LOCATION DEERHORN           ID
Established Series
Rev. CWC/MEJ/CLM
8/97

DEERHORN SERIES


The Deerhorn series consists of moderately deep to a duripan, well drained soils that formed in aeolian deposits reworked by water over basalt. Deerhorn soils are on basalt plains and buttes and have a slope of 0 to 15 percent. Permeability is moderately slow. The average annual precipitation is about 10 inches and the average annual air temperature is about 47 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Argiduridic Durixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Deerhorn fine sandy loam. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular pastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 11 inches thick.

Bt--9 to 17 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subandular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 13 inches thick)

Bk--17 to 21 inches; 17 to 21 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine; few very fine and fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent (about 10 percent CaC03); moderately alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

2Bkqm--21 to 24 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) indurated duripan; violently effervescent (about 20 percent CaC03); slightly alkaline (pH 7/8); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

3R--24 inches; fractured, lime coated basalt.

TYPE LOCATION: Blaine County, Idaho; about 9 miles east and 6 miles south of Carey; about 2,600 feet east and 800 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 33, T. 2. S., R. 24 E. Latitude 43 degrees, 12 minutes, and 44 seconds N.; Longitude 113 degrees, 36 minutes, and 12 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Depth to duripan - 20 to 30 inches
Depth to bedrock - 22 to 35 inches
Average annual soil temperature - 47 to 52 degrees F.
Soil moisture regime - usually moist, but are dry between a depth of 4 to 12 inches for 45 to 75 consecutive days in summer and fall.

A horizon
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist

Bt horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Values - 4 to 8 dry, 3 to 7 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or moist
Textures - L, SCL, and SL
Clay content - 18 to 30 percent

Bk horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 4or 8 dry, 3 or 7 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or moist
Textures - L, SCL, and SL
Clay content - 18 to 30 percent
Calcium carbonate content - 15 to 30 percent

2Bkqm horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 7 or 8 dry, 6 or 7 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or moist
Calcium carbonate content - 40 to 80 percent

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Modoc, Schnipper, Selah, and Sevel series. Modoc, Schnipper, Selah, and Sevel soils lack bedrock above 40 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Deerhorn soil are on nearly level to moderately steep basalt plains and buttes. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 4,500 to 5,300 feet. The soils formed in aeolian deposits reworked by water over basalt. The soils are in a semiarid climate with annual precipitation of 8 to 13 inches. The average annual temperature is about 45 to 50 degrees F. The frost-free period is 85 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bostrum, Gaib, Gooding, Harmehl, and Leduck series. Gaib and Harmehl soils are frigid. Bostrum and Leduck soils have an A2 horizon. Gooding soils are deeper than 40 inches to bedrock. Gaib and Harmehl soils occur on foothills and mountainsides. Bostrum and Gooding soils occur on older basalt plains.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for range. Vegetation is basin big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, three-tip sagebrush, squirreltail grass and bluebunch wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Basalt plains in the southwest and south-central Idaho. The series is inextensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Blaine County, Idaho, 1985.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this series are: The 1994 revision changes the classification from Argic to Aridic, and the 1997 revision from Aridic to superactive and Argiduridic.

Mollic epipedon - occurs from the soil surface to approximately 9 inches (A horizon)

Argillic horizon - the zone from approximately 9 to 17 inches (Bt horizon)

Duripan - occurs from 21 to 24 inches (2Bkqm horizon)

The modal profile was changed from Lincoln County, Idaho to Blaine County, Idaho on 3/21/94.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.