LOCATION ELMIRA ID+WA

Established Series
Rev. JCC-SB-RJS
05/2017

ELMIRA SERIES

Elmira series consists of very deep, excessively drained soils on dunes of glaciolacustrine or glaciofluvial terraces. They formed in thin layers of loess at surface over glaciolacustrine sediment, glaciofluvial outwash or shoreline deposits. Slope ranges from 0 to 60 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 750 mm, and mean annual air temperature is about 7.2 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, frigid Lamellic Xeropsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Elmira loamy sand, forested; on a 2 percent slope at 645 meters elevation. When described the soil was slightly moist. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Oi--0 to 1 cm; very slightly decayed needles, leaves and twigs; slightly matted; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 4 cm thick)

Oe--1 to 4 cm; moderately decayed needles, leaves and twigs; matted; common very fine and fine roots; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 3 cm thick)

Oa--4 to 6 cm; well decomposed organic matter; common very fine and fine roots; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 2 cm thick)

A--6 to 15 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine to coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 13 cm thick)

Bw1--15 to 28 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine to coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

Bw2--28 to 50 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine to coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 30 cm thick)

Bw3--50 to 70 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); diffuse wavy boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)

EandBt1--70 to 98 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; three wavy lamellae 2 to 5 mm thick; slightly acid (pH 6.2); diffuse wavy boundary. (25 to 80 cm thick)

EandBt2--98 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; very porous; several 2 mm wavy lamellae; slightly acid (pH 6.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Bonner County, Idaho; northwest of Elmira on first road north of Elmira; about 0.8 kilometers west of US HWY 95 and about 18 meters north of center of road; about 9 meters north and about 518 meters west of SE corner, sec. 4, T. 59 N., R. 1 W.; Latitude - 48 degrees, 29 minutes, 14 seconds North; Longitude - 116 degrees, 28 minutes, 07 seconds West; NAD83; USGS Elmira 15 min Quadrangle.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture -- usually dry for 45 to 75 consecutive days in late summer, moist rest of year
Average annual soil temperature -- 6.1 to 8.0 degrees C.
Average summer soil temperature -- 11.1 to 12.8 degrees C. with an O horizon; 15.0 to 16.7 degrees C. without an O horizon
Coarse fragments -- less than 5 percent throughout
Reaction -- moderately acid to neutral throughout
Clay content -- 0 to 4 percent in the particle-size control section

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 moist or dry
Texture (less than 2 mm): loamy sand, loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam or sandy loam

Bw1, Bw2, Bw3 horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR dry or moist
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture: loamy sand, loamy fine sand or fine sand

E horizon (present in some pedons)
Texture (less than 2 mm): loamy sand or sand

EandBt1, EandBt2 horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y dry or moist
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; moist or dry
Lamellae: few to numerous wavy discontinuous or continuous thin 2 to 5 mm thick
Texture (less than 2 mm): loamy sand, loamy fine sand, fine sand or sand

C horizon (present in some pedons)
Texture (less than 2 mm): loamy sand, fine sand or sand

COMPETING SERIES:.
Angle (WA): 5 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: on dunes of glaciolacustrine or glaciofluvial terraces
Elevation: 550 to 825 meters
Slope: 0 to 60 percent
Parent material: thin layers of loess at surface over glaciolacustrine sediment, glaciofluvial outwash or shoreline deposits
Mean annual precipitation: 550 to 900 mm
Mean annual air temperature: 5.6 to 8.3 degrees C
Frost free period: 90 to 140 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Rubson and Selle soils. Rubson soils are on glacial lacustrine terraces and have argillic horizons. Selle soils are on glacial lacustrine terraces and have fine sandy loam surfaces greater than 25 cm thick.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Excessively drained; runoff is very slow; saturated hydraulic conductivity is very high.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly used for woodland and livestock grazing. Some areas are cleared and used for alfalfa hay or pasture. Potenital natural vegetation is ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, western larch, and Douglas-fir, with an understory of pine reedgrass, low Oregongrape, snowbrush ceanothus, bluebunch wheatgrass, Saskatoon serviceberry, common snowberry, common chokecherry, and woods rose.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Idaho, California, Montana, and northeastern Washington; MLRA 44A. This series is moderately extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bonner County, Idaho, 1935.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon -- the zone from 0 to 15 cm (Oi, Oe, Oa, A horizons);
Lamellic feature -- the zone from 70 to 152 cm (EandBt1, EandBt2 horizons) that does not meet the thickness requirement for an argillic horizon; and
Particle-size control section -- from 31 to 106 cm (part of the Bw2, Bw3, EandBt1, part of the EandBt2 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: KSSL Laboratory data available for this pedon, S1970ID017002 Bonner County, Idaho, KSSL pedon number: 70C0001. Addition KSSL data available for Lab Pedon numbers: 93ID021002, 97ID021002, Boundary County, Idaho. KSSL Pedon Numbers: 94P0241, 98P0032, S2001WA063007 Spokane County, Washington. KSSL Pedon Number: 02N0118.

Taxonomic version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.