LOCATION CHAUSSE IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Calcixerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Chausse very gravelly loam, rangeland-on a 42 percent slope on a southwesterly aspect at an elevation of 6,519 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described July 1985, the profile was slightly moist throughout.)
A--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine and few medium irregular pores; 40% round gravels and 15% round cobbles; strongly effervescent, (15% calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bk1--3 to 10 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine, few medium irregular pores; common lime coats on rock fragments; 35% round gravels, 15% round cobbles, and 5% round stones; strongly effervescent (10% calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 10 inches thick)
Bk2--10 to 23 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine, few medium tubular pores; common lime coats on rock fragments; 40% round gravels and 10% round cobbles; strongly effervescent (17% calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 13 inches thick)
Bk3--23 to 42 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; common very fine, few fine and medium tubular pores; common lime coats on rock fragments; 30% round gravels and 10% round cobbles; strongly effervescent (8% calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (12 to 19 inches thick)
Bk4--42 to 58 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine, few medium roots; common very fine, few fine and medium tubular pores; many lime coats on rock fragments; 35% round gravels and 10% round cobbles; violently effervescent (12% calcium carbonate equivalent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (11 to 16 inches thick)
Bk5--58 to 69 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine, few fine tubular pores; many lime coats on rock fragments; 20% round gravels; violently effervescent (9% calcium carbonate equivalent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Bear Lake County, Idaho; about 2,250 feet east and 2,050 feet north of the southwest corner of section 33, T. 14S., R. 46E.
Latitude: 42 degrees, 9 minutes, 35 seconds N
Longitude: 111 degrees, 4 minutes, 55 seconds W
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture control section - usually moist, dry for 45 consecutive days or more in the four months following the summer solstice. Xeric soil moisture regime
Average annual soil temperature: 43 to 48 degrees F. Frigid soil temperature regime.
Particle-size control section
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent
A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent; 30 to 50 percent gravels, 10 to 20 percent cobbles
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Bk horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture: very gravelly loam or very gravelly sandy loam. Gravelly loam or gravelly sandy loam below 50 inches.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 25 to 60 percent; 20 to 50 percent gravels, 0 to 15 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 8 to 20 percent
Reaction - moderately or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES:
These are the Argora (T), Cutoff, and Dirtyhead series. The Argora soils have an average annual soil temperature of 37 to 40 degrees F. and have 25 to 39 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the particle-size control section. The Cutoff soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact. The Dirtyhead soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: hillslopes and mountain slopes
Elevation: 5,850 to 7,350 feet
Slope: 20 to 60 percent
Parent material: Mixed alluvium
Climate: long, cold winters; moist springs, and dry warm summers
Average annual precipitation: 13 to 18 inches
Average annual temperature: 38 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period: 70 to 90 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Pinegap (T) and Rin soils. Pinegap soils are fine-loamy and are on hillsides. Rin soils are coarse-silty and are on smoother sideslopes between limestone controlled hillsides.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained, moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Chausse soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is comprised of mountain big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Indian ricegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Idaho. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bear Lake County, Idaho, 2008.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 3 inches mixed (A horizon)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 3 to 69 inches (Bk1, Bk2, Bk3, Bk4, and Bk5 horizons)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (Bk2 and part of Bk3 horizons)