LOCATION BATTLE CREEK UT+IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, mesic Vertic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Battle Creek silty clay loam--cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2); moist; weak medium granular and weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; neutral (pH 7.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
BA--6 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak medium granular; hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--10 to 13 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; very hard, firm, moderately sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; common fine and few medium pores; common faint clay films; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bt2--13 to 19 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) silty clay, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine roots; many fine and few medium pores; common faint clay films; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Btk--19 to 37 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) silty clay, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm, moderately sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; many fine pores; few faint clay films; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
Bk1--37 to 43 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) silty clay, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, moderately sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; many fine and few medium pores; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Bk2--43 to 72 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) silty clay, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; laminated lacustrine deposits; extremely hard, very firm, moderately sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; few medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Cache County, Utah; about 1 mile north and 1.5 miles east of the Lewiston sugar factory; approximately 200 feet south and 300 feet west of the northeast corner of section 2, T. 14 N., R. 1 E.; USGS Richmond 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 41 degrees 59 minutes 25 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 47 minutes 35 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - These soils are dry for 60 or more consecutive days following the summer solstice; Xeric moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature- 47 to 52 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 65 to 68 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 8 to 19 inches.
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 12 to 24 inches.
Depth to calcic horizon - 12 to 37 inches.
Cracks- The soils have cracks more than 1 cm wide to a depth of 20 inches, that are more than 12 inches long and extend upward to the surface or to the base of the Ap horizon.
Linear extensibility (LE) - 6 to 9 cm.
A horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline
Effervescence: Dominantly noneffervescent, but slightly effervescent in some pedons, due to mixing by rodent activity.
Bt horizons - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist; value of 4 dry and 3 moist occur only in the subhorizons within 19 inches of the surface.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Clay films: Few to many faint clay films lining pores and on faces of some peds.
Structure: Weak to moderate, medium to coarse prismatic.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Secondary carbonates: Occurs in some horizons as masses and as threads.
Bk horizons - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Reaction: slightly alkaline through strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 25 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Battle Creek soils are on mid-level lake terraces. These soils formed in lacustrine deposits of ancient Lake Bonneville. Elevations range from 4,400 to 4,800 feet. Slopes are 0 to 20 percent. The climate is dry subhumid with mean annual precipitation of 14 to 17 inches. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 47 degrees F., and mean summer temperature is 68 to 70 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 120 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Collett, McMurdie, and Trenton soils. Collett soils do not have argillic horizons and have distinct iron masses or other characteristics of wetness and have a water table within 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained or well drained; slow or very slow permeability (low to moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity); medium or high surface runoff. Endosaturation is present in some pedons with an apparent seasonal high water table between 3.5 and 6 feet (deep or very deep free water occurrence classes) between March and August. Cumulative annual duration class is Common.
USE AND VEGETATION: Battle Creek soils are used as irrigated and dry cropland for production of alfalfa, small grains, sugar beets, and improved pasture. The native vegetation is western wheatgrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, balsamroot, and big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Utah and southern Idaho. These soils are not extensive. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 28A, while other acreage occurs in MLRA 13.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cache County (Cache Area), Utah, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to a depth of 13 inches (Ap, BA, and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 10 to 19 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 37 to 72 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).
Vertic subgroup feature - The zone from the soil surface to 100 cm with an assumed linear extensibility of 6 cm or more and cracks in the soil extending from the base of the Ap horizon to a depth of 20 inches (a thickness of 35 cm).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 19 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: a pedon of Battle Creek is characterized with soil survey sample number 89ID041004 (pedon # 89P0805).