LOCATION CAMELBACK               ID

Established Series
TAM/DMD/KP
10/2026

CAMELBACK SERIES

The Camelback series consists of deep and very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium, colluvium and slope alluvium over residuum weathered from sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, dominantly quartzite. These soils are on mountain slopes, hillslopes, alluvial fans, escarpments, and fan remnants. Slopes are 4 to 80 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 525 mm, and mean annual temperature is about 5.0 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Camelback gravelly silt loam. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 8 cm; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine and few medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary.

A2--8 to 30 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine, and few medium roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary.

AB--30 to 53 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.3); gradual wavy boundary.

Bt1--53 to 76 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely cobbly silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; 15 thin clay films on the faces of peds and on surfaces along pores; 40 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary.

Bt2--76 to 107 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely cobbly silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine tubular and few fine interstitial pores; 35 percent thin clay films on the faces of peds and on surfaces along pores; 40 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt irregular boundary.

R--107 cm; quartzite bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Bannock County, Idaho; USGS Inkom topographic quadrangle; latitude 42.83329 degrees north, longitude 112.30427 degrees west, datum WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--3.3 to 8 degrees C
Thickness of mollic--50 to 100 cm
Depth to argillic--36 to 53 cm
Depth to bedrock--100 to 200 cm

Particle-size control section (weighted averages)
Clay content--18 to 27 percent
Total rock fragments--35 to 80 percent

A horizons
Value--3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma--1 to 3 dry or moist
Clay content--12 to 18 cm
Rock fragments--16 to 57 percent--16 to 57 percent gravel, 0 to 3 percent cobbles
Reaction--pH 6.1 to 7.8
Thickness--25 to 66 cm

Bt horizons
Value--4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma--2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--silt loam, silty clay loam
Clay content--18 to 31 percent
Rock fragments--35 to 85 percent-15 to 57 percent gravel, 3 to 25 percent cobbles, 5 to 10 percent stone
Reaction--pH 6.1 to 7.8
Thickness--53 to 94 cm

COMPETING SERIES:
Bullump (NV)--soils have loam, clay loam and sandy clay loam textures in the particle size control section
Bullvaro (NV)-- soils have an aridic moisture regime
Burchflat (CA)--soils are moderately deep to lithic contact
Chrisflat (CA)--soils does not have a lithic contact between 100 and 200 and have loam and sandy clay loam textures in the particle size control sectioncm
Dogbed (CA)--soils have a sodium fluoride pH of 8.5 to 9.0
Dooh (NV)--soils have an aridic moisture regime
Erig (CA)--soils have 27 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section
Krenka (NV)--soils does not have a lithic contact between 100 and 200 cm and have sandy clay loam textures in the particle size control section
Leroman (CA)--soils are moderately deep to paralithic contact
Lockgate (CA)--soils have less than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section
Murain (CA)--soils do not have a lithic contact between 100 and 200 cm and have secondary silica accumulation
Nutval (NV)--soils have an aridic moisture regime
Puderbaugh (OR)--soils are moderately deep to lithic contact
Snyderville (UT)--soils have sandy 2C horizons
Softback (ID)--soils do not have a mollic epipedon that includes the upper part of the argillic horizon
Softscrabble (NV)--soils have 27 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section
Staberg (ID)--soils are moderately deep to paralithic contact
Vetagrande (NV)--soils have an aridic moisture regime
Vipont (ID)--soils are moderately deep to lithic contact

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--mountain slopes, hillslopes, alluvial fans, escarpments, and fan remnants
Elevation--1,400 to 2,580 m
Slope--4 to 80 percent
Parent material-- alluvium, colluvium and slope alluvium over residuum weathered from sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, dominantly quartzite Mean annual precipitation--300 to 925 mm
Mean annual air temperature--0.6 to 7.2 degrees C
Frost-free period--30 to 100 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, 1.5 to 15.0 um/sec

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for rangeland, wildlife habitat and as watershed. The potential native vegetation is mountain big sage, snowberry, serviceberry, bitterbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and balsamroot.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Camelback soils are of moderate extent in southeastern Idaho; MLRAs 13, 43B, and 47.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bannock County, Idaho 1983.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon--0 to 76 cm (A1, A2, AB, and Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon--53 to 107 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)

Particle-size control section--53 to 103 cm

Camelback soils have a frigid temperature regime and a xeric moisture regime.

Taxonomic version: Twelfth Edition, 2014

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.