LOCATION ELKBERRY ID

Established Series
Rev. BDG-JAL-EMM
06/2013

ELKBERRY SERIES

The Elkberry series consists of very deep, well drained soils on structural benches, ridge summits of mountains, and hills on plateaus. They formed in silty sediments with a thick mantle of volcanic ash. Some pedons have residuum from gneiss and schist in the lower part of the solum. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high. Slopes range from 5 to 45 percent. The average annual air temperature is about 42 degrees F. Average annual precipitation is about 43 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over loamy, amorphic over mixed, superactive, frigid Alfic Udivitrands

TYPICAL PEDON: Elkberry medial silt loam, forested, on a northwest facing slope of 31 percent at 3,280 feet elevation. When described on October 15, 1996 the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise indicated)

Oe--0 to 1 inch; moderately decomposed needles, leaves, twigs and moss. (1 to 2 inches thick)

A--1 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) medial silt loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) moist; weak very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots throughout; common very fine and fine tubular and many very fine and fine irregular pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)

Bw1--3 to 8 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) medial silt loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine and medium and few coarse roots throughout; common very fine and fine and few medium tubular, common very fine and fine irregular pores; 2 percent fine rounded iron-manganese concretions; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary.

Bw2--8 to 16 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) medial silt loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots throughout; common very fine and fine and few medium tubular, common very fine irregular pores; 2 percent fine rounded iron-manganese concretions; strongly acid (pH 5.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bw horizons is 9 to 15 inches)

2EB--16 to 19 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots between peds; many very fine and few fine and medium tubular, common very fine irregular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 2 percent fine mica flakes; strongly acid (pH 5.1); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

2E/B--19 to 25 inches; E material (85%) - very pale brown (10YR 7/4) silt loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; B material (15%) - reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) silt loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots between peds; many very fine and few fine and medium tubular, common very fine irregular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 5 percent fine mica flakes; one percent subangular gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

2B/E--25 to 36 inches; B material (95%) - reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) silt loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; E material (5%) - very pale brown (10YR 7/4) silt loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots between peds; common very fine tubular and common very fine irregular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few prominent clay films in pores; many distinct skeletans on faces of peds; 8 percent fine mica flakes; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 13 inches thick)

2Bt1--36 to 45 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/6) silty clay loam, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots between peds; few very fine and fine tubular, common very fine irregular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common distinct skeletans on faces of peds; 5 percent fine mica flakes; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 16 inches thick)

2Bt2--45 to 55 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/6) silty clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots between peds; few very fine and fine tubular, common very fine irregular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common distinct skeletans on faces of peds; 2 percent fine mica flakes; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear wavy boundary.

3Bt3--55 to 65 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots between peds; few very fine and fine tubular, common very fine irregular pores; few prominent clay films on faces of peds; common distinct skeletans on faces of peds; 10 percent fine mica flakes; very strongly acid (pH 4.5).

TYPE LOCATION: Clearwater County, Idaho; approximately 5 miles north and 5 miles west of Headquarters, Idaho; about 100 feet south and 1,150 feet west of the NE corner of Sec. 26, T39N, R4E; Latitude - 46 degrees, 42 minutes, 8 seconds North; Longitude - 115 degrees, 54 minutes, 55 seconds West; USGS John Lewis Mountain Quad.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - usually moist year round, not dry for 45 or more consecutive days from June to October.
Udic moisture regime.
Average annual soil temperature - 39 to 46 degrees F.
Frigid temperature regime.
Depth to residuum from gneiss or schist - greater than 40 inches
Thickness of volcanic ash mantel - 14 to 20 inches
Volcanic glass content - 15 to 50 percent
Acid oxalate Al+1/2Fe - 1.3 to 2.7 percent
Phosphate retention - 55 to 95 percent
15 bar water retention on air dried samples - 11.0 to 33.0 percent (weighted average for all horizons with andic soil properties is greater than 12.0 percent)

A horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR dry or moist
Value - 4 or 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or moist
Clay content - 5 to 10 percent
Reaction - 5.1 to 6.5
Bulk density - 0.60 to 0.90 g/cc

Bw horizons
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR dry
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 4 or 6 dry or moist
Clay content - 5 to 10 percent
Reaction - 5.6 to 6.5
Bulk density - 0.60 to 1.00 g/cc

2EB or 2BE horizons
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 7 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Texture - silt loam or loam
Clay content - 12 to 22 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 15 percent gravel
Reaction - 5.1 to 6.0

2E/B and 2B/E horizons (absent in some pedons)
E part
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 7 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 6 moist
Clay content - 15 to 20 percent
B part
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Clay content - 19 to 25 percent
Texture - silt loam
Rock fragments - 0 to 15 percent gravel
Reaction - 4.5 to 6.0

2Bt horizons
Hue - 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma - 4 to 6 dry or moist
Texture - loam, silt loam, clay loam, silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content - 16 to 42 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 15 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, 0 to 25 percent total rock fragment content
Reaction - 4.5 to 6.0

3Bt horizon (present in some pedons)
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 6 to 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma - 3 to 6 dry, 6 to 8 moist
Texture - loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
Clay content - 20 to 30 percent
Reaction - 4.5 to 5.5

COMPETING SERIES:
Norwidge soils: have fragic characteristics at 30 to 57 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Elkberry soils are on structural benches, ridge summits in mountains, and hills on plateaus at elevations of 1,800 to 4,600 feet (549 to 1402 meters) with slopes of 5 to 45 percent. These soils formed in silty sediments with a thick mantel of volcanic ash. In some pedons the lower part of the solum is in gneiss or schist residuum. The average annual temperature is 38 to 46 degrees F. The average annual precipitation is 31 to 55 inches (787 to 1397 mm). The frost free season is 50 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Grandad, Rettig, Scaler and Township series. Grandad(and Rettig soils have micaceous mineralogy. Scaler soils have an ash cap that is 7 to 14 inches thick. Township soils are skeletal and have micaceous mineralogy. All these soils are found on mountain slopes, ridge summits and structural benches.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, livestock grazing, wildlife habitat and watershed. Potential natural vegetation is western redcedar, grand fir, Douglas-fir, western larch and ponderosa pine with an understory of queencup beadlily, goldthread, longtube twinflower, common snowberry, baldhip rose, starry false Solomons-seal, princes pine, oceanspray and thimbleberry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Idaho; Elkberry soils are not extensive. MLRA 43A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clearwater County, Idaho, 2003.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:

Volcanic ash mantle - The zone from 1 to 16 inches. (A, Bw1 and Bw2 horizons)

Ochric epipedon - The zone from 1 to 3 inches. (A horizon)

Cambic horizon - The zone from 3 to 16 inches. (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons)

Argillic horizon - The zone from 25 to 65 inches. (2B/E, 2Bt1, 2Bt2 and 3Bt3 horizons)

Particle size control section - The zone from 1 to 41 inches. (A, Bw1, Bw2, 2E/B, 2B/E and a portion of the 2Bt1 horizons)

The ranges in values listed under the Range In Characteristics for Volcanic glass content, Acid-oxalate Al+1/2Fe, 15 bar water retention and Bulk density are estimates only.

ADDITIONAL DATA: This series has laboratory data: Soil Survey Sample No. S97ID-035-001 (project no. 97P 85, pedon no. 97P 554) Clearwater County, Idaho by NSSL, Lincoln NE.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.