LOCATION COOLEY IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cooley very gravelly sandy loam, rangeland - on a 78 percent slope on a southerly aspect at an elevation of 6,400 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, common medium roots; many fine interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
AB--2 to 10 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, common medium roots; many fine interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
Bw--10 to 22 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (9 to 16 inches thick)
Bk1--22 to 33 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; common lime coats on rock fragments; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent (5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (9 to 13 inches thick)
Bk2--33 to 53 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial, few very fine tubular pores; common lime coats on rock fragments; 50 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent (7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (17 to 25 inches thick)
Bk3--53 to 60 inches; pink (7.5YR 8/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores; many lime coats on rock fragments; 50 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; violently effervescent (16 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Bear Lake County, Idaho; about 1.5 miles east of Bear Lake Hot Springs; about 250 feet south and 2,300 feet west of the northeast corner of section 30, T. 15 S., R. 45 E. (Latitude 42 degrees 05 minutes 44 seconds N., Longitude 111 degrees 14 minutes 16 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture control section - usually moist, dry for 45 consecutive days or more following the summer solstice. Xeric soil moisture regime.
Average annual soil temperature - 43 to 47 degrees F. Frigid soil temperature regime.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 10 to 15 inches.
Depth to calcic horizon - 20 to 30 inches
Particle-size control section
Percent clay - 7 to 15 percent
Rock fragments - 35 to 60 percent
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist
Clay content: 6 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent; 25 to 40 percent gravel; 0 to 10 percent cobbles; 0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
AB horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Texture: GRV-SL, GRV-L
Clay content: 10 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent; 25 to 40 percent gravel; 0 to 10 percent cobbles; 0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bw horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry or moist
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture: GRV-SL, GRV-L
Clay content: 7 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 40 to 60 percent; 30 to 50 percent gravel; 5 to 10 percent cobbles; 0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bk horizons
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 2 through 4 moist
Texture: GRV-SL, GRX-SL
Clay content: 7 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 40 to 75 percent; 30 to 50 percent gravel; 5 to 15 percent cobbles; 0 to 5 percent stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 16 percent
Reaction - moderately or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Buist, Conneridge, Dagan, Ireland, Jebo, Hondoho, Niarada, Pedleford, and Tuckerdowns series. The Buist, Hondoho, and Niarada soils have greater than 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the calcic horizon. In addition the Hondoho soils have 18 to 30 percent clay in the particle-size control section. The Conneridge, Jebo, and Pedleford soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. The Dagan soils have mean annual soil temperature of 36 to 44 degrees F. and allow sandstone or conglomerate at depths of 40 inches or more. The Tuckerdowns soils have more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cooley soils are on mountainsides and hillsides mainly on southerly aspects. These soils formed in slope alluvium from sandstone. Slopes are 40 to 80 percent. Elevation is 5,950 to 7,400 feet. The average annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches. The average annual temperature is 39 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free season is 70 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beehunt (T), Cupine (T), and Nuggets (T) soils. Beehunt soils are on north-facing slopes and have a cryic soil temperature regime. Cupine and Nugget soils are on ridgetops and are less than 40 inches to bedrock
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very rapid runoff; moderate permeability
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mountain big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, rabbitbrush, and sticky geranium.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Idaho. These soils are of small extent
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bear Lake County, Idaho, 2008. The name is from a local drainage.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 10 inches (A, AB horizons)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 10 to 22 inches (Bw horizon)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 22 to 60 inches (Bk1, Bk2, Bk3 horizons)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (Bw, Bk1, and part of the Bk2 horizon)