.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value of 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is neutral or slightly acid. AC or C horizons separate the A horizon and R layer in some pedons. Where present, the C horizon is similar to the A horizon except that the value is 5.5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist and chroma is 3 or 4.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Similar soils are Agassiz and Little Pole series. Agassiz and Little Pole soils have loamy-skeletal, particle-size control sections.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Brad soils are on strongly sloping and very steep mountains at elevations of 5,500 to 8,000 feet. Slopes range from 15 to 80 percent. The soils formed in residuum derived from sandstone. The climate is moist subhumid with mean annual temperature about 42 to 45 degrees F., average summer temperature of about 60 to 63 degrees F. and average annual precipitation of 18 to 25 inches, falling mostly as snow.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Brad soils are principally associated with Rock outcrop.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used in spring and fall for grazing by livestock and in winter for grazing by big game. The present vegetation is oakbrush, big sagebrush, birchleaf mountainmahogany, serviceberry, snowberry, bitterbrush, Indian ricegrass, and juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Utah. This soil is inextensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Lakewood, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wasatch County (Wasatch 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 10 inches (A1, A2 horizons).
Lithic feature - hard bedrock at 10 inches.