LOCATION COONSKIN ID
Established Series
Rev. ALH/CLM
01/2019
COONSKIN SERIES
The Coonskin series consists of moderately deep to duripan, well drained soils that formed in alluvium and loess from basalt and volcanic ash. Permeability is moderately slow. Coonskin soils are on tablelands and calderas. Slopes are 1 to 20 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 9 inches and the average annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplodurids
TYPICAL PEDON: Coonskin silt loam -- on a northwest-facing slope of 2 percent in native rangeland, at 4,390 feet elevation. When described on June 30, l982, the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium platy structure; soft, very friable; many very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bw--2 to 7 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 11 inches thick)
Bk--7 to 16 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) cobbly silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
Bkq--16 to 30 inches; white (10YR 8/2) discontinuous, weakly cemented very cobbly fine sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) moist; massive; hard, firm; few very fine and fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel (mainly indurated duripan fragments), 25 percent cobbles; violent effervescence; sodic; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
Bkqm--30 to 40 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) to yellow (10YR 7/6) continuous, indurated prominent siliceous laminae 1 to 2 cm thick over very pale brown (10YR 8/3) to light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) continuous, indurated very thick plates; violent effervescence, lime is segregated in common fine seams and pendents.
TYPE LOCATION: Owyhee County, Idaho; about 31 miles north of Murphy Hot Springs; 1,320 feet west and 660 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 10, T. 11 S., R. 9 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to duripan - 20 to 30 inches
Depth to bedrock - 40 inches or more
Depth to calcium carbonates - 7 to 15 inches
Particle-size control section - 8 to 18 percent clay; 35 to 60 percent rock fragments
Average annual soil temperature - 48 to 54 degrees F.
Soil moisture - dry 70 to 100 days following the summer solstice
A horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Reaction (pH) - mildly or moderately alkaline
Bw horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Clay content - 14 to 22 percent
Coarse fragments - 5 to 15 percent
Reaction (pH) - mildly to strongly alkaline
Bkq horizon
Value - 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture - CBV-L, CBV-FSL, or GRV-FSL
Clay content - 5 to 14 percent
Coarse fragments - 35 to 60 percent
Cementation - none or weak
Durinodes - none to 40 percent
Reaction (pH) - moderately to very strongly alkaline
SAR - commonly >13
Bkqm horizon
Laminar capping - 1 mm to 2 cm thick
Alternate indurated and strongly cemented duripans are commonly 2 to 3 feet thick
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bannion (T) and
Suepert series. Bannion soils are calcareous throughout and dry 55 to 70 days following the summer solstice. Suepert soils lack secondary carbonates above the duripan.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Coonskin soils occur on nearly level to moderately steep tablelands and calderas at elevations of 2,800 to 4,900 feet. Slopes range from 1 to 20 percent. These soils formed in alluvium and loess from basalt and volcanic ash. The climate is cool and moist in the winter and hot and dry in the summer. Average annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches. Average annual temperature is 46 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free season is 95 to 145 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Orovada,
Owsel, and
Scism soils. These soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments and are on similar landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Coonskin soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The dominant natural vegetation is Wyoming big sagebrush, Thurber needlegrass, and Sandberg bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Idaho. This series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Owyhee County Area, Idaho, 1992.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - zone 0 to 7 inches (A and Bw horizons)
Calcic horizon - zone 7 to 30 inches (Bk and Bkq)
Duripan - zone 30 to 40 inches (Bqkm)
Particle-size control section - zone 10 to 30 inches
(part of Bk and Bkq)
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.