LOCATION BRIABBIT IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplocalcids
TYPIC PEDON: Briabbit fine sandy loam -- on a east-facing slope of 8 percent, in native rangeland at 3,300 feet elevation. (When described on June 18, 1984, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for air-dry soils unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; soft, very friable; common very fine, fine and medium, few coarse roots; common very fine and fine vesicular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.3); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--3 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate coarse platy structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable; few very fine, medium and coarse roots; common fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)
Bk--10 to 22 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) cobbly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; few very fine and fine roots; 10 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, lime coatings on rock fragments; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); abrupt irregular boundary. (10 to 24 inches thick)
Cr--22 inches; soft, highly fractured vitric tuff, lime partially fills fractures.
TYPE LOCATION: Owyhee County, Idaho; about 4 1/2 miles west and 3 miles north of Murphy; 1,400 feet east and 1,200 feet north of the southwest corner of section 12, T.2 S., R.3 W.; 43 degrees, 15 minutes, 34 seconds North Latitude and 116 degrees, 38 minutes, 36 seconds West Longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Percent organic matter in upper 18 cm - 0.5 to 1.0
(dark colors partially due to dark sand grains)
Depth to calcium carbonates - 10 to 20 inches
Depth to soft bedrock - 20 to 40 inches
Average annual soil temperature - 50 to 55 degrees F.
A horizon
Hue - 2.5Y or 10YR
Value - 4 through 7 dry, 2 through 5 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Rock fragments - 0 to 10 percent
Bw horizon
Hue - 2.5Y or 10YR
Value - 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture - FSL or SL
Clay content - 7 to 18 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 15 percent
Reaction (pH) - neutral or slightly alkaline
Bk horizon
Hue - 2.5Y or 10YR
Value - 5 through 8 dry, 3 through 6 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture - CB-SL, SL, or GR-SL
Clay content - 4 to 15 percent
Rock fragments - 5 to 25 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 5 to 15 percent
Reaction (pH) - slightly through strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Adkins, Bijorja, Chedehap, Clems, Crestline, Haybourne, Irrigon, Kecko, McClenden, Prosser, Rebel, Royal, Sagehill, Scooteney, Vining and Wiehl series. Adkins, Chedehap, Clems, Crestline, Haybourne, Kecko, McClendon, Rebel, Royal, Sagehill and Scooteney soils are greater than 40 inches deep. Bijorja soils have over 50 percent of the coarse fragments in the 2 to 5 millimeter size range. Prosser and Vining soils are over hard bedrock. Irrigon and Wiehl soils lack calcareous horizons. Vining soils lack lime above 18 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Briabbit soils are undulating to rolling on foothills sideslopes and on knolls and low ridges of structure benches at elevations of 2,300 to 4,500 feet. Slopes range from 3 to 15 percent. These soils formed in mixed alluvium and eolian sand from vitric tuffs and lacustrine deposits. The climate is cool and moist in the winter and hot and dry in the summer. Average annual precipitation ranges from 8 to 10 inches. Average annual temperature ranges from 48 to 53 degrees F. Frost-free period is 105 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hardtrigger, Murphill and Tindahay series. The Hardtrigger and Tindahay soils are greater than 40 inches deep on lower or concave landscape positions. Murphill soils are less than 20 inches deep on summits and shoulders.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Briabbit soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The dominate natural vegetation is Wyoming big sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, needleandthread grass and bottlebrush squirreltail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Idaho. Briabbit soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Owyhee County Area, Idaho, 1992.
REMARKS: This revision (6/95) changes the classificaiton from Xerollic Camborthids to Xeric Haplocalcids according to the 1994 edition of Keys to Soil Taxonomy. The remainder of the OSD has not been updated since 6/93.
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - zone 0 to 3 inches (A horizon)
Cambic horizon - zone 3 to 10 inches (Bw horizon)
Calcic horizon - zone 10 to 22 inches (Bk horizon)
Paralithic contact - at 22 inches (Cr horizon)
Particle-size control section - zone 10 to 22 inches