LOCATION SAZI UT+AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Sazi very fine sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) very fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; common very fine and fine pores; slightly calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--2 to 17 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) very fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; common very fine, fine, and few medium roots; common very fine and fine pores; moderately calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 16 inches thick)
Bk--17 to 32 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) very fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; strongly calcareous; carbonates are in veins and soft masses; many cicada casts; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 20 inches thick)
R--32 inches; sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: San Juan County, Utah about 0.75 mile southwest of Hatch Rock, 2,000 feet north and 1,100 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 36, T. 29 1/2 S., R. 22 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry 50 to 75 percent of the time, cumulative, when the soil temperature at 20 inches is higher than 4l degrees F, but is not moist for 90 consecutive days when the soil temperature is greater than 47 degrees F. Ustic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 58 degrees F.
Sandstone bedrock: 20 to 40 inches
Depth to top of calcic horizon: 7 to 20 inches
Calcic horizon: 7 to 20 inches thick
Particle size control section:
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent clay
Rock fragments: less than 5 percent rock fragments, but can range to 15 percent.
Hue: 7.5YR, 5YR, 2.5YR
A horizon
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, fine sand
Reaction: Noncalcareous or slightly calcareous and slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bw horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam
Reaction: Slightly calcareous or moderately calcareous or slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bk horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6 dry, and moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, gravely fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, sandy loam
Reaction: Slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
Calcium Carbonates equivalent: Average 5 to 30 percent
Other features: AC, C or Cr horizons separates the Bk and R horizon in some pedons
COMPETING SERIES: These are Abracon (UT), Anasazi (UT), Chroder (CO), Chugcity (WY), Chupadera (NM), Cobbra (UT), Harvey (NM), Milok (UT), Mivida (UT), Nala (T)(NM), and Yattle (CO) series. Abracon, Harvey, Yattle, Nala, and Milok soils are more than 40 inches deep. Anasazi soils have 15 to 35 percent pebbles in the particle-size control section. Chugcity soils are underlain by a paralithic contact of siltstone or conglomerate. Chroder and Chupadera soils have hues 7.5YR or yellower. Cobbra and Mivida soils are deeper than 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sazi soils are on mesas, structural benches, and cuestas. Elevations range from 4,100 feet to 6,500 feet. These soils formed in sandy eolian deposits weathered from sandstone. Mean annual air temperature is 45 to 56 degrees F. Average annual precipitation is 8 to 15 inches. Precipitation during the growing season is greatest during the months of July, August, September, and October. The driest months are April, May, and June. The frost-free period is 100 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Barx, Begay, Ignacio, Mivida, Rizno and Windwhistle soils. The Barx, Begay and Mivida soils lack bedrock above a depth of 40 inches. Ignacio soils do not have a calcic horizon. Rizno soils have bedrock at depths of 10 to 20 inches. Windwhistle soils have an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low runoff; moderately rapid permeability
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for livestock grazing. Vegetation is fourwing saltbush, winterfat, galleta and blue grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Utah and northern Arizona. The series is of moderate extent. MLRA is 35.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grand County, Utah, Central Part, 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 2 inches (A horizon)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 17 to 32 inches (Bk horizon)
Lithic feature - bedrock at 32 inches (R horizon)
Soils classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.
Revised and updated for the correlation of Canyonlands National Park (UT688), October 2009, WWJ
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL sample No. S82UT-037-002.