LOCATION BLISSHILL          ID
Established Series
Rev. MSB/CLM
02/97

BLISSHILL SERIES


The Blisshill series consists of deep to a duripan, well drained soils in concave areas on basalt plateaus and mesas. Blisshill soils formed in weathered loess. Permeability is slow. Slopes range from 1 to 8 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 12 inches and the average annual air temperature is about 47 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Vertic Haploxeralfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Blisshill extremely stony silty clay loam - rangeland at an elevation of 4,565 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 2 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) extremely stony silty clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and very fine granular structure; hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine and common fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine tubular and common very fine irregular pores; 2 percent gravel, 40 percent cobbles, 30 percent stones; common cracks 1.0 to 1.5 cm wide; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)

BAtss--2 to 5 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong very fine granular structure; very hard, very friable, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine and fine and common fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine irregular pores; few nonintersecting slickensides and pressure faces; common distinct clay films; common cracks 1.0 to 1.5 cm wide; 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 11 inches thick)

Btss1--5 to 23 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong coarse angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine and few fine and medium roots; few very fine irregular pores; few nonintersecting slickensides and pressure faces; common prominent clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common cracks 1.0 to 1.5 cm wide; 2 percent fine rounded gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (9 to 35 inches thick)

Btss2--23 to 34 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong coarse angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine and medium roots; few very fine, fine, and medium irregular pores; few nonintersecting slickensides and pressure faces; common prominent clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common cracks 1.0 to 1.5 cm wide; 2 percent fine rounded gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)

2Bq--34 to 42 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) very weakly silica-cemented loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong very fine, fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; very hard, extremely firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots matted on tops and sides of peds; few very fine irregular pores; 2 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)

2Bqm--42 to 60 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) silica- cemented duripan, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong very fine, fine and medium subangular blocky; extremely hard, strongly cemented; few very fine irregular pores; 2 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles.

TYPE LOCATION: Gooding County, Idaho; about 11 miles north and 3 miles east of Bliss; about 2,000 feet south and 1,000 feet west of the northeast corner of Sec. 4, T4S, R13E; Lat. 43 degrees north, 6 min., 25 sec.; Long. 114 degrees west, 54 min., 44 sec.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil temperature - 47 to 50 degrees F.
The organic carbon content is less than 0.6 percent below 5 inches Depth to bedrock - more than 60 inches
Depth to weakly to strongly silica-cemented duripan - 40 to 60 inches Clay (control section average) - 35 to 55 percent
Nonintersecting slickensides - few to common in the BAtss and Btss horizons
Cracks - open July through October; closed during winter; 1.0 to 3.0 cm wide at a depth of 20 to 30 inches and extending upwards to the surface

A horizon
Value - 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Reaction - slightly acid to neutral

Btss horizons
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 4 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 3 through 5 dry or moist
Texture - SICL, SIC, C
Clay content - 35 to 55 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 10 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles Reaction - slightly acid to neutral
Nonintersecting slickensides - few to common
Cracks - open July through October; closed during winter; 1.0 to 3.0 cm wide at a depth of 20 to 30 inches and extending upwards to the surface

2Bq or 2Bkq horizons
Hue - 5YR or 7.5YR
Value - 4 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 4 through 7 dry or moist
Calcium carbonate content - 0 to 5 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 10 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles Reaction - slightly acid to mildly alkaline

2Bkqm horizons
Cementation - weak to strong

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Papeek series. Papeek soils lack a duripan.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Blisshill soils are in concave areas on basalt plateaus and mesas. Blisshill soils are underlain by basalt and formed in weathered loess. Slopes are 1 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 3,900 to 5,200 feet. The average annual precipitation is 11 to 13 inches but these soils received additional moisture from runon from surrounding areas. The average annual air temperature is 45 to 48 degrees F. and the frost free period is 85 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bray soils on convex interfluves and mounds. Bray soils do not crack.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Blisshill soils are used for rangeland. Potential native vegetation is low sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Blisshill soils are of small extent in south central Idaho.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gooding County, Idaho, 1993.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)

Argillic horizon - the zone from 2 to 34 inches (BAtss, Btss1, and Btss2 horizons)

Duripan - the zone from 42 to 60 inches (2Bqm horizon)

Some duripans have slight calcium carbonate cementation in addition to silica.

The particle-size control section - the zone from 2 inches to 22 inches (BAtss and part of the Btss1 horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: The soil survey sample numbers are S91ID-063-018 to 021 for partial laboratory data.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.