LOCATION WALLSBURG UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Lithic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Wallsburg extremely cobbly sandy clay loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) extremely cobbly very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; 65 percent cobbles, gravel and stones; neutral (pH 7.1); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; common fine and medium pores; 65 percent cobbles and stones; neutral (pH 7.1); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 11 inches thick)
Bt2--8 to 12 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) extremely cobbly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine and medium pores; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; 65 percent cobbles and stones; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
R--12 inches; fractured sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Wasatch County, Utah; about 10 miles southwest of Heber; 0.2 miles north of Wallsburg Junction on U.S. Highway 189, then 4 miles east on side road; 1,840 feet south and 360 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 1, T. 5 S., R. 4 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 43 to 47 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature at 20 inches is 59 to 65 degrees F. The solum is less than 20 inches thick and overlies bedrock. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 16 inches thick. Coarse fragments are somewhat angular, and are dominantly cobble or stone size but some are gravel. The particle size control section has more than 50 percent coarse fragments with 35 to 40 percent clay. Base saturation is more than 75 percent. The soil is usually moist but is dry for more than 60 consecutive days in the subhorizon above the lithic contact.
The A horizon has a value of 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Textures are extremely cobbly very fine sandy loam, very cobbly loam, or cobbly silt loam with 30 to 65 percent rock fragments. It has a weak fine and medium granular or subangular blocky structure.
The Bt horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR, value of 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. Textures are very cobbly clay loam, very cobbly clay, extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, extremely cobbly clay loam, or very gravelly silty clay loam and in some pedons this material occurs in pockets and as filling in rock fractures. It has a weak to moderate coarse to fine angular and subangular blocky structure and has thin and patchy to moderately thick continuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores. It is medium acid to mildly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ateron (OR), Canest T(OR), Chen (NV), Douhide T(NV), Graley (NV), Harlow (WA), and Itca (NV) series. Ateron soils have 40 to 50 percent clay in the particle size control section. Canest, Douhide, and Harlow soils have less than 50 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section. Chen soils have an abrupt textural A-B boundary. Graley soils have a mollic epipedon that does not include the argillic and the particle size control section contains dominantly gravel size rock fragments. Itca soils have an abrupt boundary between the A and Bt horizon with prismatic structure in the Bt horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wallsburg soils are on gently sloping ridges and steep to very steep mountiansides at elevations of 5,500 to 8,100 feet. Commonly they occur on south exposures. Slopes are 25 to 70 percent. These soils formed in residuum derived from sandstone and shale but include some limestone and basic igneous rocks and are 10 to 20 inches over bedrock. The climate is moist subhumid. The mean annual air temperature is 41 to 45 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature is 56 to 65 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 16 to 25 inches. The freeze free period is 60 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Agassiz, Bagard, Bradshaw, Burgi, Cloud Rim, Gappmeyer, Hades, Harter, Henefer, and Yeates Hollow soils. All of these soils lack a lithic contact at a depth of 20 inches or less. Bradshaw soils have very cobbly very fine sandy loam weak B horizons. Burgi soils have mollic epipedons more than 20 inches thick, lack argillic horizons and have gravelly loam particle size control section. Cloud Rim soils have loam argillic horizons with less than 20 percent coarse fragments. Hades soils have mollic epipedons thicker than 20 inches. Harter soils have more than 35 percent clay in the fine particle size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: these soils are used for watersheds and for wildlife habitat. The native plants are mostly oakbrush, big sagebrush, birchleaf mountain mahogany, snowberry, yellowbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, native bluegrass, and associated forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountain slopes in central and northern Utah. This series is moderately extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Lakewood, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sanpete Area, Utah 1971.
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 12 inches. (A, Bt1, Bt2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - the zone from approximately 2 to 12 inches. (Bt1, Bt2 horizons)