LOCATION CINDERSPRING       ID
Tentative Series
Rev. SM-RK-JAL-BAG
01/2010

CINDERSPRING SERIES


The Cinderspring series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in loess and mixed alluvium. Cinderspring soils are on undulating loess covered basalt plains and hills. Slopes range from 0 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 457 millimeters, and the mean annual air temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Cinderspring gravelly silt loam, on a 10 percent slope on nonirrigated cropland at an elevation of 1908 meters. When described on November 17, 1989 the soil was moist to 15 cm and dry below. (Color is for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Ap1--0 to 18 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine irregular and few very fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel sized cinders; neutral (pH 6.9); abrupt wavy boundary. (13 to 30 cm thick)

Ap2--18 to 30 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak thick platy structure parting to moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine irregular and tubular pores; 15 percent gravel sized cinders; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (13 to 40 cm thick)

AB--30 to 56 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; few fine irregular, and common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel sized cinders; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 80 cm inches thick)

Bw1--56 to 91 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine irregular and few very fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel sized cinders; animal burrows filled with A horizon material cover about 10 percent of horizon; neutral (pH 7.3); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 50 cm thick)

Bw2--91 to 109 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel sized cinders; animal burrows filled with A horizon material cover about 10 percent of horizon; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

Bw3--109 to 127 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many fine and medium irregular pores; 20 percent gravel sized cinders; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

2C--127 to 155 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravel, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grain; loose; few very fine roots; many fine, medium and coarse irregular and few fine vesicular pores; 90 percent gravel sized cinders; few (10 percent) distinct secondary calcium carbonate coats around rock fragments; slightly effervescent in some parts; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Caribou County, Idaho; about 4.7 kilometers east of China Cap; 1802 meters west and 777 meters north of the southeast corner of sec. 10, T. 7S., R. 42E.; China Hat, USGS topographic quadrangle; latitude, 42 degrees 49 minutes 46.8 seconds north and longitude 111 degrees 32 minutes 14 seconds west, NAD83

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Mean annual soil temperature: 4.4 to 7.2 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 15.6 to 18.3 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 50 to 152 cm.
Depth to the 2C horizon is 100 to more than 152 centimeters
Particle-size control section
Clay content - averages 12 to 17 percent
Gravel content - averages 15 to 30 percent gravel sized cinders

A horizons:
Value - 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry, 1 or 2 moist
AB horizon:
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture - GR-SIL or GR-L

Bw horizons:
Value - 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Reaction - neutral or slightly alkaline
Texture - GR-L, GR-SL, GRV-L or GRV-SL

2C horizon (absent in some pedons):
Value - 2 through 6 dry, 1 through 3 moist
Chroma - 1 through 3 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Reaction - neutral or slightly alkaline
Texture - GRX-VCOS, GRX-COS or GR

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Fren(T), Iver, Kabear(T), Lobert, Ola, Redmount(T), Shively, Taterpa and Wagore series. Fren soils have 15 to 30 percent volcanic ash, do not have dominate silty materials in the upper particle-size control section, and have secondary carbonates at a depth of 50 to 90 cm. Iver soils do not have cinders in the particle size control section. Kabear soils have 4 to 14 percent clay and less than 5 percent coarse fragments in the particle-size control section. Lobert soils have more than 15 percent fine sand and coarser in the upper half of their particle-size control sections, average less than 15 percent rock fragments, and have weak durinodes in the lower part of the B or in the C horizon. Ola soils have a paralithic contact to granitic bedrock within depths of 100 cm. Redmount soils do not have a cambic horizon and have a very gravelly sandy loam 2C horizon. Shively soils do not have a cambic horizon, or dominantly silty materials in the upper particle-size control section, and have a paralithic contact at depths of 100 to 150 cm. Stripe soils are 50 to 100 cm deep to a lithic contact. Taterpa soils are 100 to 150 cm deep to paralithic contact. Wagore soils formed in colluvium from granite and do not have dominantly silty materials in the particle size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Valleys
Landform: Undulating loess covered basalt plains and hills.
Elevation: 1856 to 2008 meters
Slope: 0 to 30 percent
Parent material: Loess and mixed alluvium
Mean annual air temperature: 2.2 to 4.4 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation: 400 to 500 millimeters
Frost free period: 60 to 90 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ririe, Foundem and Lostine soils. Ririe, Foundem and Lostine soils have a coarse-silty particle size control section. Ririe soils are on south and west-facing convex slopes on loess covered basalt plains. Foundem and Lostine soils are on north and east-facing smooth to concave slopes on loess covered basalt plains and hills.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: Well
Runoff: Low and medium
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: Moderately high

USE AND VEGETATION:
Major uses: Nonirrigated cropland and rangeland
Vegetation: Most areas are cultivated with barely. Principal plants in uncultivated areas are mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, mountain big sagebrush and three-tip sagebrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho; MLRA 13. The series are of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES PROPOSED: Caribou County, Idaho, 1990

REMARKS: The series concept has been revised to better represent the areas mapped to date. Soil Temperature regime changed from cryic to frigid.
Diagnostic properties recognized in the typical pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 56 cm
Cambic horizon: 56 to 127 cm
Particle-size control section: 30 to 100 cm
Soil temperature regime: Frigid
Soil moisture regime: Xeric


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.