LOCATION BAILCREEK IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic Vertic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Bailcreek stony loam, forested; on a 6 percent southeast facing slope at an elevation of 6,460 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles, leaves and twigs. (0 to 3 inches thick)
A1--1 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) stony loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
A2--6 to 14 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bt--14 to 19 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very cobbly silty clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 21 inches thick)
Btss1--19 to 32 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very cobbly clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; few slickensides; 10 percent gravel and 40 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary.
Btss2--32 to 43 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) very cobbly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; few slickensides; 10 percent gravel and 40 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of Btss horizons is 15 to 24 inches)
Btk--43 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very cobbly clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel and 35 percent cobbles; few lime coats on undersides of rock fragments and few fine masses and threads of lime; strongly effervescent in areas of lime and noneffervescent in matrix; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Bear Lake County, Idaho; about 6.5 miles south of Soda Springs, Idaho on the Soda Peak Quad; 1,110 feet east and 2,355 feet south of the northwest corner of section 20, T. 10 S., R. 42 E. (Latitude 42 degrees 32 minutes 25.1 seconds W, Longitude 111 degrees 34 minutes 43.6 seconds N.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture control section usually moist, dry in all parts for 45 consecutive days or more in the four months following the summer solstice. Xeric moisture regime.
Mollic epipedon thickness 16 to 25 inches
Depth to calcium carbonate accumulation greater than 40 inches.
Average annual soil temperature 39 to 42 degrees F. Cryic soil temperature regime.
Average annual summer soil temperature 54 to 59 degrees F.
Particle-size control section
Clay content 35 to 55 percent
Rock fragments 35 to 50 percent
A1 horizon
Value 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma 2 or 3 dry
Clay content 12 to 20 percent
Rock fragments 5 to 15 gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, and 10 to 20 percent stones
Reaction slightly acid or neutral
A2 horizon
Value 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma 2 or 3 dry
Clay content 12 to 20 percent
Textures cobbly loam, very cobbly loam
Rock fragments 5 to 20 gravel, 10 to 25 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction slightly acid or neutral
Bt horizon
Value 4 or 5 dry
Chroma 2 or 3 dry or moist
Textures very cobbly silty clay loam or very cobbly silty clay
Clay content 33 to 55 percent
Rock fragments 10 to 20 percent gravel, 20 to 30 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction slightly acid or neutral
Btss horizons
Value 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Textures very cobbly silty clay or very cobbly clay
Clay content 40 to 55 percent
Rock fragments total 35 to 50 percent; 10 to 20 percent gravel, 20 to 40 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction slightly acid or neutral
Btk horizon
Value 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma 3 or 4 dry or moist
Textures very cobbly silty clay or very cobbly clay
Clay content 40 to 55 percent
Rock fragments total 35 to 55 percent; 10 to 20 percent gravel, 20 to 40 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent 5 to 15 percent
Reaction neutralto moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Frymire and Resoot series. Frymire soils do not have horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation and occur in a 14 to 16 inch precipitation zone. Resoot soils have a mollic epipedon less than 16 inches thick and horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation above 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: old terraces and mountain backslopes and footslopes
Elevation: 6,000 to 7,100 feet
Slope: 4 to 40 percent
Parent material: clayey alluvium from mixed sources
Climate: long, cool winters; dry, warm summers
Average annual precipitation: 18 to 25 inches
Average annual temperature: 37 to 43 degrees F.
Frost-free season: 50 to 70 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dranburn, Swanpeak and Toponce soils. Dranburn soils are fine-loamy and occupy similar landscape positions. Swanpeak soils have a frigid temperature regime and occur in rangeland on old terraces. Toponce soils have an udic moisture regime, less than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section and occupy similar landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow or very slow permeability
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for grazing, wildlife habitat, watershed and some timber production. The dominant native vegetation is aspen, Douglas-fir, mountain snowberry, pinegrass, sticky geranium, bluegrass, and mulesear in disturbed areas.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. The soils are of small extent. MLRA 43B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bear Lake County, Idaho, 2008. The name is coined from nearby Baileycreek.
REMARKS: Depths to diagnostic horizons and features start from the mineral soil surface. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: the zone from 1 to 19 inches (A1, A2 and Bt horizons)
Argillic horizon: the zone from 14 to 60 inches (Bt, Btss1, Btss2 and Btk horizons)
Particle-size control section: the zone from 14 to 34 inches (Bt, Btss1, and part of the Btss2 horizons)
Accumulation of secondary carbonates: the zone from 43 to 60 inches (Btk horizon)
The upper 40 inches of the profile has a linear extensibility of 6 centimeters or more.