LOCATION LUCERO UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Lucero very cobbly loam - range. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) very cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak thick platy structure parting to weak fine and very fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few medium, common fine and very fine vesicular pores; 10 percent stones, 15 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
BA--3 to 10 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate very fine subangular blocky; hard, firm sticky and moderately plastic; common fine, few medium and common very fine roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bt--10 to 17 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure parting to strong fine subangular blocky; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few medium, common fine and very fine roots; few medium, common fine and very fine pores; common moderately thick clay films on peds; 5 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Btk--17 to 21 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few coarse and medium, common fine and very fine roots; few medium, common fine and very fine pores; few thin clay films in pores; 15 percent gravel; moderately calcareous, lime as filaments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bk1--21 to 36 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) gravelly loam, pink (7.5YR 7/3) moist; massive; discontinuously weakly cemented, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine pores; 15 percent gravel; strongly calcareous, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (14 to 25 inches thick)
Bk2--36 to 60 inches; pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) gravelly loam, pink (7.5YR 7/3) moist; massive; discontinuously weakly cemented, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few fine and very fine pores; 15 percent gravel; strongly calcareous, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Iron County, Utah; about 4.5 miles south of Minersville, about 830 feet south and 2,600 feet west of the northwest corner of section 1, T. 31 S., R. 10 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture regime is Xeric bordering Aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 47 to 50 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 67 to 69 degrees F.
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 8 to 16 inches.
Depth to calcic horizon: 15 to 33 inches.
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 20 to 35 percent.
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry.
Reaction: Neutral to moderately alkaline.
Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry.
Texture: Clay loam.
Rock fragments: 20 to 35 percent.
Reaction: Neutral to moderately alkaline.
Thickness: The Bt is 6 to 12 inches thick.
Btk horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist.
Chroma: 3 to 4 dry.
Texture: Clay loam.
Rock fragments: 20 to 35 percent.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline.
Bk horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist.
Chroma: 3 to 4 dry.
Texture: Loam or sandy loam; some pedons have clay loam in the lower part.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bamos (UT), Colockum (WA), Doyce (UT), Hack (OR), Pollynot (ID), Timpanogos (UT), and Tirod (ID) series. Bamos soils have igneous bedrock at 20 to 40 inches. Colockum soils have a lithologic discontinuity at 47 inches and are formed in loess and volcanic ash. Doyce, Hack, and Tirod soils have 0 to 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Pollynot soils have a lithologic discontinuity at 44 inches of loamy fine sand. Timpanogos soils have a water table at 40 to 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lucero soils occur on dissected alluvial fans and mountain slopes. Slope ranges from 2 to 40 percent. The aspect is variable and elevations range from 5,500 to 7,000 feet. These soils formed in alluvium from mixed igneous and sedimentary rocks. The average annual precipitation is 12 to 14 inches. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 48 degrees F. The mean summer temperature is 69 to 70 degrees F. The frost free period is 90 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Motoqua, Pavant, Sevy and Taylorsflat soils. Motoqua soils have bedrock at depths of 10 to 20 inches and more than 35 percent rock fragments in the series control section. Pavant soils have a lime cemented hardpan at depths of 10 to 20 inches. Sevy and Taylorsflat soils do not have a mollic epipedon. Taylorsflat soils do not have an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland, recreation and wildlife habitat. The natural vegetation is dominantly pinyon, juniper, big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, squirreltail, hawksbeard, woody phlox and prairie junegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Utah. This series is inextensive. MLRA 28A.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Iron County, Utah, (Iron-Washington Area), 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon: The zone from the surface to 10 inches. (A and Bw horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 10 to 21 inches. (Bt and Btk horizons)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 21 to 60 inches. (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
The cation exchange activity class is an estimate based on NASIS data and NSSL sample S77UT-021-007.