LOCATION BRIFOX ID

Established Series
Rev. FRK-BJD-CBR
04/2018

BRIFOX SERIES

The Brifox series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in lacustrine sediments from limestone, quartzite, sandstone, and tuff. They are on hills and terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 60 percent. Permeability is very slow. Average annual precipitation is about 15 inches and the average annual air temperature is about 41 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Chromic Calcixererts

TYPICAL PEDON: Brifox silty clay loam, irrigated cropland; on a 27 percent slope at 5,200 feet elevation. When described on May, 24 1988, the soil was moist below 8 inches. (Color is for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Ap--0 to 8 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure parting to strong very fine and fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular and irregular pores; strongly effervescent (15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)

Bk--8 to 15 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; strong medium and coarse angular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and few fine and medium tubular pores; cracks 0.5 to 1.5 inches wide and about 1.5 feet apart; strongly effervescent (16 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)

Bkss1--15 to 21 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak fine and medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine, few fine and medium tubular pores; few intersecting slickensides; cracks 0.5 to 1 inch wide and about 1.5 feet apart; 1 percent violently effervescent, very hard, rounded marl nodules; strongly effervescent (16 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)

Bkss2--21 to 32 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silty clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky; few common sphenoidal peds inclined at 20 to 40 degrees; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and coarse and few fine and medium tubular pores; cracks 0.5 to 0.75 inches wide and about 1.5 feet apart; few intersecting slickensides; 1 percent violently effervescent, very hard, rounded marl nodules; violently effervescent (20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 17 inches thick)

Bkss3--32 to 40 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silty clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; common sphenoidal peds inclined at 20 to 40 degrees; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common intersecting slickensides; cracks 0.25 to 0.5 inches wide and about 1.5 feet apart; common fine violently effervescent, irregularly shaped soft lime masses and filaments; violently effervescent (25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 28 inches thick)

Bkss4--40 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silty clay, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse angular blocky; common sphenoidal peds inclined at 20 to 40 degrees; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common intersecting slickensides; cracks 0.25 to 0.5 inches wide and about 1.5 feet apart in the upper 10 inches; common fine violently effervescent, irregularly shaped soft lime masses and filaments; violently effervescent (25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Caribou County, Idaho; about 3 1/2 miles southeast of Niter; about 2,500 feet east and 1,100 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 17, T.11 S., R.41 E. Latitude - 42 degrees, 27 minutes, 41 seconds north. Longitude - 111 degrees, 43 minutes, 32 seconds west.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Depth to the base of the Cambic horizon - 12 to 28 inches
Reaction - slightly to moderately alkaline
Average annual soil temperature - 40 to 45 degrees F

Particle-size control section
Texture - SICL, SIC, or C
Clay percent - 35 to 60

A horizon
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture - SICL or CL
Clay content - 30 to 40 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 10 to 20 percent
pH - 7.8 to 8.4

Bk and Bkss1 horizons
Hue - 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value - 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture - CL, SICL or SIC
Clay content - 35 to 50 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 10 to 20 percent
pH - 7.8 to 8.4

Bkss2, Bkss3, and Bkss4 horizons
Hue - 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value - 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma -2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture - CL, SICL, SIC, or C
Clay content - 38 to 60 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 20 to 35 percent
pH - 7.8 to 8.4

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Brifox soils are on hills, lake terraces and plateaus. Slopes range from 0 to 60 percent. Elevations range from 4,900 to 7,200 feet. The soil formed in lacustrine sediments from limestone, quartzite, sandstone, and tuff. The average annual precipitation ranges from 13 to 18 inches, the average annual air temperature is 38 to 43 degrees F and the frost free season is 60 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Iphil (T), Kucera, Lanoak, Niter (T), Rexburg, Ririe and Watercanyon series. All of the above soils, except Watercanyon, have mollic epipedons. Iphil, Kucera, Rexburg, Ririe and Watercanyon soils have a coarse-silty particle-size control section. Kucera and Lanoak soils are pachic and Lanoak has a fine-silty particle-size control section. Iphil, Ririe and Watercanyon soils are on convex positions on hillslopes. Kucera and Lanoak soils are in concave positions on hillslopes. Niter soils are on smooth to slightly concave toeslopes and hillslopes. Rexburg soils are on less sloping areas on hilltops and footslopes.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Brifox soils are used for nonirrigated and irrigated cropland. Typical crops consist of small grains and alfalfa. The potential natural vegetation is basin big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass and sod-forming grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. The soils of this series are not extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Franklin County, Idaho, 1997.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 8 inches (Ap horizon)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 8 to 21 inches (the Bk and Bkss1 horizons)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 21 to 60 inches (the Bkss1, Bkss2 and Bkss3 horizons)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the Bk, the Bkss1, Bkss2 and Bkss3 horizons)
Vertic feature - cracks, at the surface, 0.5 to 1.5 inches across, about 1.5 to 3 feet apart and greater than 20 inches deep were observed in the field surrounding the pit.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Soil Survey Sample Number S88ID-029-001 (partial characterization)

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.