LOCATION DEUCE IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Xeric Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Deuce stony silt loam, rangeland; on a 7 percent east-facing slope at 5,410 feet elevation. Vegetation is dominantly Wyoming big sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass. When described on June 24, 1993, the soil was slightly moist throughout. (Color is for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) stony silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist (about 5 percent stones on surface); weak medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent (10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 5 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 3 inches thick)
BAk--2 to 6 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and common medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent (20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); common lime coats 1 to 2 mm thick on undersides of rock fragments; 5 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bk--6 to 11 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent (25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); common lime coats 1 to 2 mm thick on undersides of rock fragments; 2 percent gravel, 3 percent basalt cobbles and 1 percent stones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bkq--11 to 19 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; few hard coarse rounded nodules, or cicada krotovinas; strongly effervescent (30 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); common lime and few silica coats 1 to 3 mm thick on undersides of rock fragments; 2 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles and 3 percent stones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
2R--19 inches; fractured basalt. (4 to 20 inches between fractures)
TYPE LOCATION: Bingham County, Idaho; about 8 miles northeast of Twin Buttes, about 10 miles northwest of Atomic City; about 400 feet east and 2,150 feet north of the southwest corner of section 14, T.3N., R.33E. Latitude - 43 degrees, 35 minutes, 22 seconds north. Longitude - 112 degrees, 33 minutes, 25 seconds west.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
This soil moisture control section is dry for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F; dry 70 to 85 consecutive days.
Profile
Average annual soil temperature - 44 to 47 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 62 to 66 degrees F.
Depth to bedrock - 10 to 20 inches
Depth to calcic horizon - 2 to 8 inches
Particle size control section
Total clay - 18 to 32 percent
Carbonate clay - 5 to 15 percent
Carbonate free clay - 10 to 18 percent
The 0.10 to 75 mm fraction - 15 to 30 percent
Rock fragments - 5 to 35 percent (average)
A horizon:
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry
Reaction - slightly or moderately alkaline
BAk horizon:
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry Texture - SIL, CB-L or CL
Rock fragments - 0 to 35 percent
Reaction - slightly or moderately alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 15 to 30 percent
Bk and Bkq horizons:
Value - 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry
Texture - SIL, ST-CL, CL
Rock fragments - 5 to 35 percent
Reaction - moderately or strongly alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 20 to 35 percent
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Bondfarm series. Bondfarm soils have moderately rapid permeability and less than 18 percent total clay in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Deuce soils occur on lava plains and crater rims. Slopes are 2 to 20 percent. Elevations range from 4,500 to 5,800 feet. They formed in loess and silty alluvium overlying basalt. The average annual precipitation ranges from 9 to 11 inches, part of which is in the form of snow. The average annual air temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. The frost free season is about 70 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nargon, Atom, the competing Bondfarm, Pingree, Splittop and Tenno series. Naargon and Splittop soils are moderately deep to basalt. Atom soils are very deep to basalt. Pingree soils are noncalcareous and very shallow to basalt. Tenno soils have a cambic horizon and the layer high in carbonates is too thin to quality for a calcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to very rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used primarily for range and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho on the Snake River plain. These soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County Area, Idaho, 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (the A horizon)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 2 to 19 inches (the BAk, Bk and Bkq horizons)
Lithic contact - the contact with hard bedrock at a depth of 19 inches (2R horizon)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 19 inches (part of the Bk and the Bkq horizons)