LOCATION COWLOW IDTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Xeric Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cowlow gravelly sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 5 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; many very fine, fine, medium and common coarse roots; many fine interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick.)
A2--5 to 11 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; many very fine, fine, medium and common coarse roots; many fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick.)
Bt--11 to 21 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very gravelly clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstial pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds and common faint clay films lining pores; 30 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 25 inches thick.)
Btk--21 to 33 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) extremely cobbly clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films lining pores; 35 percent pebbles and 25 percent cobbles; few fine soft masses of lime; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 25 inches thick.)
Bk--33 to 38 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) extremely cobbly loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 35 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; common fine soft masses of lime; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick.)
R--38 inches; red sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Bear Lake County, Idaho; approximately 2 miles south and 2 miles west Pegram; about 2,400 feet south and 400 feet west of the northeast corner of section 14, T. 15 S., R. 45 E.; USGS Pegram Creek 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude - 42 degrees, 07 minutes, 06 seconds north; longitude - 111 degrees, 09 minutes, 03 seconds west, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture control section -- usually moist, dry in all parts for 45 consecutive days or more in the four months following the summer solstice. Xeric moisture regime.
Thickness of mollic epipedon -- 7 to 15 inches (may extend into the argillic horizon)
Depth to calcic horizon -- 11 to 30 inches
Depth to bedrock -- 20 to 40 inches
Average annual soil temperature -- 39 to 42 degrees F. Cryic soil temperature regime.
Particle-size control section
Clay content -- 12 to 34 percent
Rock fragments -- 35 to 75 percent
A1 horizon
Hue -- 10YR to 5YR.
Value -- 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma -- 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Texture of the fine earth (<2mm) fraction -- sandy loam, loam or silt loam
Clay content -- 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragment content - 5 to 50 percent (5 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles
Reaction - pH 6.1 to 7.3
A2 horizon (when present)
Hue -- 10YR to 5YR.
Value -- 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma -- 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Texture of fine earth (<2mm) fraction-- sandy loam, loam or silt loam
Clay content -- 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragment content-5 to 50 percent (5 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles
Reaction - pH 6.1 to 7.8
Some pedons may have AB or BA horizons with characteristics similar to the A2.
Bt horizon
Hue -- 10YR to 2.5YR.
Value -- 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma -- 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 6 moist
Texture of the fine earth (<2mm) fraction-- sandy loam, sandy clay loam, loam, clay loam, silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content -- 14 to 35 percent
Rock fragment content -35 to 75 percent (30 to 40 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones)
Reaction - pH 6.1 to 7.8
Btk horizons
Hue -- 10YR to 5YR.
Value -- 4 to 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma -- 4 to 6 dry or moist
Texture of the fine earth (<2mm) fraction-- sandy loam, sandy clay loam, loam, clay loam, silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content -- 10 to 35 percent
Rock fragment content - 35 to 75 percent (30 to 40 percent gravel, 5 to 30 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 5 to 15 percent
Reaction - pH 6.6 to 7.8
Bk horizon (when present)
Hue -- 10YR to 5YR.
Value -- 4 to 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma -- 3 to 5 dry or moist
Texture of the fine earth (<2mm) fraction -- sandy loam, loam or silt loam
Clay content -- 14 to 25 percent
Rock fragment content - 25 to 75 percent (20 to 40 percent gravel, 5 to 30 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones)
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 10 to 25 percent
Reaction - pH 7.4 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bullville, Chamberlain, Crandall, Ezbin, Forsey, Fourme, Itwo, Latigo, Nurkey, Packer, Scuffe, Stopatoe, Tagum, Toquima, Winada and Zeebar series. The Bullville, Itwo, Scuffe, Stopatoe, Tagum, Toquima, and Winada soils do not have horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation. The Chamberlain, Ezbin, Forsey, Fourme, Latigo, Nurkey, and Zeebar soils are very deep. Crandall soils are deep. The Packer soils are deep and very deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: mountain backslopes (dominantly east aspects)
Elevation: 6,200 to 7,500 feet
Slope: 10 to 60 percent
Parent material: red sandstone or red siltstone, yellow sandstone or siltstone or gray siltstone
Climate: long, cold winters; moist springs; warm, dry summers
Average annual precipitation: 12 to 16 inches
Average annual temperature: 36 to 40 degrees F.
Frost-free season: 50 to 70 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chokecherry(T), Mahogany(T), Monida, Taylow(T), Transtrum(T) and Tubbs Hollow(T) soils. Chokecherry soils occur on similar or higher landscape positions and are shallow to bedrock. Mahogany soils occur on similar or lower landscape positions and have a fine-loamy particle size. Monida soils occur on similar or higher landscape positions, are very deep and have a fine-loamy particle size. Taylow soils occur on higher landscape positions and are shallow to bedrock. Transtrum soils occur on similar or lower landscape positions, are very deep and have a fine particle size. Tubbs Hollow soils occur on similar landscape positions and lack a mollic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to high surface runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cowlow soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, Wyoming big sage, low sage, bluebunch wheatgrass, rabbitbrush, antelope bitterbrush, serviceberry, snowberry, arrowleaf balsamroot and a few Rocky Mountain juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES PROPOSED: Bear Lake County, Idaho, 2002. The name is from nearby Cow Hollow canyon.
REMARKS:. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon -- The zone from the soil surface to 11 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon -- The zone from 11 to 33 inches (Bt and Btk horizons).
Calcic horizon -- The zone from 33 to 38 inches (Bk horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 11 to 31 inches (Bt and part of the Btk horizons).