LOCATION VICKING UT+IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Vicking loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
A2--3 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--8 to 13 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; few fine and medium pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
Bt2--13 to 20 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; extremely hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; many faint clay films on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Btk1--20 to 25 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
Btk2--25 to 33 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; very few faint clay films on faces of peds; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bk1--33 to 47 inches; gray (7.5YR 7/2) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots to 36 inches; few fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; carbonates are mainly disseminated, but some in veins and flecks; strongly alkaline; (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 24 inches thick)
Bk2--47 to 60 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; carbonates are mainly disseminated, but some in veins and flecks; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Sevier County, Utah, 3 miles north of Mud Lake on Mountain Ranch; 500 feet east and 2,180 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 35, T. 22 S., R. 3 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 10 to 20 inches thick. The combined thickness of the A and Bt horizons ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to carbonates ranges from 9 to 24 inches. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 38 to 47 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature ranges from 64 to 67 degrees F. The soils are moist in all parts of the moisture control section for 50 to 60 percent of the time the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. at a depth of 20 inches. They are dry in all parts for 60 to 75 consecutive days or more within the 3-month period following the summer solstice, and moist in all parts for 60 to 75 consecutive days or more within the 3-month period following the winter solstice in more than 7 out of 10 years.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It has 0 to 60 percent rock fragments. This horizon is neutral or moderately alkaline.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. The lighter colors are in the Btk horizon. The Bt horizon is clay loam or silty clay loam and averages 27 to 35 percent clay and 0 to 35 percent gravel. It has moderate to strong, subangular blocky to prismatic structure, and has faint to distinct, common to continuous clay films. It is neutral to strongly alkaline.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam, clay loam, silt loam, gravelly loam, or gravelly clay loam, and has 0 to 35 percent rock fragments. It is moderately or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Border(T), Chesnimnus(T), Justesen, McCarey, Pegram (T) and Vickton (T) series. Border soils have mollic epipedons that are less than 10 inches thick. Chesnimnus soils are influenced by volcanic ash in the upper part of the mollic epipedon and lack hue as red as 7.5YR. Justesen and Pegram soils are 24 or more inches deep to carbonates. McCarey soils have bedrock at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Vickton soils have a Bt horizon 3 to 10 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Vicking soils are at elevations of 5,300 to 7,800 feet. They occur on fan terraces, foothills and mountainsides. Slope gradients are 1 to 60 percent. These soils formed in residuum, alluvium and colluvium principally from basic and intermediate igneous rocks with minor amounts of sandstone and shale. The climate is subhumid and the average annual precipitation ranges from 13 to 25 inches. The mean annual temperature is 36 to 44 degrees F. The mean summer temperature is 61 to 64 degrees F., and the freeze-free period ranges from 50 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Acord, Cloud Rim, Hades, Gridge, Isbell and Yeates Hollow soils. Acord and Yeates Hollow soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments and more than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Cloud Rim, Hades and Isbell soils lack a horizon of carbonate accumulation. Gridge soils have a lithic contact less than 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or rapid runoff; slow or moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally as rangeland for livestock and wildlife. The principal native vegetation is big sagebrush, yellowbrush, bitterbrush, pinyon, juniper, bluebunch wheatgrass, and oak brush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sevier County, Utah. This series is of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Lakewood, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rich County, Utah, 1980.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of approximately 13 inches. (A1, A2, Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 8 to 33 inches (Bt, Bt2, Btk1, Btk2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - the zone from 33 to 60 inches. (Bk1, Bk2 horizons).