LOCATION BERENICETON ID+UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Xeric Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Bereniceton sandy loam, sagebrush. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
A11--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; slightly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
A12--3 to 7 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, medium and course roots; many very fine tubular pores; slightly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
C1ca--7 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
IIC2ca--14 to 30 inches, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; strongly calcareous; common cicada nodules; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
IIC3ca--30 to 46 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; strongly calcareous; common cicada nodules; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8) abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
IIIR--46 inches, basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Idaho; 1,950 feet north, 2,000 feet east of the SW corner of sec. 16, T.4N., R.34E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 41 degrees to 46 degrees F. and the mean summer soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 64 degrees to 67 degrees F. Depth to bedrock or sand and gravel is 40 to 60 inches. The soils are mildly, moderately or strongly alkaline (pH 7.8 to 9.0). The 10- to 40-inch control section averages 18 to 35 percent clay. In some places, the profile contains up to 10 percent basalt pebbles and cobbles. The soils are usually dry, and are dry between depths of 4 and 12 inches for a continuous period of about 70 to 90 days in late summer.
The A11 horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 2 or 3.
The C horizon has value of 6 through 8 dry. It is loam, clay loam or sandy clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Garsid (T) and Monte series. These soils lack a torric moisture regime that borders on xeric.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The soils are on basalt plains at elevations of 4,800 to 5,100 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent. These soils formed in wind-worked material over basalt or over sand and gravel. The semiarid climate has a frost-free period of 80 to 115 days and an annual precipitation of 8 to 11 inches including 1.5 to 3 feet of snowfall.
ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aecet, Bondfarm and Lidy series. Aecet soils are underlain by bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Bondfarm soils are underlain by bedrock at depths of 10 to 20 inches. Lidy soils are 20 to 40 inches deep over sand and gravel.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderately slow or moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for range and cropland. Main crops are alfalfa, barley, wheat, potatoes, pasture and sugar beets. The principal natural vegetation is big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, needle-and-thread grass, Indian ricegrass, sod wheatgrasses and squirreltail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central southeastern Idaho. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Idaho, 1975.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 2/75.