LOCATION CROSSLEY IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Calcixerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Crossley extremely gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores; 40 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; secondary carbonates are disseminated throughout the matrix; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bk1--3 to 11 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very stony sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; many very fine and fine discontinuous tubular pores; 20 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles and 25 percent stones; violently effervescent; secondary carbonates are disseminated throughout the matrix and as pendants on bottom of rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
Bk2--11 to 17 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely stony sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; common very fine discontinuous tubular pores; 5 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles and 30 percent stones; violently effervescent; secondary carbonates are disseminated throughout matrix and as pendants on bottom of rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
R--17 inches; fractured sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Bear Lake County, Idaho; about 2 miles north of St. Charles; 300 feet north and 500 feet west of the southeast corner of section 10, T. 15 S., R. 43 E.; USGS Paris 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 42 degrees, 07 minutes, 37 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees, 24 minutes, 24 seconds west longitude, 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.
Average annual soil temperature - 42 to 46 degrees F. Frigid soil temperature regime.
Depth to bedrock - 10 to 20 inches.
A horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture - extremely gravelly loam
Clay content - 10 to 16 percent
Rock fragments - 10 to 45 percent gravel, 0 to 25 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 30 percent
Reaction - slightly or moderately alkaline
Bk horizons
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 3 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Texture - very or extremely gravelly, cobbly or stony loam, very or extremely gravelly, cobbly or stony sandy loam
Clay content - 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments - 5 to 40 percent gravel, 10 to 35 percent cobbles, 10 to 35 percent stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Reaction - slightly to strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Sonlet series. Sonlet soils have an accumulation of secondary silicates.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: mountain slopes, hillslopes, shoulders and ridges
Elevation: 5,900 to 7,100 feet
Slope: 4 to 40 percent
Parent material: limestone, sandstone or dolomite
Climate: long, cold winters; moist springs; warm, dry summers
Average annual precipitation: 12 to 18 inches
Average annual temperature: 39 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free season: 70 to 90 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Mumford, Sprollow and Lonjon soils. Mumford soils are carbonatic. Sprollow and Lonjon soils are carbonatic and moderately deep. Lonjon soils also have a mollic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very low to medium surface runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Crossley soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly low sage, mountain big sage, bluegrass species, smooth brome, western wheatgrass, antelope bitterbrush and rabbit brush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bear Lake County, Idaho, 2008.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the soil surface to 3 inches (Ahorizon).
Calcic horizon - the zone from 3 to 17 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).
Lithic contact - 17 inches (R horizon)