LOCATION MEDICINE IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Xeric Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Medicine silt loam - on a south- southeast-facing convex slope of 3 percent under sagebrush and grasses at 5,080 feet elevation. (When described on October 14, 1981, the soil was moist to 9 inches. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 3 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; strong medium and fine platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly plastic; common fine, very fine and few medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores, violently effervescent (5 percent calcium carbonate); 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bw1--3 to 7 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium platy structure parting to strong fine platy; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; violently effervescent (5 percent calcium carbonate); slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--7 to 12 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent (8 percent calcium carbonate); 5 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 8 to 13 inches)
Bk1--12 to 26 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent (18 percent calcium carbonate); 10 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary
Bk2--26 to 30 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; strong medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent (26 percent calcium carbonate); 10 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk horizon is 10 to 22 inches)
2Bk3--30 to 34 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly coarse sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grain; loose; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent (20 percent calcium carbonate); 35 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
2Bk4--34 to 61 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; few fine roots; violently effervescent (18 percent calcium carbonate); 80 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Idaho; about 2 miles east of Lidy Hot Springs; 150 feet north and 250 feet west of the southeast corner of section. 15, T. 10 N., R. 34 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to contrasting layer - 20 to 40 inches
Depth to carbonates - 0 to 6 inches
Average annual soil temperature - 43 to 46 degrees F.
Particle-size control section
Clay - 18 to 25 percent in upper part; 3 to 10 percent in lower part
Coarse fragments - 5 to 15 percent in upper part; 50 to 90 percent in lower part
Carbonates - 5 to 30 percent
A horizon
Value - 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Reaction - slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bw horizon
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or mosit
Reaction - slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Percent carbonates - 5 to 10 percent
Texture - loam or silt loam
Bk horizon
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or moist
Reaction - slightly or moderately alkaline
Percent carbonates - 15 to 30 percent
Texture - loam or silt loam
2Bk3 and 2Bk4 horizons
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma - 1 through 4 dry or moist
Reaction - moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Percent clay - 3 to 10 percent
Percent carbonates - 15 to 25 percent
Textures - very gravelly coarse sand, extremely gravelly coarse sand, or sand and gravel
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING : Medicine soils are on alluvial fans at elevations of 4,500 feet to 5,500 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent. Medicine soils formed in alluvium from mixed sources. The average annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches; the average annual temperature is 41 to 44 degrees F; the average summer temperature ranges from 61 to 64 degrees F; and the frost-free season ranges from 85 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Packham, Shagel, and Small series. Shagel soils are shallow to bedrock and are on upland mountain terrace slopes. Small soils are moderately deep to bedrock. Packham soils have more than 15 percent gravel and lack contrasting particle-size in the particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat but some areas are irrigated and produce hay, small grains, pasture and potatoes. Vegetation is mainly big sagebrush, Nevada bluegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, arrowleaf balsamroot, and squirelltail bottlebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Medicine soils are of small extent in southeastern Idaho.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County Area, Idaho; 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the soil surface to 3 inches (A horizon).
Cambic horizon - the zone from 3 to 12 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - the zone from 12 to 30 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the Bw2 horizon, the Bk1, Bk2, 2Bk3, and part of the 2Bk4 horizons).