LOCATION GROUSEVILLE IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic Pachic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Grouseville silt loam - on a north mountain slope at an elevation of 7,200 feet in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on November 19, 1980, the soil was moist throughout and frozen below 20 inches.)
A--0 to 7 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel and a trace of cobbles; neutral (pH 7.3); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 14 inches thick)
Bt1--7 to 18 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine prismatic structure parting to subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few distinct clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 5 percent gravel and a trace of cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 11 inches thick)
Bt2--18 to 33 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; many distinct clay films on ped faces and lining the pores; pressure faces on peds; 10 percent gravel and a trace of cobbles; very few soft lime masses; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 26 inches thick)
Btk--33 to 60 inches; pale olive (5Y 6/3) clay loam, olive (5Y 5/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces; 5 percent gravel; thick lime seams in cracks; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Custer County, Idaho; about 10 miles southeast of Darlington, Idaho; 1,100 feet east, 200 feet north of the southwest corner, sec. 15, T. 5 N., R. 24 E.
Latitude - 43 degrees, 45 minutes, 19 seconds North; Longitude - 113 degrees, 35 minutes, 25 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 39 to 44 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 52 to 55 degrees F.
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 24 to 47 inches
Particle-size control section
Clay content - 35 to 45 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 10 percent
A horizon
Value - 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Reaction - neutral or slightly alkaline
Bt1 horizon
Color hue, dry - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Bt2 horizon
Color value - 4 or 5 dry, - 3 or 4 moist
Chroma, dry - 2 or 3
Texture - clay, clay loam
Btk horizon
Color hue - 5Y through 10YR
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Reaction - slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Carbonates - occurs as splotches, veins, or mycelia; matrix is noncalcareous
Rock fragments - 0 to 10 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bischoff, Burnette, Cochetop, Faim, Friana, Fulcher, Guero (T), Leemorris, Luna, Mancos (T), Mayflower, Paulson, Perinos, Richens, Runlett (T), Skutum, Slights, Sudduth, Sudpeak, Teedown (T), and Toponce series. Burnette soils have a solum less than 36 inches thick. Cochetop, Faim, Friana, Skutum, and Sudduth lack carbonates in the argillic horizon. Friana and Skutum have more than 15 percent rock fragments in the argillic horizon. Fulcher soils have more than 50 percent fine sand or coarser in the lower part of the upper 40 inches and have a mollic epipedon that is less than 24 inches thick. Guero soils are neutral to slightly acid in the Bt horizon and have mollic epipedons less thank 24 inches thick. Luna and Mayflower soils have a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Leemorris, Mancos and Runlett soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact. Paulson, Perinos, and Richens soils have hue of 5YR or redder in the argillic horizon. Slights soils have a base saturation of less than 75 percent. Sudpeak soils are neutral or slightly acid in the Bt horizon and have a seasonal high water table at 3 to 6 feet. Teedown soils are slightly acid or moderately acid in the Bt horizon. Toponce soils are moderately acid or slightly acid. Bischoff soils have hue of 5YR or 7.5YR.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Grouseville soils are on north-facing mountain slopes and ridges at elevations of 6,000 to 9,000 feet. These soils have formed in colluvium and alluvium from andesite, latite, and basalt with a component of loess. Slopes are 15 to 65 percent. The average annual precipitation is 13 to 20 inches and the average annual air temperature is 37 to 43 degrees F. The frost-free period is from 30 to 60 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Champagne, Gabica, and Parkay soils. Champagne soils are fine-loamy. Gabica soils are less than 20 inches to bedrock. Parkay soils are loamy-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow permeability; medium runoff.
USE AND VEGETATION: Grouseville soils are used primarily for livestock grazing. Vegetation is mountain big sagebrush with bluebunch wheatgrass and Idaho fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern and central Idaho; MLRA 12; Grouseville soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Custer County, Idaho, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 33 inches (A, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 7 to 60 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 7 to 27 inches (Bt1 and part of the Bt2 horizon)