LOCATION ARGORA ID
Established Series
Rev. LAR/MD/CR
05/2018
ARGORA SERIES
Landscape--hills
Landform--canyon walls
Slope--20 to 60 percent
Parent material--colluvium derived from calcareous sandstone, shale, or siltstone
Mean annual precipitation--about 475 mm
Mean annual air temperature--about 3.9 degrees C
Depth class--very deep
Drainage class--well drained
Soil moisture regime--xeric
Soil temperature regime--frigid
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Calcixerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Argora loam in an area of rangeland (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 13 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium and few coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; few fine irregular soft calcium carbonate masses; strongly effervescent (11 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary.
Bk1--13 to 23 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium and few coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; few fine irregular soft calcium carbonate masses; strongly effervescent (15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary.
Bk2--23 to 36 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium and few coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel; finely disseminated calcium carbonate and few fine irregular soft calcium carbonate masses; violently effervescent (20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary.
2Bk3--36 to 58 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; violently effervescent (20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary.
3Bk4--58 to 91 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; 50 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; violently effervescent (40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary.
4Bk5--91 to 117 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; common medium cylindrical calcium carbonate masses; violently effervescent (25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary.
4C--117 to 150 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; violently effervescent (30 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Idaho; latitude 44.33618 degrees north, longitude 112.58258 degrees west, datum WGS 84
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--3.9 to 7.2 degrees C
Depth to calcic horizon--8 to 23 cm
Particle-size control section (weighted averages)
Clay content--10 to 18 percent
Total rock fragment content--44 to 68 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--25 to 39 percent
A horizon
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y
Value--5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma--2 or 3
Clay content--10 to 20 percent
Gravel content--15 to 25 percent
Thickness--10 to 13 cm
Bk horizon
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture (less than 2-mm fraction)--loam, silt loam
Clay content--10 to 20 percent
Gravel content--15 to 45 percent
Thickness--5 to 28 cm
2Bk3 horizon
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture (less than 2-mm fraction)--loam, silt loam
Clay content--10 to 20 percent
Total rock fragment content--20 to 50 percent
Gravel content--15 to 45 percent
Cobble content--5 to 15 percent
Thickness--9 to 30 cm
3Bk4 horizon
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture (less than 2-mm fraction)--loam, sandy loam
Clay content--5 to 18 percent
Total rock fragment content--35 to 80 percent
Gravel content--30 to 70 percent
Cobble content--5 to 20 percent
Thickness--20 to 61 cm
4Bk5 horizon
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture (less than 2-mm fraction)--loam, sandy loam
Clay content--5 to 18 percent
Total rock fragment content--35 to 80 percent
Gravel content--30 to 70 percent
Cobble content--5 to 20 percent
Thickness--20 to 50 cm
4C horizon
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y
Value--5 to 8
Chroma--2 to 4
Texture (less than 2-mm fraction)--loam, sandy loam
Clay content--5 to 18 percent
Gravel content--35 to 80 percent
COMPETING SERIES:
Chausse--averages less than 20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in calcic horizon
Cutoff--moderately deep to lithic contact
Dirtyhead--moderately deep to paralithic contact
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation--1690 to 2200 m
Mean annual precipitation--400 to 560 mm
Mean annual air temperature--2.2 to 6.7 degrees C
Frost-free period--50 to 90 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class--well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat)--5 to 50 um/sec
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major use--rangeland
Potential natural vegetation--low sagebrush, horsebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, prairie Junegrass
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Idaho; MLRA 12; small extent
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clark County, Idaho; 2018
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon
Ochric epipedon
Calcic horizon--zone from 13 to 150 cm (Bk1, Bk2, 2Bk3, 3Bk4, and 4Bk5 horizons)
Particle-size control section--zone from 25 to 100 cm (part of Bk2 horizon, 2Bk3 and 3Bk4 horizons, part of 4Bk5 horizon)
Taxonomic version--Twelfth Edition, 2014
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.