LOCATION UTLEY OR+IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Utley loam, cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 7 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak thin platy and granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; many roots; many very fine and fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
AC1--7 to 20 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) heavy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common roots; common fine and very fine tubular pores; 5 percent angular pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
AC2--20 to 27 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent angular pebbles; neutral (pH 6.7); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
C1--27 to 40 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) shaly sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; massive; slightly hard, very friable; few roots; many fine pores; 20 percent angular pebbles; neutral (pH 6.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
C2--40 to 48 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few roots; many very fine pores; neutral (pH 7.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Grant County, Oregon; about 3 1/2 miles east of Izee School; SW1/4 SW1/4 section 23, T. 17 S., R. 28 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Shale bedrock occurs at depths greater than 40 inches. Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 44 to 47 degrees F. (estimated). Mean summer soil temperature is warmer than 59 degrees F. Utley soils are dry between depths of 4 and 12 inches for more than 60 consecutive days during the summer months. The clay content of the 10- to 40-inch section averages 18 to 30 percent. More than 15 percent is coarser than very fine sand. The percentage of shale fragments larger than 2 mm but mostly less than 1 inch in diameter ranges from 5 to 35 percent. The soils are neutral or slightly acid.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2.
The AC or B2 horizons have value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist to a depth of at least 20 inches from the soil surface and chroma of 2 or 3. It is loam or clay loam.
The C horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 or 3. It is sandy loam, loam, or clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Hapgood, Izee, Minam, and Wallowa soils. Hapgood soils contain ash and have more than 20 percent of pyroclastics and have a mean summer temperature of less than 59 degrees F. Izee and Wallowa soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock. Minam and Wallowa soils have appreciable ash component.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Utley soils are on gently sloping to moderately steep alluvial fans, footslopes and low terraces at elevations of 3,800 to 5,000 feet. The soils formed in shaly colluvium and alluvium overlying fractured shale bedrock. The climate is semiarid with a mean annual precipitation of 13 to 16 inches. The average annual temperature is about 40 to 45 degrees F., the average July temperature is about 50 to 62 degrees F., and the average January temperature is about 27 to 32 degrees F. The average length of frost-free season is about 30 to 60 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Venator soils and the competing Izee soils. Venator soils are less than 20 inches deep to bedrock and contain more than 35 percent rock fragments.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Hay production and range. Where used for hay production, the main crops are alfalfa and alfalfa-grass. Native plants are giant wildrye, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue and big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Oregon. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grant County, Oregon, 1970.
REMARKS: These soils were classified formerly as Alluvial soils.