LOCATION MOFFAT UT+NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Moffat gravelly fine sand--on a 2 percent convex south-facing slope--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 1 inch; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) gravelly fine sand, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; single grain; soft, very friable; few very fine and fine roots; 20 percent fine and medium gravel on the soil surface; 15 percent gravel in the matrix; slightly calcareous, carbonates is disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 12 inches thick)
A2--1 to 6 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) loamy fine sand, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; few very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine pores; 5 percent gravel; moderately calcareous, carbonates are disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 9 inches)
Bk1--6 to 13 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; few very fine roots; few very fine pores; strongly calcareous, carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 18 inches thick)
Bk2--13 to 26 inches; pink (5YR 7/3) fine sandy loam, reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) moist; massive; hard, firm; few very fine roots; few very fine pores; strongly calcareous, carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 22 inches thick)
C1--26 to 40 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) fine sandy loam, reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) moist; massive; hard, firm; few very fine roots; few very fine pores; moderately calcareous, carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 26 inches thick)
C2--40 to 60 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) fine sand, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable; moderately calcareous, carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Emery County, Utah; south of the Flat Tops; 840 feet north and 2,280 feet east of the southeast corner, sec. 34, T. 25 S., R. 13 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 52 to 59 degrees F.
Soil moisture: Typic aridic moisture regime.
Depth to calcic horizon: 3 to320 inches
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
A horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent as desert pavement, and 0 to 15 percent gravel in the profile
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
Bk horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 8 dry, 3 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 8, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam, sandy loam
Gravel: 0 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate: moderately calcareous or strongly calcareous
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 35 percent (Some pedons have thin subhorizons containing 35 to 60 percent calcium carbonate equivalent)
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
C horizon
Texture: fine sand, loamy very fine sand, fine sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are
Bluechief (UT),
Boreham (UT),
Hiko Springs (UT),
Kaito (AZ),
Kinan (AZ),
McCutchen (NV),
Nakai (UT),
Nakoy (UT),
Nolava (UT),
Nuahs (NV),
Pagina (AZ),
Riemod (UT),
Saltydog (NV) and
Trook (WY) series.
Bluechief soils have bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Kaito soils have bedrock at 40 to 60 inches. Boreham, Hiko Springs, McCutchen, Nolova, Riemod, and Trook soils have 7.5YR hue or yellower. Hiko Springs, Kinan and Trook soils have 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. McCutchen soils also have a lithologic discontinuity at depths below 40 inches. Nakai and Nakoy soils have a calcic horizon with its upper boundary at depths below 20 inches. Nuahs soils have hue of 10YR and have 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section. Pagina soils have a paralithic contact from 20 to 40 inches. Hiko Springs, McCutchen, Nuahs and Saltydog soils are in the Great
Basin Desert (MLRAs 28A, 28B, 29) and have precipitation more evenly distributed throughout the year.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Moffat soils are on broad alluvial fan benches, plains on structural benches, and plains. Slopes range from 1 to 25 percent. The soils formed in eolian and alluvial sediments derived mainly from sandstone of the Entrada, Carmel and Navajo Formations. Elevation is 3,500 to 5,800 feet. The average annual precipitation is 5 to 9 inches. The mean annual temperature is 50 to 57 degrees F. The freeze-free period is 115 to 190 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Nakai soils and Sheppard soils. Sheppard soils have sandy particle-size control sections and lack a calcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Moffat soils are typically used for rangeland. Potential vegetation is Indian ricegrass, galleta, spike dropseed, mesa dropseed, blackbrush, and Mormon-tea.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Utah, Colorado, northeastern Arizona. MLRA 35. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Uintah River Valley Area, Utah 1921.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 6 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 6 to 26 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999.The range in soil temperature was added in March 1993 to differentiate Moffat from Chroder series. Moffat is a Typic aridic soil. Chroder is an ustic aridic soil. This soil was previously classified as a Typic Calciorthids.