LOCATION BRAMWELL                ID+NV UT

Established Series
Rev.: LMR/CWT/GHL
12/2025

BRAMWELL SERIES

The Bramwell series consists of very deep somewhat poorly drained soils on floodplains and low terraces. They formed in mixed alluvium. Permeability is slow. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 9 inches (230 mm) and the mean annual air temperature is about 51 degrees F (11 degrees C).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Bramwell silt loam - pasture. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Ap--0 to 10 inches (0 to 25 cm); gray (10YR 6/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches (15 to 36 cm thick)

Bk1--10 to 19 inches (25 to 48 cm); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak or moderate fine angular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few thin darker organic coatings on peds; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.3); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 18 inches (20 to 46 cm) thick)

Bk2--19 to 29 inches (48 to 74 cm); light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; common medium and coarse distinct pale brown (10YR 6/3) staining, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent with common fine and medium distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate splotches; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.1); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) thick)

Bk3--29 to 39 inches (74 to 99 cm); light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; common medium and coarse distinct pale brown (10YR 6/3) staining, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to moderate very fine angular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 15 inches (20 to 38 cm) thick)

C--39 to 60 inches (99 to 152 cm); light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; few faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) stains, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate thin platy structure parting to moderate very fine angular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Gem County, Idaho; about 8 miles west of Emmett, 2,540 feet north and 1,820 feet east of the southwest corner of section 2, T. 6 N., R. 3 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 49 to 55 degrees F (9 to 13 degrees C).
Control Section percent clay - 18 to 30
Control Section texture - SIL, SICL
Reaction - moderately to very strongly alkaline

Bk horizon
Hue - 2.5Y or 10YR
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 15 to 30 percent

C horizon
Hue - 2.5Y or 10YR
Value - 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3
Texture - FSL-SIL, stratified

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other soils in this family at this time. Similar soils include the Bram and Gooch series. Bram soils are in a coarse-silty family and Gooch soils are in a fine-loamy family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bramwell soils are on level to gently sloping low stream or lacustrine terraces and floodplains. They formed in silty alluvium and lacustrine sediments. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Elevation is 2,000 to 4,000 feet (605 to 1210 m). Summers are hot and dry and winters are cool and moist. Average annual precipitation is 7 to 12 inches (180 to 305 mm). Average annual temperature is 48 to 54 degrees F (9 to 12 degrees C). Frost-free season is 110 to 160 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Baldock, Bram, Lahontan, and Letha soils. Baldock soils are fine-loamy . Bram soils are coarse-silty. Lahontan soils are fine, montmorillonitic. Letha soils are coarse-loamy. All of these soils occupy similar landscape positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow runoff; slow permeability. A high water table is at 2 to 3.5 feet sometime during the months of May through September.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for pasture, hay, small grains, and corn; some areas remain in greasewood, saltgrass, and wildrye.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwest Idaho and parts of Nevada and Utah. The series is moderately extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gem County, Idaho, 1949.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 10 inches (0 to 25 cm) (the Ap horizon).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 19 to 39 inches (48 to 99 cm) (the Bk2 and Bk3 horizons).

Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (25 to 100 cm).

Updated formatting, added metric depths and checked competing series 12/2025. -JBB

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.