LOCATION BERTHAHILL IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over loamy-skeletal, amorphic over isotic Typic Haplocryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Berthahill medial loam, forested; on a south-facing slope of 35 percent at 4,880 feet elevation. When described on October 27, 1993, the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise indicated)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; undecomposed twigs, leaves, and needles.
Oe--1 to 4 inches; decomposed twigs, leaves and needles.
A--4 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) medial loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine and fine granular structure; very soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine to coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 2 percent fine rounded iron-manganese concretions; 10 percent fine gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
Bw--11 to 20 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) medial loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; very soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine to coarse roots; many very fine irreguar pores; 2 percent fine rounded iron-manganese concretions; 10 percent fine gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 11 inches thick)
2Bw--20 to 28 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) gravelly sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; 20 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
2Bt1--28 to 40 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky, slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots located between peds; common very fine and fine tubular pores; few patchy faint brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; 30 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles, strongly acid (pH 5.1); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
2Bt2--40 to 55 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) extremely cobbly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots located between peds; common very fine tubular pores; common discontinuous distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent gravel, 35 percent cobbles, 15 percent stones; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); gradual smooth boundary. (11 to 15 inches thick)
2Bt3--55 to 66 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) extremely cobbly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots located between peds; common very fine tubular pores; few patchy faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent gravel, 50 percent cobbles, 15 percent stones; very strongly acid (pH 4.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Clearwater County, Idaho; about 9 miles north of Headquarters, Idaho; about 500 feet south, 450 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 1, T.39 N., R.5 E.; Latitude - 46 degrees, 45 minutes, 33 seconds North; Longitude - 115 degrees, 46 minutes, 59 seconds West; USGS Bertha Hill Quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 38 to 41 degrees F. Cryic temperature regime.
Soil moisture control section - usually moist year round and not dry for 30 consecutive days from June to October. Udic moisture regime.
Thickness of volcanic ash mantle - 14 to 19 inches
Volcanic glass content in the 0.02 to 2.0 mm fraction - 15 to 50 percent
Acid-oxlate extractable A1+1/2 Fe - 1.5 to 3.6 percent
Phosphorous retention - 55 to 90 percent
15-bar water retention - 12.0 to 18.0 percent on air-dried samples
A horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Texture - Medial-L, Medial-SIL
Clay content - 5 to 10 percent
Reaction - very strongly acid or slightly acid
Bulk density - 0.53 to 0.90 g/cc
Bw horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 6 dry
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture - Medial-L, Medial-SIL
Clay content - 5 to 12 percent
Reaction - moderately acid or slightly acid
Bulk density - 0.65 to 1.13 g/cc
2Bw horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 4 or 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Texture - GR-SL, GRV-SL, GRV-L, GR-L
Clay content - 10 to 20 percent
Rock fragments - 10 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent
Cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones; total rock fragment content - 20 to 55 percent
Reaction - strongly acid or moderately acid
2Bt horizons
Hue - 5YR to 10YR
Value - 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 4 or 6 dry or moist
Texture - GRV-L, CBX-L, GRV-SCL, CBX-SL, CBV-L, GRV-SL, GRX-SL, GRX-COSL, GRV-COSL, GRX-SCL, GRV-CL
Clay content - 11 to 28 percent
Rock fragments - 20 to 60 percent gravel, 0 to 50 percent cobbles, 0 to 15 percent stones; total rock fragment content - 45 to 85 percent
Reaction - very strongly acid or strongly acid
2C horizon (present in some pedons)
Texture - GRX-COSL, GRX-LCOS, GRX-LS
Rock fragments - 45 to 70 percent gravel, 5 to 25 percent cobbles, total rock fragment content - 70 to 75 percent
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Vaywood series. Vaywood soils do not have an argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Berthahill soils are on mountain slopes with slopes ranging from 15 to 75 percent. They formed in material weathered from quartzite with a thick mantle of volcanic ash. Elevations range from 4,500 to 5,500 feet. The average annual temperature is 38 to 41 degrees F. and the average annual precipitation is 40 to 55 inches. The frost-free season is 30 to 100 days (9 years in 10 to 1 year in 10 respectively).
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Flumecreek(T), Handoff(T), and Township (T) series. Flumecreek soils are on mountain side slopes and are frigid. Handoff soils are on mountain side slopes, are cryic and have umbric epipedons. Township soils are on mountain side slopes, have high mica substratums and have cambic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Potential natural vegetation is subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, and grand fir with an understory of queencup beadlily, mountain arnica, prince's pine, wild ginger, common pink wintergreen, coolwort foamflower, western goldenthread, rattlesnake plantain, common beargrass, rustyleaf menziesia, myrtle pachystima, and blue huckleberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North Central Idaho. These soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clearwater County, Idaho, 2003.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:
Volcanic ash mantle - The zone from the mineral soil surface to 20 inches. (A and Bw horizons)
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the mineral soil surface to 11 inches. (A horizon)
Cambic horizon - The zone from 11 to 28 inches. (Bw and 2Bw horizons)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 28 to 66 inches. (2Bt horizons)
Particle-size control section - The zone from 4 to 44 inches. (A, Bw, 2Bw, 2Bt1, and part of the 2Bt2 horizons)
The ranges ofvalues listed under the Range in Characteristics for Bulk density, Volcanic glass content, Acid-oxlate extractable A1+1/2 Fe, Phosphate retention, and 15-bar water retention are estimates only.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data - Soil survey sample no. S95ID-035-008 (project no. 96P 5, pedon no. 96P 25) Clearwater County, Idaho by NSSL, Lincoln NE.