LOCATION BESSLEN IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Xeric Haplodurids
TYPICAL PEDON: Besslen loam on a 2 percent south-facing slope in rangeland at an elevation of about 4,160 feet. When described on September 6, 1989 the soil was dry. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel-size duripan fragments (half of which are indurated); slightly effervescent (10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 10 inches thick)
Bkq1--2 to 6 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak very fine, fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine tubular and common very fine and few fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel-size pan fragments (half of which are indurated); strongly effervescent (20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent) with areas which are slightly effervescent; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bkq2--6 to 9 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine tubular and common very fine and few fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel-size and 5 percent cobble-size duripan fragments (half of which are indurated); strongly effervescent (20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bkq3--9 to 13 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular and few very fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel-size and 5 percent cobble-size duripan fragments (half of which are indurated); violently effervescent (35 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
2Bkq4--13 to 19 inches; discontinuous laminar cap less than 2 millimeters thick at 13 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly sandy loam (loam after sand-sized pieces of duripan are broken down), light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive, slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular and irregular pores; 25 percent gravel-size and 15 percent cobble-size duripan fragments (half of which are indurated); violently effervescent (35 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
2Bkqm--19 to 38 inches; white (10YR 8/2) indurated duripan, pink (7.5YR 7/4) moist; massive; violently effervescent; abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 29 inches thick)
3R--38 inches; fractured lime and silica-coated basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Idaho, about 4.5 miles east of the town of Dietrich, about 450 feet east and 2400 feet north of the SW corner of section 11, T. 6 S., R. 19 E. Latitude 42 degrees, 54 minutes, 54 seconds N., Longitude 114 degrees, 10 minutes, 9 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 49 to 53 degrees F.
Depth to duripan - 10 to 20 inches
Depth to bedrock - 24 to 40 inches
Particle-size control section - 10 to 18 percent clay; 15 to 35 percent coarse fragments; less than 15 percent fine and coarser sand
A horizon
Value - 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 5 to 30 percent
Duripan fragments (one half indurated) - 10 to 34 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction - neutral to moderately alkaline
Bkq horizons
Value - 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture - L, SIL, SL
Clay content - 10 to 18 percent
Calcium carbonate - 15 to 40 percent
Duripan fragments (one half indurated) - 10 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction - mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline
2Bkq horizon
Value - 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture - GR-L, GR-SIL, GR-SL
Clay content - 10 to 18 percent
Calcium carbonate - 30 to 40 percent
Basalt rock fragments - 0 to 5 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Duripan fragments (one half indurated) - 20 to 30 percent gravel, 10 to 20 percent cobbles
Reaction - mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline
2Bkqm horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 6 through 8 dry, 6 through 7 moist
Chroma - 1 through 3 dry, 2 through 4 moist
Opaline laminae thickness - 2 mm to 5 cm
Distance between caps - 0.5 to 5 inches
Cementation between caps - strong to indurated
Basalt gravel - 0 to 15 percent
Basalt cobbles - 0 to 25 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arritola (T), Chiara, Coltroop, Crooked, Frohman, Minveno, Nevoyer, Otoole, Peeko, Plegomir, Scoon, Tenvorrd, and Yahoo (T). Arritola soils are non-calcareous above the duripan. Chiara soils are non-calcareous above 7 inches and have a C horizon that has 20 to 60 percent brittle durinodes. Coltroop soils have less than 5 percent rock fragments and no duripan fragments in the control section. Crooked soils have more than 15 percent fine sand and coarser and are saline-alkaline. Frohman soils have a thin, rippable duripan and bedrock is deeper than 40 inches. Minveno soils have less than 15 percent coarse fragments in the particle-size control section. Nevoyer soils have bedrock above 20 inches. Otoole soils are somewhat poorly drained and are strongly or very strongly alkaline. Peeko soils have 18 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Plegomir, Scoon, Tenvorrd and Yahoo soils are greater than 40 inches deep to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Besslen soils are on ridges and sideslopes on basalt plains and buttes. These soils formed in loess and silty alluvium. Slopes are 1 to 4 percent. Elevations range from 4,000 to 4,500 feet. The average annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches. The average annual temperature is 47 to 51 degrees F. and the frost free period is 100 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Minveno soil and the Bruncan, Elijah, Hoosegow, Power, and Snowmore. Bruncan soils have and argillic horizon. Elijah and Snowmore soils have argillic horizons and are moderately deep to a thick duripan. Hoosegow and Power soils are very deep, lack a duripan, and have argillic horizons. These soils occupy landscapes similar to those of the Besslen soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; runoff is slow to medium; permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Besslen soils are used for rangeland and irrigated cropland. Vegetation in the potential natural plant community includes: Sandberg bluegrass, Thurber needlegrass and Wyoming big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Besslen soils are of small extent in south central Idaho.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, Idaho, 1993.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)
Calcic horizon - zone from 2 to 19 inches (Bkq1, Bkq2, Bkq3, and 2Bkq horizons)
Duripan - zone from 19 to 38 inches (2Bkqm horizon)
Classification of this pedon has been revised as of 4/00 from loamy, mixed, mesic Xerollic Durorthids to loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Xeric Haplodurids based on revisions to Soil Taxonomy.