LOCATION CONNERIDGE IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Conneridge extremely stony loam - rangeland. On a 50 percent convex slope, south aspect, 1,895 meters elevation. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on August 8, 1985, the profile was dry to 8 cm and moist below.
A--0 to 8 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely stony loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); 15 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles and 35 percent gravel; abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 33 cm thick)
Bw1--8 to 18 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); 10 percent cobbles and 30 percent gravel; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 33 cm thick)
Bw2--18 to 33 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely stony loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; neutral (pH 7.2); 30 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles, and 20 percent gravel; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick)
Bk1--33 to 43 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); 10 percent cobbles and 45 percent gravel; clear wavy boundary. (8 to 30 cm thick)
Bk2--43 to 58 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); 20 percent cobbles and 60 percent gravel; abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 28 cm thick)
2R--58 cm; quartzite with continuous thin coatings of lime.
TYPE LOCATION: Cassia County, Idaho; about 800 feet west and 1100 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 2, T.14S., R.24E.; latitude 42 degrees 14 minutes 17 seconds N and longitude 113 degrees 36 minutes 44 seconds W; NAD 83
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in the winter and spring, continuously dry in all parts for over 90 consecutive days in the summer and fall; xeric soil moisture regime bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Mean winter soil temperature: less than 0 degrees C.
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 100 cm.
Thickness of the mollic epipedon : 25 to 43 cm.
Depth to secondary lime: 20 to 33 cm.
Depth to calcic horizon: 33 to 43 cm.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Average 14 to 22 percent.
Rock fragments: Average 45 to 80 percent.
A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Bw horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Clay content: 14 to 25.
Texture; Gravelly loam, very gravelly loam, very cobbly loam, very stony loam or extremely stony loam.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Effervescence - Noneffervescent to slightly effervescent.
Bk horizon
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 3 through 7 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Clay content: 12 to 20.
Texture: Very gravelly loam, extremely gravelly loam, very cobbly loam or extremely flaggy loam.
Rock fragments: Average 35 to 80 percent, 60 to 85 percent in the lower part.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bailey, Buist, Cooley, Dagan, Hondoho, Ireland, Jebo, Niarada, Pedleford and Pedleford series.
Bailey, Buist, Cooley, Dagan, Hondoho and Niarada soils are very deep. Ireland soils formed in alluvium and residuum of calcareous rocks, have limestone coarse fragments, have higher annual precipitation with more summer rain and greater snow accumulation in the winter, and have a winter soil temperature greater than 0 degrees C. Jebo soils have 7.5YR and 5YR colors in the B horizon. Pedleford soils have less than 60 percent coarse fragments in the lower part of the profile and are on basalt plains.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Conneridge soils are on, mountainsides and ridges. Slopes range from 10 to 55 percent. Elevation ranges from 1,555 to 2,170 meters. The soil formed in mixed alluvium and colluvium derived from quartzite and mica-schist with loess influence. The average annual precipitation is about 360 to 460 mm, the average annual air temperature is about 4 to 7 degrees C., and the frost-free season is 70 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arbone, Chen and Vipont series. Arbone soils are very deep and are not skeletal. Chen soils are shallow to bedrock and have a clayey-skeletal control section. Vipont soils have a pachic mollic epipedon, an argillic horizon and lack a calcic horizon. Arbone soils are on fan terraces and toe slopes. Chen soils are on steep south-facing mountainsides. Vipont soils are on steep north-facing mountainsides.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very rapid runoff; moderate permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity .
USE AND VEGETATION: Conneridge soils are used for range. The natural vegetation is low sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Sandberg bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Idaho. The soils of this series are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cassia County, Idaho, 1986.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 17 inches (A1, Bw1, Bw2 and Bk1 horizons)
Cambic horizon - The zone from 3 to 13 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 13 to 23 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
Particle size control section - The zone from 10 to 23 inches (part of the Bw2 horizon and the Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: During the MLRA update the concept for this series should be verified and possibly tightened. The soil moisture regime should be checked for the possibility of an aridic bordering on xeric.