LOCATION DRAGE ID+WY
Established Series
Rev. FRK/GHL/KP
10/2026
DRAGE SERIES
The Drage series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in loess influenced alluvium, slope alluvium, and colluvium from sedimentary and metamorphic rock. These soils are on mountain slopes, fan remnants, hillslopes and stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 50 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 400 mm, and the mean annual air temperature is about 5 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Drage gravelly loam in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 20 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist, weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary.
BAt--20 to 36 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel; few faint clay films on faces of peds and on surfaces along pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary.
Bt1--36 to 64 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 35 percent gravel; many faint clay films on faces of peds and on surfaces along pores; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--64 to 76 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; many faint clay films on faces of peds and along surfaces of pores; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary.
Bk--76 to 155 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; 50 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; 10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Blaine County, Idaho; USGS Hailey topographic quadrangle; latitude 43.59111 degrees north, longitude -114.30916 degrees west, datum WGS84.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--3 to 8 degrees C
Thickness of mollic epipedon--25 to 43 cm
Depth to argillic--25 to 41 cm
Depth to secondary calcium carbonates--64 to 109 cm
Particle-size control section (weighted averages)
Clay content--27 to 35 percent
Total rock fragments--35 to 70 percent
A horizon
Value--3 to 5 dry, 1 to 3 moist
Chroma--2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--loam, silt loam
Clay content--10 to 27 percent
Rock fragments--0 to 50 percent-0 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 25 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction--pH 6.4 to 7.8
Thickness--13 to 25 cm
BAt or AB horizon (when present)
Value--4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma--2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--loam, clay loam
Clay content--15 to 35 percent
Rock fragments--5 to 70 percent-5 to 33 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Reaction--pH 6.1 to 7.8
Thickness--0 to 31 cm
Bt horizons
Value--5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma--2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--sandy clay loam, clay loam, silty clay loam
Clay content--27 to 35 percent
Rock fragments--35 to 70 percent-0 to 45 percent gravel, 0 to 45 cobbles, 0 to 6 percent stones
Reaction--pH 6.6 to 7.8
Thickness--33 to 76 cm
Bk or Bkq horizon
Value--5 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma--2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--loam, silt loam, sandy loam, clay loam
Clay content--10 to 35 percent
Rock fragments--43 to 75 percent-0 to 55 percent gravel, 0 to 45 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones, 0 to 6 percent boulders
Calcium carbonate equivalent--1 to 15 percent
Reaction--pH 7.4 to 8.4
Thickness--33 to 79 cm
COMPETING SERIES:
Amelar (NV)--soils have secondary calcium carbonates at 25 to 38 cm
Broad (UT)--soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Custco (ID)--soils have 18 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section
Dra (ID)--soils have a calcic horizon
Milk (ID)--soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Rawnjay (UT)--soils have a calcic horizon
Remount (MT)--soils have 10 to 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section
Scalfar (NV)--soils have a lithologic discontinuity; depth to the argillic horizon is 3 to 8 cm
Searla (ID)--soils are deep to very deep to a lithic contact and have a Btk horizon
Sheep Creek (UT)--soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Small (ID)--soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact
Swampydraw (ID)--soils have a calcic horizon
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--mountain slopes, fan remnants, hillslopes, stream terraces
Elevation--1,450 to 2,240 meters
Slope--0 to 50 percent
Parent material--alluvium, slope alluvium, and colluvium from sedimentary and metamorphic rock
Mean annual precipitation--250 to 575 mm
Mean annual air temperature--2.0 to 7.2 degrees
Frost-free period--40 to 90 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, 1.5 to 5.0 um/sec
USE AND VEGETATION: Drage soils are primarily used for rangeland. The potential native vegetation is basin big sage, mountain big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and Idaho fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Drage soils are of moderate extent in south-central and southeastern Idaho, and southwestern Wyoming; MLRAs 10, 12, 13, 43, 43B, and 47.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Blaine County, Idaho, 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this series are:
Mollic epipedon--0 to 36 cm (A and BAt horizons)
Argillic horizon--36 to 76 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Particle-size control section--36 to 76 cm
Drage soils have a frigid temperature regime and a xeric moisture regime.
Taxonomic version: Twelfth Edition, 2014
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.