LOCATION BEDSTEAD                ID

Established Series
Rev. PJS/ALH/CLM
02/2018

BEDSTEAD SERIES

The Bedstead series consists of moderately deep to duripan, well drained soils with slow permeability that formed in silty alluvium from extrusive rocks and volcanic ash. Bedstead soils are on foothills and tablelands. Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 300 mm and the average annual temperature is about 8.3 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, mesic Abruptic Xeric Argidurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Bedstead extremely stony silt loam -- on a northwest-facing convex slope of 2 percent, in native rangeland at 1,600 meters elevation. The surface has about 20 percent stone cover. (When described on May 9, 1979, the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A1--0 to 3 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) stony silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine, few medium tubular and vesicular pores; 10 percent gravel, 10 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A2--3 to 15 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) stony silt loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine irregular and tubular pores; 10 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

AB--15 to 28 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) cobbly silt loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; common very fine irregular and vesicular pores; 20 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

Bt--28 to 46 cm; brown (10YR 5/4) extremely stony clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine, few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; continuous prominent clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 20 percent cobbles, 50 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 30 cm thick)

Btk--46 to 53 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely stony clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and medium roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent cobbles, 50 percent stones; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 30 cm thick)

Bkqm--53 to 56 cm; white (10YR 8/2) continuous, indurated duripan; platy; extremely hard, very firm, brittle; moderately effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.9); abrupt irregular boundary. (1/4 to 4 inches thick)

2R--56 cm; basalt.

TYPE LOCATION: Owyhee County, Idaho; about 11 miles west and 1 1/2 miles south of the northwest corner of Duck Valley Indian Reservation; 560 feet south and 500 feet east of the northwest corner of section 8, T. 15 S., R. 2 W.; USGS Piute Basin East 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 42 degrees, 08 minutes, 22 seconds North Latitude and 116 degrees, 36 minutes, 22 seconds West Longitude WGS84 Decimal Degrees 42.1394444 latitude, -116.6061111 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Depth to abrupt textural change - 15 to 30 cm
Depth to duripan - 53 to 91 cm
Depth to bedrock - 56 to 100 cm
Particle-size control section - 35 to 50 percent clay
Average annual soil temperature - 8.3 to 11.7 degrees C.
Aridic moisture regime bordering on xeric.

A horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Reaction (pH) - slightly acid or neutral
Rock fragments - 10 to 45 percent

Bt and Btk horizons
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 4 through 6 dry or moist
Texture - CBV-C, STX-CL, or STX-C
Rock fragments - 35 to 70 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 1 to 10 percent
Reaction (pH) - slightly acid through slightly alkaline

Bkqm horizon
Structure - commonly massive, less commonly platy

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other soils listed in the same family. The Catchell series is closely related. Catchell soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the texture control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bedstead soils are gently rolling or nearly level on foothills and tablelands at elevations of 1,100 to 1,680 meters. Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent. These soils formed in silty alluvium from extrusive rocks and volcanic ash. The climate is cool and moist in the winter and hot and dry in the summer. Average annual precipitation is 280 to 330 mm. Average annual temperature is 7.2 to 10.6 degrees C. Frost-free period is 85 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arbidge and Willhill series. These soils lack abrupt textural changes and have less than 35 percent clay in the control sections. Arbidge soils are on lower concave landscape positions and Willhill soils are on steeper sideslopes.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Bedstead soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The dominant natural vegetation is low sage, bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and Idaho fescue.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Idaho. Bedstead soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 25

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Duck Valley Indian Reservation Idaho-Nevada, 1984.

REMARKS: This revision (6/95) changes the classification from Xerollic Durargids to Xeric Argidurids according to the 1994 edition of Keys to Soil Taxonomy. The remainder of the OSD has not been updated since 4/91.

Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - zone 0 to 28 cm (A1 A2 and AB horizons).
Abrupt texture change - at 28 cm; est. 16 % clay increase within 1 inch (upper boundary of Bt horizon)
Argillic horizon and particle-size control section - zone 28 to 53 cm (Bt and Btk horizons).
Duripan - zone 53 to 56 cm (Bkqm horizon).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 56 cm (R boundary).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.