LOCATION BEAR LAKE ID+MT UT WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Calciaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Bear Lake silty clay loam, pastureland. When described the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 11 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; strongly effervescent; disseminated carbonate; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (9 to 14 inches thick)
Bkg1--11 to 20 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; few hard lime nodules; strongly effervescent; disseminated carbonate (39 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
Bkg2--20 to 26 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) silty clay loam, gray (10YR 6/1) and light gray (2.5Y 7/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine prominent pale olive (5Y 6/4) irregularly shaped masses of iron accumulation; 10 to 30 percent by volume hard carbonate nodules; strongly effervescent; disseminated carbonate (31 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bkg3--26 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/1) silty clay loam, gray (N 6/0) and olive gray (5Y 5/2) crushed moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common medium prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) and common fine prominent pale olive (5Y 6/4) irregularly shaped masses of iron accumulation; less than 5 percent by volume hard carbonate nodules; slightly effervescent; disseminated carbonate (28 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Franklin County, Idaho; about 1.5 miles east of Oxford; approximately 2,500 feet south and 2,300 feet east of the northwest corner of section 26, T. 13 S., R. 38 E.; USGS Swan Lake 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 42 degrees, 15 minutes, 51 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees, 59 minutes, 06 seconds west longitude, NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 41 to 46 degrees F.
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 9 to 23 inches
Calcium carbonate equivalent of calcic horizon - 15 to 40 percent
Depth to calcic horizon - 6 to 16 inches
Distinct or prominent redoximorphic features are commonly below a depth of 15 inches but are present in the lower part of the A horizon in some pedons.
Depth to endosaturation - 0 to 18 inches, February through July
Particle-size control section:
Clay content - 18 to 35 percent (total clay)
Present in some pedons: an O horizon, 1 or 2 inches thick
A horizon:
Color hue - 10YR, 2.5Y, or Neutral
Value, dry - 2 to 5
Value, moist - 2 or 3
Chroma, dry or moist - 0 to 2
Reaction - slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
Bkg horizons
Color hue - 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, or Neutral
Value, dry - 5 to 8
Value, moist - 4 to 7
Chroma, dry or moist - 0 to 2
Texture - SIL, SICL, SIC
Reaction - slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
Present in some pedons: sand and gravel below a depth of 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Colake, Colvin, Nielsville, Ojata, Regan, and Winger series. Colake soils have redox concentrations below 40 inches. Colvin and Nielsville soils are moist in the upper part of the soil moisture control section during July and August (ustic moisture pattern). Ojata soils have an electrical conductivity of greater than 15 mmhos in the control section. Regan soils have greater than 15 percent fine sand or coarser in the lower part of the control section. Winger soils have a lithologic discontinuity with loam and clay loam textures within 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bear Lake soils are on low terraces and floodplains and have slopes of 0 to 4 percent. They formed in mixed alluvium. The average annual precipitation ranges from 9 to 20 inches, and the average annual temperature ranges from 40 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free season is about 55 to 100 days. Elevations are 4,500 to 7,000 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Downata, Fury, Inkom, Tendoy, and Zunhall series. Downata soils do not have a calcic horizon within 16 inches and are on concave positions. Fury and Inkom soils do not have calcic horizons and are on slightly higher terraces. Tendoy soils have organic materials to a depth of greater than 40 inches and are in depressional areas on floodplains. Zunhall soils have greater than 40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the particle-size control section and are on slightly higher terraces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly and very poorly drained; slow or very slow runoff; moderately slow or slow permeability; frequent, occasional, or rare flooding for brief periods January through June.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for hayland or meadow pasture. Vegetation is mainly sedges, rushes, cattails, alkali cordgrass, inland saltgrass, alkali bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Moderately extensive in southern Idaho and northern Utah. MLRAs 13, 25, 28A, 34, 43, 46, 47.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bear Lake Valley, Idaho, 1926.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon - from the surface to 11 inches (A horizon)
Calcic horizon - from 11 to 60 inches (Bkg1, Bkg2, and Bkg3 horizons)
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the A, the Bkg1, Bkg2, and part of the Bkg3 horizons)
Taxonomic version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.
The superactive CE activity class is presumed for this series based on the general trend indicated by lab data throughout this region.