LOCATION EARCREE ID+MT NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive Pachic Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Earcree gravelly coarse sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A1--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable; many very fine and fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
A2--6 to 20 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; many very fine and fine roots; many fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
A3--20 to 28 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; many very fine and fine roots; many fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
A4--28 to 33 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; many very fine and fine roots; many fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
C1--33 to 50 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 18 inches)
C2--50 to 58 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) loamy coarse sand, light olive gray (5Y 6/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
C3--58 to 64 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) loamy coarse sand; massive; slightly hard, friable; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.9).
TYPE LOCATION: Camas County, Idaho; about 7 miles north and one mile east of Hill City; 260 feet east and 200 feet north of southwest corner of section 22, T. 1 N., R 12 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon thickness - 30 to 50 inches
Average annual soil temperature - 38 to 43 degrees F.
Depth to bedrock - more than 50 inches
Control section, percent clay - 10 to 18
Control section, rock fragment content - 5 to 35 percent
Reaction - moderately acid through neutral
Cambic horizon - present in some pedons
A horizon
Value - 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 1 or 2 dry or moist
C horizon
Hue - 10YR through 5Y
Value - 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture - GR-COSL, GR-SL, GRV-LCOS, GR-LCOS, or LCOS
Rock fragment content - 10 to 45 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cinderspring (T), Coutis, Gardner's Fork, Hailman, Moonlight, Naz, razorba, Shook, Skyway, and Tosp series. Cinderspring soils have moderate permeability and have average annual soil temperature of less than 38 degrees F. Coutis soils have less than 15 percent rock fragments throughout and have textures of fine sandy loam or sandy loam in the control section. Gardner's Fork soils have an O horizon and have 20 to 35 percent shale fragments in the control section. Hailman soils have O horizons. Moonlight soils have 20 to 30 percent fine sand or coarser particles in the control section. Naz soils have an O horizon and a udic moisture regime. razorba soils are calcareous throughout. Shook soils have bedrock at a depth of 30 to 40 inches. Skyway soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Tosp soils are udic.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Earcree soils are on mountains and foothills. Slopes range from 2 to 60 percent. They formed in colluvium and slope alluvium over residuum weathered from granite, andesite, or quartzitic metamorphic rocks. Elevation is 5,000 to 10,000 feet. The average annual precipitation is 16 to 25 inches, and the average annual temperature is 36 to 41 degrees F. The frost-free period is less than 75 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bauscher, Lockman, Moonstone, Riceton, and Roanhide soils. Bauscher soils have a Bt horizon. Lockman soils lack a pachic horizon. Moonstone soils are moderately deep. Bauscher, Moonstone, Riceton, and Roanhide soils lack a cryic soil temperature regime. Lockman soils occur on similar positions on mountainsides. Moonstone and Roanhide soils occur on south and west-facing mountainsides. Bauscher and Riceton soils occur on foothills and fan terraces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Earcree soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The dominant natural vegetation is bunchgrass, Idaho fescue, mountain big sagebrush, mountain snowberry, and some patches of quaking aspen.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The mountainous areas of south-central and southwestern Idaho, northern Nevada, Colorado, and Montana. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Camas County, Idaho, 1977.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this series:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to 33 inches (A1, A2, A3, and A4 horizons)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of A2, A3, A4, and part of C1 horizons)
Moisture regime - xeric