LOCATION BALDEAGLE IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over loamy-skeletal, glassy over mixed, superactive Typic Haplocryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Baldeagle gravelly medial silt loam; forest; on a northeast-facing slope of 54 percent at 5,100 feet elevation. When described on September 21, 1995, the soil was slightly moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; needles, leaves, twigs, cones, moss, and bark. (1 to 2 inches thick)
Oe--1 to 2 inches; decomposed organic matter mixed with Mt. St. Helens volcanic ash. (0.5 to 1.5 inches thick)
A--2 to 3 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly medial silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.3); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
Bw1--3 to 7 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly medial silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, few fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bw2--7 to 14 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly medial silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, few fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.3); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 11 inches thick)
Bw3--14 to 20 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) cobbly medial silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
2BC--20 to 36 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) extremely stony sandy loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine and few fine tubular and irregular pores; 15 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 50 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.3); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
2C--36 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) extremely stony sandy loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 50 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Boundary County, Idaho; about 5.5 miles east of Naples, about 900 feet south and 2,200 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 13, T. 60 N., R. 1 E.;
Latitude - 48 degrees, 33 minutes, 8 seconds North;
Longitude - 116 degrees, 16 minutes, 21 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 39 to 42 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 43 to 45 degrees F. with an O horizon.
Moisture control section - dry mid August to September (15 to 30 days), moist September through July.
Depth to bedrock - more than 60 inches.
Solum thickness - 26 to 34 inches.
Clay content - 3 to 9 percent throughout.
Volcanic ash mantle - 14 to 18 inches thick.
Volcanic glass content - 30 to 65 percent.
Acid-oxalate extr. Al + 1/2 Fe - 2.0 to 4.0 percent.
Phosphate retention - 80 to 100 percent.
15 bar water retention - 15 to 18 percent (air dried).
Surface stones - 0 to 3 percent
A horizon
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 1 or 2 dry or moist
Texture - GR-MEDL-SIL, MEDL-SIL
Gravel content - 10 to 25 percent
Bulk density - 0.65 to 0.90 g/cc
Reaction - moderately acid to slightly acid
Bw horizons
Value - 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Texture - GR-MEDL-SIL, MEDL-SIL, CB-MEDL-SIL
Gravel content - 5 to 20 percent
Cobble content - 0 to 15 percent
Bulk density - 0.65 to 0.90 g/cc
Reaction - slightly acid to neutral
2BC horizon
Hue - 2.5Y or 10YR
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture - STX-SL, STX-COSL, GRV-SL
Gravel content - 15 to 45 percent
Cobble content - 5 to 15 percent
Stone content - 0 to 50 percent
Reaction - strongly acid to slightly acid
2C horizon
Value - 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture - STX-SL, STX-COSL, STX-LS, GRX-SL, GRX-LCOS
Gravel content - 15 to 45 percent
Cobble content - 10 to 35 percent
Stone content - 10 to 50 percent
Reaction - very strongly acid to moderately acid
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Katka and Redraven series. Katka soils are dry 30 to 45 consecutive days in the moisture control section. Redraven soils have 2Bw horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Baldeagle soils are on north-facing mountain slopes. Slopes range from 35 to 75 percent. They formed in residuum derived from granite and gneiss bedrock with a thick mantle of volcanic ash. Elevations range from 4,800 to 6,000 feet. The climate is cold, with cool moist summers and cold wet winters. The average annual air temperature is 38 to 42 degrees F. and average annual precipitation is 45 to 60 inches. The average frost-free period is 30 to 60 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Jaypeak (T), Katka (T), Pend Oreille, and Redraven series. Jaypeak soils are on north-facing mountain slopes at lower elevations and are frigid. Katka soils are on south-facing mountain slopes and are dry for 30 to 45 days in the moisture control section. Pend Oreille soils are on north-facing mountain slopes at lower elevations and are frigid and ashy over loamy. Redraven soils are on north-facing mountain slopes and formed in glacial till and lack strongly acid 2C horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; permeability is moderate in the upper part and moderately rapid to rapid below.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Potential natural vegetation is mainly subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, western larch, and Douglas-fir with an understory of rustyleaf menziesia, queencup beadlily, myrtle pachystima, heartleaf arnica, dampwoods blueberry, darkwoods violet, Utah honeysuckle, western wintergreen, big blueberry, western rattlesnake plantain, western meadowrue, common beargrass, common princes pine, and Columbia brome.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Idaho, and possibly northwestern Montana and northeastern Washington. This series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Boundary County, Idaho, 2002.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 2 to 8 inches (A, Bw1 and part of Bw2 horizons)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 3 to 20 inches (Bw1, Bw2, and Bw3 horizons)
Volcanic ash mantle - the zone from 2 to 20 inches (A, Bw1, Bw2, and Bw3 horizons)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 2 to 42 inches (A, Bw1, Bw2, Bw3, 2BC, and part of the 2C horizon)