LOCATION IRELAND ID
Established Series
Rev. FRK/RG/CBR
10/2026
IRELAND SERIES
The Ireland series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in loess influenced alluvium, slope alluvium, colluvium over residuum from limestone, dolomite, and sandstone. These soils are on mountain slopes, hillslopes, and ridges. Slopes are 4 to 70 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 450[RC-NIFI1.1] mm, and mean annual air temperature is about 5 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ireland very gravelly silt loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 20 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, few fine, and medium roots; few very fine tubular and common very fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary
ABk--20 to 41 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely cobbly silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine tubular and irregular pores; 10 percent gravel and 60 percent cobbles; common distinct calcium carbonate coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary
Bk--41 to 71 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely cobbly silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel and 60 percent cobbles; common distinct calcium carbonate coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); abrupt wavy boundary
R--71 cm; fractured limestone; many distinct carbonate coats on bedrock; soil material in fractures
TYPE LOCATION: Oneida County, Idaho; USGS Ireland Springs 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 42.1763889, longitude -112.4588889, datum WGS84
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon thickness--25 to 50 cm
Depth to bedrock--50 to 100 cm
Depth to secondary calcium carbonates--20 to 61 cm
Particle-size control section (weighted averages)
Total rock fragments--40 to 85 percent
Clay content--14 to 22 percent
A horizon
Value--4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma--2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture--silt loam or loam
Reaction--6.6 to 8.4
Rock fragments--15 to 60 percent-15 to 35 percent gravel; 0 to 25 percent cobbles, 0 to 25 stones
Thickness--20 to 31 cm
Bk horizons
Hue--10YR or 7.5YR
Value--5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma--2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture--silt loam or loam
Reaction--7.4 to 8.4
Rock fragments--35 to 86 percent-0 to 40 percent gravel, 5 to 65 percent cobbles, 0 to 70 percent stones
Thickness--30 to 76 cm
COMPETING SERIES:
Bailey (ID)--soils do not have lithic contact within 150 cm (very deep)
Buist (ID)--soils do not have lithic contact within 150 cm (very deep)
Conner (ID)--soils have flagstones in the particle size control section
Conneridge (ID)--soils have cambic horizons
Cooley (ID)--soils do not have lithic contact within 150 cm (very deep)
Dagan (UT)--soils do not have lithic contact within 100 cm (deep or very deep)
Hondoho (ID)--soils do not have lithic contact within 150 cm (very deep)
Jebo (UT)--soils have cambic horizons
Niarada (MT)--soils do not have lithic contact within 150 cm (very deep)
Pedleford (ID)--soils have fragments of basalt lithology
Tuckerdowns (OR)--soils do not have lithic contact within 150 cm (very deep)
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--mountain slopes, hillslopes, ridges
Elevation--1,460 to 2,760 meters
Slope--4 to 70 percent
Parent material--loess influenced alluvium, slope alluvium, colluvium, and residuum from interbedded limestone, dolomite, and sandstone
Climate--warm, dry summers; cool, moist winters
Mean annual precipitation--300 to 1140 cm
Mean annual air temperature--0.6 to 8.0 degrees C
Frost-free period--60 to 110 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, 5.0 to 50.0 um/sec
USE AND VEGETATION: Ireland soils are primarily used for grazing, watershed, and wildlife. The potential native vegetation is mountain big sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Ireland soils are of moderate extent in southeastern Idaho; MLRAs 13 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 41 cm (A and ABk horizon)
Calcic horizon--41 to 71 cm (Bk horizon)
Lithic contact--71 cm (R horizon)
Particle-size control section--25 to 71 cm
Ireland soils have a frigid temperature regime and xeric moisture regime.
Taxonomic version: Twelfth Edition, 2014
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.