LOCATION BLUECREEK               ID

Established Series
Rev. DBJ/ALH/CLM
09/2018

BLUECREEK SERIES

The Bluecreek series consists of moderately deep to a duripan, well drained soils with slow permeability that formed in mixed alluvium from extrusive rocks and volcanic ash. Bluecreek soils are on alluvial fan and stream terraces with slopes of 1 to 10 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 360 mm and the average annual temperature is about 6.7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Haplic Durixeralfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Bluecreek loam -- on a 2 percent north-facing concave slope, in native rangeland at 1,630 meters elevation. (When described on July 16, 1979, the soil was dry to 20 cm and slightly moist below. Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

E--0 to 5 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 23 cm thick)

Bw--5 to 20 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)

Bt1--20 to 41 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium subangular blocky; very hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; continuous distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; slightly acid (pH 6.3); gradual smooth boundary.

Bt2--41 to 51 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common medium, few fine and very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (Combined Bt - 10 to 24 inches thick)

2Bq--51 to 79 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common fine interstitial and tubular pores; 20 percent fine and medium durinodes; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 48 cm thick)

2Bkqm--79 to 104 cm; white (10YR 8/2) nearly continuous weakly cemented sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, brittle; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; strong effervescence, carbonate occurs in seams and soft masses; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear smooth boundary. (20 to 36 cm thick)

2Bqm'--104 to 152 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) weakly cemented gravelly loamy sand, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist, with common medium faint mottles of pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4); massive; very hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent fine gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Owyhee County, Idaho; about 5 1/2 miles west and 2 miles north of Riddle; 800 feet north and 200 feet east of the southwest corner, Sec. 10, T. 14 S., R. 2 E.; USGS Flying H Ranch 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 42 degrees 13 minutes 04 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 13 minutes 00 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 42.2177778 latitude, -116.2166667 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Depth to duripan - 50 to 100 cm.
Average annual soil temperature - 7.2 to 8.3 degrees C.
Average summer soil temperature - 18.3 to 19.4 degrees C.
Typic xeric moisture regime.

E horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Reaction (pH) - slightly acid or neutral

Bt horizon
Value - 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture - C, SC, or CL
Clay content - 35 to 55 percent
Coarse fragments - 0 to 15 percent gravel
Reaction (pH) - slightly acid through mildly alkaline

2Bqm horizon
Structure - massive or platy
Coarse fragments - 5 to 25 percent gravel
Reaction (pH) - neutral through strongly alkaline
Effervescence - none to strong
Cementation - weakly to strongly cemented in some part

2Bq' horizon
Hue - 2.5Y or 10YR
Value - 5 to 8 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 2 to 6 dry or moist
Texture - GR-LS, GRV-S, or S
Mottles - none through common
Coarse fragments - 10 to 45 percent gravel
Reaction (pH) - neutral or mildly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series listed in the same family. A closely related soil is the Bray series. Bray soils have annual soil temperatures of 8.3 degrees C. or more.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bluecreek soils occur on nearly level to rolling alluvial fan and stream terraces at elevations of 1,620 to 1,680 meters. Slopes range from 1 to 10 percent. The soils formed in mixed alluvium from extrusive rocks and volcanic ash. The climate is cool and moist in the winter and hot and dry in the summer. The average annual precipitation is 330 to 410 mm, and the average annual temperature is 6.1 to 7.2 degrees C. The frost-free period is 75 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Northcastle, Simonton, Thacker, and Yatahoney soils. Northcastle soils have less than 35 percent clay in the control section. Yatahoney soils have an indurated duripan. Thacker soils have an abrupt textural change and an indurated duripan. Simonton soils are very deep.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Bluecreek soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Some areas are used for irrigated small grains and hayland. The dominant natural vegetation is basin big sagebrush, Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, and basin wildrye.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Idaho. Bluecreek soils are of small extent. MLRA 25.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Owyhee County, Idaho; Duck Valley Indian Reservation, Idaho-Nevada, 1984.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognize in this pedon:

Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 20 cm (E and Bw horizons).
Argillic horizon and particle-size control section - The zone from 20 to 51 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Duripan - The zone from 79 to 152 cm (2Bkqm and 2B'qm horizon).Silica cementation - The zone from 79 to 152 cm (2Bkqm and 2Bq' horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.