LOCATION BEARBEACH          ID
Established Series
FRK-RJS
07/2008

BEARBEACH SERIES


The Bearbeach series consists of very deep, very poorly drained soils that formed in mixed alluvium. Bearbeach soils are on smooth to slightly concave positions on back swamps of lake plains. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual air temperature is about 6 degrees C and the mean annual precipitation is about 355 mm.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Typic Endoaquepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Bearbeach mucky sandy loam, in a backswamp (colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted).

Oa--0 to 8 cm; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) (rubbed and pressed); highly decomposed organic matter; lime segregated into common fine masses and few fine threads; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

Ag--8 to 15 cm; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) mucky sandy loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) redox concentrations; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine and few medium roots; many very fine, fine, and medium tubular; disseminated lime; strongly effervescent; 5 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 20 cm thick)

Cg1--15 to 38 cm; gray (10YR 5/1) very gravelly loamy coarse sand, light gray (10YR 7/1) dry; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few medium roots; few fine and common medium tubular pores; disseminated lime; strongly effervescent ; 40 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 28 cm thick)

Cg2--38 to 152 cm; gray (2.5Y 5/1) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, gray (2.5Y 6/1) dry; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; disseminated lime; strongly effervescent; 85 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9). (56 to 119 cm thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Bear Lake County, Idaho; about 1370 meters southeast of St. Charles; 731 meters north and 731 meters east of the SW corner of sec. 24, T. 15 S., R. 43 E. St. Charles USGS topographic quadrangle. UTM NAD83 Zone 12: Northing 4661364m, Easting 468835m.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 5 to 7 degrees C.
Depth to seasonal high water table: 0 to 25 cm December through May

Oa horizon (absent in some pedons)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 moist

Ag horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 or 4 moist, 5 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
Texture: MK-SL, SL, or L
Noncarbonate clay content: 10 to 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4

Cg1 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 moist, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma: 1 to 3, moist or dry
Texture: LCOS, LS or COSL
Noncarbonate clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 40 to 85 percent total; 40 to 85 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4

Cg2 horizon
Hue: 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 moist, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma: 1 to 3, moist or dry
Texture: LCOS or S
Noncarbonate clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 70 to 85 percent total; 50 to 85 percent gravel; 0 to 20 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Lake plains
Landform: Low lake terraces
Elevation: 1790 to 1830 meters
Slope: 0 to 2 percent
Parent material: mixed alluvium
Climate: long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers
Mean annual precipitation: 305 to 406 mm, much of which falls as snow or as spring rain
Mean annual temperature: 5 to 7 degrees C.
Frost-free period: 70 to 95 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bear Lake, Chesbrook, Dinswamp (T), and La Roco (T) soils. Bear Lake soils are on slightly higher terraces, have a mollic epipedon and a fine-silty particle size control section. Chesbrook soils are on slightly higher terraces, have a mollic epipedon, a fine-silty particle size control section, and are carbonatic. Dinswamp soils are on lakebeds and have a histc epipedon. La Roco soils are on slightly higher terraces, have a mollic epipedon, and are carbonatic.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class: Very poorly
Runoff: Slight to none
Saturated hydraulic conductivity ( permeability): very rapid

USE AND VEGETATION:
Major uses: Wildlife habitat
Range/ecological site: R013XY055ID
Dominant native vegetation: beaked sedge, water sedge, Baltic rush, hardstem bulrush, and broadleaf cattail

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho; MLRA 13. The soils are of small extent

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bear Lake County, Idaho, 2008, Bear Lake Area Soil Survey

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon from the soil surface to 15 cm
Particle-size control section: from 25 to 100 cm
Soil temperature regime: Frigid
Soil moisture regime: Aquic


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.