LOCATION CROYDON            UT
Established Series
Rev. EJ/JAC/RLM/SSP
03/1999

CROYDON SERIES


The Croydon series consists of deep, well drained, moderately slow permeable soils that formed in residuum and colluvium weathered from sandstone and shale. These soils are on east and north facing mountainsides. The average annual precipitation is about 30 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 38 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Pachic Argicryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Croydon loam, woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

0--1 inch to 0; leaves and other plant material. (1 to 4 inches thick)

A1--0 to 4 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; weak thick platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, friable, and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and coarse roots; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 16 inches thick)

A2--4 to 16 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable and slightly plastic; many very fine through coarse roots; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt broken boundary. (0 to 13 inches thick)

E--16 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine through coarse roots; common fine pores; 20 percent pebbles; 35 percent of this horizon is animal burrow material from A1 horizon above; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 11 inches thick)

Bt1--22 to 28 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) silty clay loam, pale olive (5Y 6/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common fine pores; common thin and many moderately thick clay films on faces of peds; small pockets of A1 horizon from animal burrows; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)

Bt2-28 to 40 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) silty clay loam, pale olive (5Y 6/3) dry; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common fine pores; continuous thin clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 31 inches thick)

C--40 to 48 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) heavy silt loam, pale olive (5Y 6/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few fine roots; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 22 inches thick)

R--48 inches; weathered sandstone.

TYPE LOCATION: Morgan County, Utah; about 8.5 miles east, and 4 miles north of Croydon, Utah; 1,475 feet south and 200 feet east of the NW corner of section 34, T.5N., R.5E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is 11 to 16 inches thick. The combined thickness of the A, E and Bt horizons ranges from 39 to 60 inches. Soft weathered sandstone occurs at depths of 40 to 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature at depth of 20 inches ranges from 39 to 42 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature ranges from 56 to 59 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry for 30 to 45 consecutive days during late summer. Rock fragments consists of rounded pebbles and cobbles, and range from 0 to 20 percent in the A horizon, 0 to 30 percent in the E horizon, 0 to 20 percent in the Bt horizon and 0 to 20 percent in the C horizon.

The A horizon has value of 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4 dry. Reaction is medium acid to slightly acid.

The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4 dry and moist. It ranges from loam or cobbly loam to cobbly sandy loam. Reaction is slightly acid or medium acid.

The Bt horizon has dominant hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4 dry and moist. It ranges from silty clay loam to clay loam. This horizon has weak to moderate, fine to coarse subangular blocky structure. Reaction is neutral to medium acid.

The C horizon has dominant hue of 2.5Y or 5Y (10YR in parts of some pedons), value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4 dry and moist. It ranges from silt loam to loam, gravelly loam, clay loam or silty clay loam. This horizon ranges from noncalcareous to moderately calcareous and is medium acid to neutral.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Amsden, Archabal, Dra, Gelke, Hourglass, Kezar, Kimmons, Leavitt, Lucky, Lymanson, Lyonman, Michaelson, Miracle, Monida, Morset, Mult, Newlands, Oro Fino, Passcreek, Philipsburg, Primeaux, Rammel, Sponseller, Tingey, Tripit, Troutdale, Wellsville, Woosley and Youga series. All of these soils lack E horizons. Amsden, Dra, Gelkie, Kimmons, Leavitt, Lymanson, Michaelson, Monida, Morset, Oro Fino, Passcreek, Philipsburg, Rammel, Tingey, Wellsville and Woosley soils have horizons of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation. Archabal soils are strongly acid. Hourglass soils have 20 to 35 percent rock fragmens in the Bt horizon. Kezar, Kimmons, Lucky, Lymanson, Miracle, Mult, Newlands, Passcreek, Primeaux, Rammel, Tripit, Troutdale, and Woosley soils are 2 to 40 inches deep over bedrock. Lyonman soils have high chroma iron stains in the lower part of the B and upper C horizons and dominant hues of 10YR or redder. Newland soils have hue of 10YR or redder in all parts of the Bt horizon. Sponseller soils have hue of 5YR or 2.5YR. Youga soils have A horizons 5 to 10 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Croydon soils are at elevations of 6,400 to 9,500 feet. They occur on east and north facing mountainsides. Slopes range from 30 to 60 percent. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium weathered from sandstone. The climate is humid and the average annual precipitation ranges from 20 to 34 inches. The mean annual temperature is 34 to 40 degrees F. and the mean summer temperature is 53 to 56 degrees F. The frost free season ranges from 40 to 75 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hades, Isabell, Kilfoil, Lucky Star, and Scave soils. Hades soils have mollic epipedons more than 20 inches thick and lack E horizons. Isabell soils have summer soil temperature greater than 59 degrees F. and lack E horizons. Kilfoil soils lack a mollic epipedon and are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock. Lucky Star and Scave soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section and have hue of 7.5YR, 5YR or 2.5YR.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for watershed, range, wildlife habitat and timber production. The potential vegetation is aspen, white fir, Douglas fir, with an understory of snowberry, mountain bromegrass, ninebark, blue wildrye, peavine, sedges and willows.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern and central Utah. The series is inextensive.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Lakewood, Colorado

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Morgan County (Morgan Area), Utah, 1974.

REMARKS:

Depth class narrowed from deep and very deep to deep.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.