LOCATION BECREEK ID

Established Series
GAH/TDT
09/2018

BECREEK SERIES

The Becreek series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in mixed alluvium on stream terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 280 millimeters and the mean annual air temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Calcixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Becreek fine sandy loam, on a 1 percent slope in cropland at an elevation of 1,487 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on August 23, 1989, the soil was dry throughout.)

Ap--0 to 13 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary.

AB--13 to 23 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Ap and AB horizons ranges from 18 to 41 cm)

Bk1--23 to 36 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; calcium carbonate coats on bottoms of rock fragments; 25 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary.

Bk2--36 to 53 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; calcium carbonate coats on bottoms of rock fragments; 45 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk horizons ranges from 20 to 48 cm)

2Bk3--53 to 79 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grain, loose; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial voids; calcium carbonate coats on bottoms and bridging between rock fragments; 75 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual boundary. (5 to 33 cm thick)

2Bk4--79 to 152 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; single grain, loose; many very fine and fine interstitial voids; calcium carbonate coats on bottoms of rock fragments; 75 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Idaho; about 11 kilometers south of Dubois, Idaho; about 61 meters north and 610 meters east of the south west corner, sec. 29, T. 9 N., R. 36 E.; USGS Camas, Idaho topographic quadrangle; latitude 44 degrees, 4 minutes, 22 seconds N. and longitude 112 degrees, 14 minutes, 49 seconds W.; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 7.5 degrees C. (Frigid soil temperature regime)
Depth to the 2Bk horizon (sandy-skeletal material): 50 to 89 cm
Thickness of mollic epipedon: 18 to 41 cm
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate (calcic horizon): 18 to 41 cm
Particle-size control section: averages 7 to 15 percent clay and over 50 percent rock fragments

A and AB horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry, 1 to 3 moist
Clay content: 8 to 20 percent
Rock fragment content: 5 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 3 percent cobbles,
Total rock fragment content: 5 to 25 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
Calcium carbonate: 1 to 7 percent

Bk horizons
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Texture: L, FSL or SL with 25 to 75 percent gravel and cobbles
Clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Rock fragment content: 20 to 75 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles and fragments are rounded
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Calcium carbonate: 5 to 15 percent

2Bk horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3 moist
Clay content: 2 to 5 percent
Rock fragment content: 50 to 80 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles and fragments are rounded
Total rock fragment content: 65 to 90 percent
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Calcium carbonate: 10 to 20 percent

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Deecree, Denay, Eaglecone, Nirac, Pamison Rudeen, Wereld and Xine soils. Deecree soils average 30 to 40 percent calcium carbonate in the particle-size control section. Denay soils lack the sandy-skeletal material in the lower part of the particle-size control section. Eaglecone soils have angular rock fragments. Nirac, Rudeen and Xine soils are moderately deep to bedrock. Pamison soils have weak discontinuous silica and carbonate cementation. Wereld soils are deep to bedrock.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Lava field
Landform: Stream terraces
Elevation: 1,481 to 1,676 meters
Slope: 0 to 2 percent
Parent material: Mixed alluvium
Mean annual air temperature: 5 to 6 degrees C.
Mean annual precipitation: 254 to 305 millimeters
Frost free period: 80 to 110 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Atomic, Grassyridge, Malm and Matheson series. All these soils are on lava fields. Atomic soils are fine-loamy and deep to bedrock. Grassyridge soils have a sandy particle size control section. Malm soils are moderately deep to bedrock and Matheson soils are deep to bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class: Well drained
Runoff: Negligible
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (permeability): Moderately high over very high.

USE AND VEGETATION:
Major uses: Irrigated crops and rangeland
Range/Ecological Site: R011BY001ID or R012XY011ID
Dominant native vegetation: Wyoming big sagebrush, basin big sagebrush, blue bunch wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, needleandthread, squirreltail, antelope bitterbrush and prickly pear cactus.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Southeastern Idaho, MLRA 11
Extent: This series is of small extent

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clark County, Idaho, 2018

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon: the zone from 0 to 23 cm (mollic epipedon thickness is greater than
18cm and exceeds 1/3 the thickness between mineral soil surface and upper boundary of
secondary carbonates)
Calcic horizon: the zone from 23 to 152 cm
Particle size control section: the zone from 25 to 100 cm, with weighted average clay content of 8 percent and weighted average rock content of 61 percent.
Soil moisture regime: Aridic
Soil temperature regime: Frigid

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.