LOCATION BEARBOU IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Typic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Bearbou silt loam, pastureland (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on September 16, 2003 the soil was slightly moist to 12 inches, moist to 22 inches and saturated below.
A--0 to 3 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; many very fine and fine and common medium irregular and tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
Bw1--3 to 9 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine and few medium tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bw2--9 to 22 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry redox concentrations; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine and few medium tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 13 inches thick)
Bg1--22 to 28 inches; greenish gray (5GY 6/1) silty clay, dark greenish gray (5GY 4/1) moist; few fine prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist redox concentrations; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse subangular blocky; very hard, very friable, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.9); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
Bg2--28 to 36 inches; greenish gray (5GY 6/1) gravelly clay loam, dark greenish gray (5GY 4/1) moist; few fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and few fine prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) dry redox concentrations; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse subangular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
2Cg--36 to 60 inches; light gray (5Y 7/1) very gravelly loam, dark greenish gray (5GY 4/1) moist; few fine and medium prominent olive yellow (5Y 6/6) redox concentrations and few medium distinct greenish gray (5GY 6/1) dry redox depletions; massive; hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; disseminated lime; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5).
TYPE LOCATION: Bear Lake County, Idaho; about 5 miles south-south east of Soda Springs, Idaho; about 1,890 feet west and 2,040 feet south of the northeast corner, sec. 9, T.10S., R.42E. Latitude - 42 degrees, 34 minutes, 11.6 seconds north. Longitude - 111 degrees, 33 minutes, 4.7 seconds west.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon thickness - 15 to 22 inches
Average annual soil temperature - 41 to 44 degrees F.
Depth to redoximorphic features - 9 to 15 inches
Depth to seasonal high water table - 9 to 15 inches December through June
A horizon
Hue - 10YR
Chroma - 1 or 2 dry and moist
Clay content - 15 to 24 percent
Reaction neutral
Bw horizons
Hue - 10YR
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma 1 dry and moist
Texture - SICL or SIC
Clay content - 35 to 45 percent
Reaction neutral or slightly alkaline
Bg1 horizon
Hue 5GY
Value - 6 dry, 4 moist
Chroma - 1 dry or moist
Texture SICL or SIC
Clay content - 35 to 45 percent
Reaction neutral
Bg2 horizon
Hue 5GY
Value - 6 dry, 4 moist
Chroma - 1 dry or moist
Texture SICL, SIC or GR-CL
Clay content - 35 to 45 percent
Coarse fragment content - 0 to 25 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction neutral
2Cg horizon
Hue - 5Y or 5GY
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 moist
Texture GRV-L, GRV-SCL and GRX-CL
Clay content - 22 to 35 percent
Effervescence - slight to moderate
Coarse fragment content - 35 to 65 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Reaction neutral or slightly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - low stream terraces and floodplains.
Elevations - 5,850 to 6,700 feet.
Slope - 0 to 2 percent
Parent material fine mixed alluvium over coarser alluvium.
Climate - long, cool winters; dry, warm summers
Mean annual precipitation - 14 to 22 inches
Mean annual air temperature - 39 to 43 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 70 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blackotter (T), Hades, and Nuffer (T) series. Blackotter soils have less than 18 percent clay in the particle size control section and are calcareous in all parts to the soil surface. Hades soils are well drained and have argillic horizons. Nuffer soils have a loamy-skeletal particle size control section and are calcareous in all parts to the soil surface. Blackotter and Nuffer soils are on floodplains and low terraces in positions along the rivers below Bearbou soils. Hades soils are on alluvial fans and terraces along the sides and above Bearbou soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; slow permeability; slow or very slow runoff; rare flooding for brief periods March through May.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for pastureland.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Bearbou soils are of limited extent in southeastern Idaho. MLRA 47.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bear Lake County, Idaho, 2008. The name is coined from Bear Lake and Caribou Counties, Idaho.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the soil surface to 22 inches (the A, Bw1 and Bw2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 inches to 40 inches (part of the Bw2, the Bkg1, Bkg2, and part of the 2g horizons).
Bearbou soils have a frigid temperature regime and an aquic moisture regime.