LOCATION BARBERMILL ID+OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, mesic, shallow Aridic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Barbermill stony loam, rangeland - on a southeast-facing hillside of 28 percent at 2,960 feet elevation. When described on November 16, 1995, the soil was moist to 6 inches. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) stony loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and fine, few medium tubular and irregular pores; 2 percent stones, 3 percent cobbles and 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
AB--3 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine and fine, few medium tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bt--7 to 14 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay, very dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium prismatic structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; continuous distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Cr--14 to 24 inches; consolidated tuffaceous alluvium.
TYPE LOCATION: Ada County, Idaho; about 1 mile south and 2 miles east of Table Rock near Boise; about 450 feet north and 350 feet east of the southwest corner of section 21, T. 3 N., R. 3 E.; USGS Lucky Peak Quadrangle; (Latitude - 32 degrees, 34 minutes, 32 seconds N and Longitude - 116 degrees, 69 minutes, 41 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 10 inches
Depth to a paralithic contact - 10 to 20 inches
Depth to an abrupt textural change - 3 to 10 inches
Moisture control section - dry 90 to 120 consecutive days
Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 54 degrees F.
A horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 4 or 5 dry
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Rock fragments - 0 to 5 percent stones, 5 to 25 percent cobbles, 10 to 20 percent gravel and 15 to 45 percent total
AB horizon
Value - 4 or 5 dry
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture - CL or L
Clay content - 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 10 percent stones, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, 10 to 20 percent gravel and 10 to 35 percent total
Bt horizon
Hue - 10YR, 7.5YR or 5YR
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 through 6 dry or moist
Texture - C or CL
Clay content - 35 to 60 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 10 percent cobbles, 5 to 35 percent gravel and 5 to 35 percent total
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Delma, Hyloc and Wile series. Delma soils have developed in lake sediments and lack rock fragments. Hyloc soils have an O horizon. Hyloc and Wile soils are in the pinyon-juniper vegetative zone and receive periodic summer precipitation from thunderstorms.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on hill shoulders and backslopes. They formed in alluvium from volcaniclastic sediments consisting of tuffaceous sand and gravel. Slopes are 2 to 90 percent. Elevations range from 1,800 to 3,900 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 16 inches and the mean annual temperature is 45 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 90 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Breadloaf and Adelmann soils. Breadloaf soils are on hill backslopes and are moderately deep to soft bedrock. Adelmann soils are on hill shoulders and backslopes and are very deep and clayey-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Barbermill soils are used mainly for rangeland. Native vegetation is basin big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, Thurber needlegrass and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Idaho and Central Oregon. MLRA 10. This series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon, 2000.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the soil surface to 7 inches (A and AB horizons)
Argillic horizon and particle-size control section - the zone from 7 to 14 inches (Bt horizon)
Paralithic contact - at 14 inches (Cr horizon)
Soil moisture regime - aridic bordering on xeric
These soils are drier than other Xerolls in the region under similar precipitation due to early runoff and extended period of high evapotranspiration.