LOCATION QUIERO IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Quiero loam -- on a south-facing slope of 9 percent, in native rangeland, at 4,580 feet elevation. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on May 15, 1991, the soil was moist throughout.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and common medium and few coarse roots; many very fine and fine and common medium tubular and irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
A2--3 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and common medium and few coarse roots; many very fine and fine and common medium tubular and irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bt1--10 to 14 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine, fine and medium tubular and irregular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid (pH 6.1); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bt2--14 to 21 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Bt3--21 to 36 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine, fine and medium tubular and irregular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; moderately acid (pH 5.7); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 16 inches thick)
R--36 inches; fractured welded tuff.
TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Idaho; about 11 miles north and 2 miles west of Shoshone; 1,300 feet south and 1,600 feet east of the northwest corner of section 9, T.4 S., R. 17 E. Lat. 43 degrees north, 5 minutes, 35 seconds; Long. 114 degrees west, 26 minutes, 50 seconds.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 47 to 50 degrees F.
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 7 to 12 inches
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches
Particle-size control section - averages 27 to 35 percent clay
A horizons
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Rock fragments - 0 to 15 percent
Reaction (pH) - moderately acid to neutral
Bt1 and Bt2 horizons
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture - L, CL
Clay content - 25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 15 percent
Reaction (pH) - moderately acid or slightly acid
Bt3 horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 5 or 6 dry
Chroma - 4 to 6 dry or moist
Texture - CL, C, GR-CL
Clay content - 35 to 45 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 25 percent
Reaction - moderately acid or slightly acid
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bissel, Bjork, Cowiche, Dodes, Indiano, Madras, Margerum, Noslo, Orr, Pahrange, Ralls, Simcoe, Springmeyer, Truax (T), Uhaldi and Wenatchee series. Bissel, Cowiche, Margerum, Orr, Ralls, Springmeyer, Truax, and Wenatchee soils are more than 40 inches deep. Bjork soils are mildly alkaline in the Bt horizon and are moderately deep to a paralithic contact. Dodes and Noslo soils have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Indiano soils have less than 35 percent clay in the lower part of the argillic horizon. Madras soils contain 10 to 30 percent volcanic glass in the upper part of the profile. Pahrange soils have 10 to 15 inches of soft weathered rock immediately above the hard bedrock. Simcoe soils are neutral or mildly alkaline in the argillic horizon. Uhaldi soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Quiero soils are on foothills and buttes at elevations of 4,200 to 5,000 feet. Slopes range from 1 to 15 percent. These soils formed in loess and residuum from welded tuff, rhyolite or basalt. The climate is cool and moist in the winter and hot and dry in the summer. Average annual precipitation ranges from 11 to 13 inches and the average annual temperature ranges from 45 to 48 degrees F. The frost-free period is 85 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nammoth and Ruckles series. Nammoth soils have a clayey-skeletal particle-size control section and are on similar landscape positions. Ruckles soils are lithic and are on ridges.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow to very rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Quiero soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is foothill sagebrush, bitterbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Thurber's needlegrass and Sandberg bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southcentral Idaho. Quiero soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, Idaho, 1993.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon - zone from 0 to 10 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - zone from 10 to 36 inches (Bt1, Bt2 and Bt3 horizons)
Base saturation (Hach kit) ranges from 66 to 77 percent.
Particle-size control section - zone from 10 to 30 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and part of Bt2 horizons)