LOCATION POVEY ID+COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Pachic Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Povey gravelly loam -- on a 56 percent north-facing slope at an elevation of 6,600 feet in rangeland. (When described on October 2, 1978, the soil was slightly moist throughout. Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary.
A2--8 to 14 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the A horizon is 12 to 28 inches)
Bw1--14 to 21 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary.
Bw2--21 to 35 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 10 to 26 inches)
C--35 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; 50 percent cobbles, 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 30 inches thick)
2R--60 inches; hard quartzitic sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Blaine County, Idaho; about 3 miles west and 1 mile south of Hailey; 2,760 feet south and 900 feet west of the northeast corner of section 20, T. 2 N., R. 18 E.
Latitude - 43 degrees, 29 minutes, 31 seconds North; Longitude - 114 degrees, 19 minutes, 41 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to bedrock - greater than 40 inches
Average annual soil temperature - 36 to 43 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 54 to 59 degrees F.
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 16 to 44 inches
Textural control section - 10 to 20 percent clay
Soil moisture - dry throughout the moisture control section for 45 to 100 consecutive days during the four months following the summer solstice (xeric)
A horizon
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 1 through 3, dry or moist
Bw horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 3 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry, 1 through 4 moist
Texture - GRV-L, CBV-L, GRX-FSL, GRX-L, STV-L, CBX-L, GRV-SL, CBX-SL
Rock fragments - 35 to 80 percent
Reaction - slightly acid to slightly alkaline
C horizon or BC horizon (when present)
Value - 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4, dry or moist
Texture - CBX-L, CBX-SL, CBV-L, GRX-L, GRV-L, STV-L, STX-L, CBV-SL, GRX-SL, GRV-SL
Rock fragments - 50 to 80 percent
Reaction - neutral to slightly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Behanin, Belsac, Blanca, Busterback, Caballo, Campone, Croesus, Darland, Dateman, Gateview, Hapgood, Harcany, Hobacker, Lionhead, Lolon, Marcetta, Nagitsy, Namela, Nazaton, Nevtah, Papaspila (T), Poleline, Prong, Snag, Snopoc, Spearhead, and Splitbutte series. Behanin and Marcetta soils have E horizons. Belsac soils have carbonates at 20 to 25 inches and are moderately deep to a paralithic contact. Blanca, Campone, Gateview, Hapgood, Harcany, Lolon, Nevtah, Snag, and Spearhead soils lack cambic horizons. Busterback soils have sandy textures in the substratum and are moderately or strongly acid. Caballo soils are dry in some parts during the spring, have 18 to 35 percent clay and are calcareous in part of the control section. Croesus, Dateman, Nagitsy, Namela, Prong, and Splitbutte soils are moderately deep to bedrock. Darland soils have an average annual soil temperature of more than 43 degrees F. and an average annual precipitation of more than 50 inches. Hobacker soils are calcareous in the control section. Lionhead soils have Bk horizons at depths of 18 to 37 inches. Nazaton soils have an 0 horizon and an average summer soil temperature of 45 to 47 degrees F. Papaspila soils have 18 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section and have average summer soil temperatures of 44 to 47 degrees F. Poleline soils have a solum 40 to 60 inches thick. Snopoc soils lack a cambic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Povey soils are on north and east facing hills, canyon side slopes, and mountains. They are on all aspects above about 7,000 feet. Slopes range from 2 to 70 percent. Elevations range from 5,000 to 9,600 feet. The soil formed in residuum, alluvium and colluvium from quartzitic sandstone, igneous, or quartzitic metamorphic rocks. Some areas have some loess influence in the upper part. The average annual precipitation is 16 to 26 inches, most of which falls as snow and early spring rains. The average annual temperature is 35 to 42 degrees F. The frost-free period is less than 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dollarhide, Ketchum, Klug, Milligan, Searla, and Vitale series. Dollarhide soils are less than 20 inches deep to bedrock. Ketchum soils have ochric epipedons. Searla, Vitale, and Milligan soils have average summer temperatures greater than 59 degrees F. and are on south and west-facing slopes. Klug soils have a mollic epipedon less than 16 inches thick and occur on similar landscapes. Ketchum soils occur on timbered north and east-facing slopes. Dollarhide soils are on north and east-facing mountain ridges.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Povey soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Dominant natural vegetation is mountain big sagebrush, mountain snowberry, Idaho fescue, and mountain brome with a few scattered stands of Douglas-fir and aspen.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas in southern and southeastern Idaho and north-central Nevada. This series is extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Blaine County, Idaho, 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this soil:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the soil surface to about 21 inches (A1, A2, and Bw1 horizons)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 21 to 35 inches (Bw2 horizon)
Particle-size control section - 10 to 40 inches (part of A2, Bw1, Bw2, and part of C horizons)
Lithic contact - at 60 inches (2R horizon)
Soil moisture regime - xeric