LOCATION DECKER ID

Established Series
Rev. KMD/MEO/TDT
12/2022

DECKER SERIES

The Decker series consists of very deep somewhat poorly drained soils on nearly terraces. They formed in alluvium from sedimentary and igneous rocks. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 12 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 50 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Decker loam, cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Ap--0 to 10 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) crushed, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; very weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots and few fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores and common very fine tubular pores; few wormholes; slightly effervescent.

Bw--10 to 15 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR4/3) moist; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots and few fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; wormholes filled with soil material from Bk1 horizon; slightly effervescent; very few veins and spots of lime; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (Thickness of the Ap and Bw horizon is 11 to 20 inches).

Bk1--15 to 23 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to very weak thin and medium platy; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

Bk2--23 to 29 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; very weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to very weak thin and medium platy; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; some roots matted on about 10 percent firm cicada krotovinas; strongly effervescent; common splotches of lime in matrix and coatings of lime in krotovinas; strongly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)

2Bk3--29 to 35 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; few fine distinct dark brown and brown (7.5YR 3/2 and 4/4) redoximorphic concentrations; weak very thin and thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; few small pockets or lenses of sand; few firm cicada krotovinas; strongly effervescent; few medium veins and fine spots of lime; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)

2BC--35 to 51 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; few fine distinct dark brown and brown (7.5YR 3/2 and 4/4) redoximorphic concentrations; weak very thin and thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable (upper 0.5 inch is firm), slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; common 1.25- to 1-inch-thick lenses of very fine sand; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)

2C--51 to 65 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and very pale brown (10YR 8/2) stratified sand to fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and brown (10YR 5/3) moist; few fine redoximorphic concentrations; single grain; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: About 1 mile south of the sugar factory in Paul, Idaho; 33 feet south and 57 feet east of the northwest corner of the SW1/4 of sec. 34, T.9S., R.23E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The particle-size control section has 12 to 18 percent non-carbonate clay. Depth to the calic horizon is 11 to 20 inches. Depth to redox features is 25 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F.

The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 6 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Electrical conductivity is 0 to 16 mmhos/cm. It is loam or fine sandy loam with 7 to 18 percent clay.

The Bw horizon is loam with 12 to 18 percent clay. It is moderately to strongly alkaline. It has 5 to 10 percent calcium carbonate. SAR is 2 to 10. Electrical conductivity is 2 to 8 mmhos/cm.

The Bk horizon is loam, sandy loam or silt loam with 5 to 18 percent clay. Hue is 10YR, value of 7 or 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist and chroma of 2 or 3. It is moderately to strongly alkaline. It has 5 to 25 percent calcium carbonate with the upper part being 15 to 25 percent.

The 2BC and 2C horizon has color similar to the Bk horizon. It is fine sandy loam or loam over stratified fine sand to sand. Clay content is 1 to 10 percent. Electrical conductivity is 0 to 8 mmhos/cm.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ash Springs, Crib, Lind, Wodskow and Yonic series. Ash Springs have a mean annual soil temperature of 54 to 59 degrees F. Crib soils have over 35 percent rock fragments at depths of 40 to 57 inches. Lind soils contain 1 to 3 percent gypsum in the calcic horizon. Wodskow soils have 5 to 15 percent calcium carbonate throughout the calcic horizon. Yonic soils receive summer precipitation.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Decker soils are terraces. Elevation is 4,140 to 4,160 feet. They formed in sediments derived from a mixture of sedimentary and igneous rocks. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches. The mean annual temperature is 49 to 50 degrees F. The frost free season is 130 to 140 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Paulmyers, Garsox and the competing Wodskow soils. Paulmyers soils are fine-loamy with an argillic horizon. Garsox soils are fine-loamy with a nitric horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability throughout the upper 50 inches and moderately rapid below.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mostly for irrigated cropland.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Idaho; MLRA. The series is inextensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Salt Lake Area, Utah, 1941.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features:

- Ochric epipedon

- Cambic horizon - 10 to 35 inches

- Calcic horizon - 15 to 35 inches

- Aquic subgroup - apparent water table at 30 to 48 inches with redox features at 29 inches.

In 2006, the official series type location was moved from Utah to Idaho and the series reclassified from fine-loamy to coarse-loamy.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.