LOCATION BLUESPRIN               ID

Established Series
Rev. RJB/BDG/EMM
06/2013

BLUESPRIN SERIES

The Bluesprin series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils on plateaus, canyon sides and hillsides. They formed in material weathered from basalt or andesite bedrock with a thin mantle of loess. Permeability is moderately slow. Slope ranges from 7 to 90 percent. The average annual temperature is about 48 degrees F and the average annual precipitation is about 20 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Ultic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Bluesprin very cobbly loam - on a southwest-facing slope of 45 percent in native grassland, 4,620 feet elevation. (When described on September 16, 1970, the profile was moist to 13 inches. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).

A1--0 to 3 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very cobbly loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel and 35 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary.

A2--3 to 12 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine vesicular and fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the A horizons is 8 to 18 inches thick)

Bt1--12 to 19 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) very cobbly clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine vesicular and fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 25 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)

Bt2--19 to 31 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) extremely cobbly clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine vesicular and fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 35 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)

R--31 inches; hard basalt bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Idaho County, Idaho; about 8 miles west of Boles; about 2,600 feet south and 2,100 feet west of the northeast corner of section 36, T. 30 N., R. 3 W.
Latitude - 45 degrees, 53 minutes, 48 seconds North; Longitude - 116 degrees, 38 minutes, 47 seconds West. USGS Rattlesnake Ridge quadrangle.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Mollic epipedon thickness - 10 to 18 inches
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches
Solum thickness - 20 to 40 inches
Moisture control section - usually moist; dry July through September, 60 to 80 days
Average annual soil temperature - 47 to 53 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 59 to 63 degrees F.
Base saturation - 50 to 75 percent in some part of the upper 30 inches

A horizon
Value - 3 to 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 1 to 3, dry or moist
Textures - silt loam or loam
Rock fragment content - 2 to 60 percent
Reaction - moderately acid to neutral

Bt horizon (a 2Bt in some pedons)
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 4 to 6 dry and 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 1 to 4, dry or moist
Textures - clay loam, loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam
Rock fragment content - 35 to 80 percent
Clay content - 25 to 35 percent
Reaction - slightly acid or neutral

COMPETING SERIES:
Balake - are very deep
Beezee - are very deep
Fordice - are very deep
Hunsinger - are deep to a lithic contact
Jebe - are very deeep
Jelico - has 18 to 27 percent clay in the Bt horizon
Keuterville - are very deep
Legall - are very deep
Nashmead - are deep to a lithic contact
Riverpoint - are very deep
Sauter - are very deep
Shanks - has 18 to 27 percent clay in the Bt horizon
Sienna - has 35 to 60 percent quartzite rock fragments in the argillic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bluesprin soils are on plateaus, south and west-facing hills and canyon sides. Slopes range from 7 to 90 percent. These soils formed in material weathered from basalt or andesite bedrock with a thin mantle of loess at elevations of 1,900 to 5,000 feet. The average annual temperature ranges from 45 to 48 degrees F, with an average annual precipitation of 16 to 25 inches. The average frost-free period is from 100 to 160 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ferdinand, Klickson, and Lawyer soils and the competing Sallyann soils. Ferdinand and Lawyer soils are on canyon sides and are clayey-skeletal. Klickson soils are on cooler canyon slopes, have a frigid temperature regime, and are very deep.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well-drained; medium to very rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soil are used for livestock grazing, recreation, and watershed. Potential natural vegetation is mainly Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, big bluegrass, arrowleaf balsamroot, and lupine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: This soil is moderately extensive. MLRAs 43A and 9.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Idaho County, Idaho 1976.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to 12 inches (The A1 and the A2 horizon)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 12 to 31 inches (The Bt1 and Bt2 horizon)
Particle-size control section - The zone from 12 to 31 inches (The Bt1 and the Bt2 horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.